The New Highway Code
Antony Nailer • 20 February 2022
News & Social Media / Post
UKIP opposes the relentless war on motorists
The new issue of the Highway Code prioritises cyclists in most situations and pedestrians at junctions. UKIP does not believe such measures will improve road safety and it will not improve traffic flow including that of buses on which some pedestrians depend for their transport.
Motorists pay heavily through vehicle excise duty, petrol duty, MOT, and vehicle maintenance for the use of the roads. The car is registered to them and there is a visible number plate so it can be monitored, and the motorist contacted if they disobey the rules of the road including speeding.
Cyclists and pedestrians are pretty much anonymous and except if they are also motorists, they do not pay the costs of maintaining the roads. Both pedestrians and cyclists regularly ignore the highway code and cyclists are renowned for undertaking and overtaking very close to vehicles and ignoring junctions and traffic lights and generally causing motorists to take action to avoid hitting them or knocking them down.
Now at junctions pedestrians and cyclists have the right of way before motorists, so there could be a steady stream of pedestrians just keep walking across a road junction halting traffic wishing to turn into or out of a side road, causing cars to back up and unnecessary annoyance to the motorists. Guaranteed gridlock!
A car overtaking a bicycle now must give 1.5 metres minimum clearance; cyclists are also encouraged to ride in the centre of the lane 'on quiet roads' without a clear definition of ‘quiet’; this means that wherever a cyclist is in the lane there may be insufficient clearance while cars are traveling in the opposite lane. Cyclists can and will clog up the lane and define its speed to as little as 4 mph. Guaranteed gridlock!
Cyclists represent 2% of road uses. So instead of a tiny minority group being allowed to change the rules of the road in their favour it would have been more reasonable for a group of 50 motorists and 1 cyclist to have worked on the new highway code.
It is ludicrous for laws and rules for society to be dominated by tiny minority groups.
The new highway code is not fit for purpose and the Department of Transport should be ashamed of its continued war on the motorist.
Antony Nailer,
UKIP Policy Team, Transport advisor.
Recent National News
Cameron Bishop Former Police Crown Servant, Solicitor & UKIP Activist
Ben Walker National Party Chairman - UK Independence Party
Jeffrey Titford 24.10.1933 – 09.09.2024 Jeffrey Titford, the former Leader of the UK Independence Party and two term MEP for the East of England, has passed away, after suffering from cancer. His family announced his death on 10 th September, aged 90. Jeffrey was one of the fathers of Brexit, coming to the fore in national and international politics at a time when leaving the EU was considered unthinkable and long before it became official Conservative Party policy. A visionary and a democrat, who did not believe that EU membership provided a viable future for Britain as an independent, self-governing nation, Jeffrey Titford was elected to the European Parliament at the 1999 European Parliamentary Elections, aged 63. He was one of three UK Independence Party MEPs elected, which sent shock waves through the political world. He became Leader of the Party in 2000 and served for three years bringing stability and respectability to its campaigns. During this period, he made seventy speeches a year, travelling all over the country. He also served as interim Leader from September to November 2010, following the resignation of Lord Pearson of Rannoch, while the election of a new Leader was held. During his time in the European Parliament, he made dozens of speeches in Plenary session severely criticising the EU and particularly the level of fraud in its finances. He also extensively lobbied the European Commission and the Government in Westminster on behalf of the British fishing and farming industries. He led several delegations of fishermen to see UK Agriculture Ministers in Westminster and also took a delegation to meet the European Commissioner for Fishing in Brussels. He wrote monthly columns for the East Anglian Daily Times, the Hertfordshire Mercury and Farmers Guide and made many appearances on regional television. He also made a guest appearance on Breakfast with Frost. Jeffrey Titford’s political career began in 1970, when he became a Councillor on the Clacton Urban District Council. He ended his association with the Conservative Party in 1992, in protest over Prime Minister John Major’s signing of the Maastricht Treaty. He joined Sir James Goldsmith’s Referendum Party and, in a sign of things to come, stood in the General Election of 1997 in Harwich when he was the Party’s most successful candidate, securing almost 10 per cent of the vote and, in the process, unseating the sitting Member of Parliament. Following the death of Sir James Goldsmith, Jeffrey was invited to join the UK Independence Party (UKIP), where he established a branch in Clacton and a regional committee, which led to his successful campaign in the European Elections in 1999. He paved the way for Nigel Farage’s subsequent success in Clacton at the 2024 General Election. He was re-elected to the European Parliament in 2004, with a greatly increased share of the vote and UKIP also returned a second MEP. He retired from European Politics in 2009 and was made an Honorary Patron of the Party in 2006 and became President for Life in 2011. Life before politics Following National Service in the RAF, Jeffrey joined the family’s funeral directing business in 1956, where he had a 35 year career, during which he served for 12 years on the National Association of Funeral Director’s (NAFD) National Executive and rose to National President in 1975-76. He was instrumental in developing an official code of practice for the funeral profession, at the request of the Office of Fair Trading. He also successfully campaigned for funeral directors to have the right to sell a package funeral and carried out the first review of the practice manual for funeral directing, which led to the creation of a formal qualification for funeral directors, recognised by the NAFD. He sold the company in February 1989 and retired from the profession. An enthusiastic Rotarian, Jeffrey served as President of the Clacton and later Frinton Rotary Clubs. He also belonged to the Clacton Operatic and Clacton Dramatic Societies, taking lead roles in both companies. However, his most successful hobby was rally driving. He was a leading light in the Clacton Motor Club in the early seventies for whom he was the regional rally champion for six consecutive years. Jeffrey Titford was a devoted family man and is survived by his wife Margaret, one son, three daughters, eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Ben Walker National Party Chairman - UK Independence Party
