Paddle Board Lanes.

[Vaughan]

Now that cyclists have successfully taken over the Highway Code all for themselves, I suppose the next priority on the Broads will be paddle boards, with their own paddling lanes?

It is not technically possible (at least not yet) to paint white lines in the river, or I imagine we would have paddling lanes already.  They wouldn't be obliged to use them, of course - like cyclists, they could continue to paddle about in the middle of the river in Horning, as they please.  Meantime, give them at least one and a half metres space when going down the Ant or the Chet.

And why not? I imagine the BA, EA, RSPB and   "Uncle Tom Cobbley" would love it : no more need for dredging, or maintenance of moorings, no more diesel pollution, no more pumpouts, and no more bank damage - apart from all the litter, of course. The perfect route towards the re-wilding of the Broads that they all seem to dream of.

The trouble with satire, is that it so often turns out to be nearer the truth than one thinks . . . .

[BroadAmbition]

Seems to me that some of the changes are downright dangerous and in some cases stupid. 
 

The majority of road users pay for the privilege via the VED. cyclists and horse riders use them for free. They don’t even have to have 3rd party insurance 

Griff

[RS2021]

Never mind SUPs, just wait until the flying surfboards arrive.

 

[Cheesey69]

Fits the Broads image perfectly. The whole family on paddle boards , not over weight , big smiles, clearly enjoying the river and not causing harm to the environment. 
in distance, a clone of the said family, all dressed in the latest walking gear pointing at birds, big smiles.

while another clone of said family, cycle past on the latest cycles while happily smiling at each other

Tipping the nod to the same family on a sailing dingy right in the middle of the river waving at everyone 

and in the far distance, a polluting monster, scared wildlife fleeing in panic, is a boat. An afterthought  

 

[Regulo]

1 hour ago, Vaughan said:

It is not technically possible (at least not yet) to paint white lines in the river,

We've got cat's eyes on the road, surely we could use fish eyes?

[Andrewcook]

Don't put any Ideas to the Broads Authority as to this Stupid Highlyway Code saying about Cyclist this is is well I'll thought out with consequences that includes the Waterways if any? 

[TheQ]

Actually the priority bit in the New Highway code has always existed on the broads,

Simplifying it a bit..

Motorboats give way to sailors, and rowing boats,

Sailors give way to rowing boats..

Vessels  going across the rivers have to give way to those going along the rivers..

 

[floydraser]

1 hour ago, BroadAmbition said:

Seems to me that some of the changes are downright dangerous and in some cases stupid. 

Yep. As someone recovers from two broken legs, how do we determine whether the pedestrian was right - " I definitely looked like I was going to cross the junction" - and the motorist - "He/she/everyotherdefinition definitely didn't look interested in crossing the junction".

[grendel]

yes the pedestrian crossing right on the junction is the silliest, its not a safe place to cross, as the motorist is looking out for oncoming traffic in the other direction as they pull out (especially one local junction, where there is a pedestrian crossing not 50 foot further up the road designed so they can cross safely.

I nearly flattened a deliveroo driver on a moped yesterday a he sailed out of a junction, just as I hit the speedbump in the rod designed to slow traffic, emergency braking on a speedbump, as the front of the vehicle rises over it isnt very effective ( i always thought that a stupid place for the speedbump, right in the braking zone near a junction, on a downhill incline.

 

[Malanka]

The issue with this legislation or change or whatever this silliness is called is fairly obviously related to PRIORITY, doesn’t matter how stupid the cyclist or pedestrian is when they decide to step off in front of a 1000kg vehicle, even a self driving one. The driver is automatically wrong. I imagine this will be subtlety changed in some way after some Darwin winners are flattened bent or otherwise mangled. Anyone who has driven in either Oxford or Cambridge over the past thirty years has actually seen this already. Fiona was interviewed for an aggressively prolonged period after a cyclist slammed into the passenger door while she ( Fiona) was stationary in a queue of traffic. No questions were asked of the award winning cyclist. Maybe due to plod recruitment practices or just a bad day who knows. Now however it’s in the Highway Code. Let’s see what legal precedents are set in the coming months and years and see how many broken legs it takes to change it. 

[floydraser]

4 hours ago, RS2021 said:

Never mind SUPs, just wait until the flying surfboards arrive.

 

I see nothing but a succession of sliced legs. I just hope I'm not there to witness it.

[grendel]

I wonder how fast they have to go to get airbourne, if its more than 3mph they will not be