Donald MacKay UKIP Spokesman for Scotland
Steve Unwin UKIP Spokesman for Home Affairs, Political Reform and Local Government (UKIP Parliamentary Candidate for Christchurch)
Antony Nailer UK Independence Party spokesman for Treasury
Dr Chris Ho UK Independence Party spokesman for Health and Social Care
Antony Nailer UK Independence Party Energy Spokesman
Cameron Bishop Former Police Crown Servant, Solicitor & UKIP Activist
Ben Walker National Party Chairman - UK Independence Party
Jeffrey Titford 24.10.1933 – 09.09.2024 Jeffrey Titford, the former Leader of the UK Independence Party and two term MEP for the East of England, has passed away, after suffering from cancer. His family announced his death on 10 th September, aged 90. Jeffrey was one of the fathers of Brexit, coming to the fore in national and international politics at a time when leaving the EU was considered unthinkable and long before it became official Conservative Party policy. A visionary and a democrat, who did not believe that EU membership provided a viable future for Britain as an independent, self-governing nation, Jeffrey Titford was elected to the European Parliament at the 1999 European Parliamentary Elections, aged 63. He was one of three UK Independence Party MEPs elected, which sent shock waves through the political world. He became Leader of the Party in 2000 and served for three years bringing stability and respectability to its campaigns. During this period, he made seventy speeches a year, travelling all over the country. He also served as interim Leader from September to November 2010, following the resignation of Lord Pearson of Rannoch, while the election of a new Leader was held. During his time in the European Parliament, he made dozens of speeches in Plenary session severely criticising the EU and particularly the level of fraud in its finances. He also extensively lobbied the European Commission and the Government in Westminster on behalf of the British fishing and farming industries. He led several delegations of fishermen to see UK Agriculture Ministers in Westminster and also took a delegation to meet the European Commissioner for Fishing in Brussels. He wrote monthly columns for the East Anglian Daily Times, the Hertfordshire Mercury and Farmers Guide and made many appearances on regional television. He also made a guest appearance on Breakfast with Frost. Jeffrey Titford’s political career began in 1970, when he became a Councillor on the Clacton Urban District Council. He ended his association with the Conservative Party in 1992, in protest over Prime Minister John Major’s signing of the Maastricht Treaty. He joined Sir James Goldsmith’s Referendum Party and, in a sign of things to come, stood in the General Election of 1997 in Harwich when he was the Party’s most successful candidate, securing almost 10 per cent of the vote and, in the process, unseating the sitting Member of Parliament. Following the death of Sir James Goldsmith, Jeffrey was invited to join the UK Independence Party (UKIP), where he established a branch in Clacton and a regional committee, which led to his successful campaign in the European Elections in 1999. He paved the way for Nigel Farage’s subsequent success in Clacton at the 2024 General Election. He was re-elected to the European Parliament in 2004, with a greatly increased share of the vote and UKIP also returned a second MEP. He retired from European Politics in 2009 and was made an Honorary Patron of the Party in 2006 and became President for Life in 2011. Life before politics Following National Service in the RAF, Jeffrey joined the family’s funeral directing business in 1956, where he had a 35 year career, during which he served for 12 years on the National Association of Funeral Director’s (NAFD) National Executive and rose to National President in 1975-76. He was instrumental in developing an official code of practice for the funeral profession, at the request of the Office of Fair Trading. He also successfully campaigned for funeral directors to have the right to sell a package funeral and carried out the first review of the practice manual for funeral directing, which led to the creation of a formal qualification for funeral directors, recognised by the NAFD. He sold the company in February 1989 and retired from the profession. An enthusiastic Rotarian, Jeffrey served as President of the Clacton and later Frinton Rotary Clubs. He also belonged to the Clacton Operatic and Clacton Dramatic Societies, taking lead roles in both companies. However, his most successful hobby was rally driving. He was a leading light in the Clacton Motor Club in the early seventies for whom he was the regional rally champion for six consecutive years. Jeffrey Titford was a devoted family man and is survived by his wife Margaret, one son, three daughters, eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Ben Walker National Party Chairman - UK Independence Party
Donald MacKay UKIP Spokesman for Scotland
Steve Unwin UKIP Spokesman for Home Affairs, Political Reform and Local Government (UKIP Parliamentary Candidate for Christchurch)
Antony Nailer UK Independence Party spokesman for Treasury
Dr Chris Ho UK Independence Party spokesman for Health and Social Care
on behalf of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) both at Henleaze Business Centre, 13 Harbury Road , Henleaze, Bristol, BS9 4PN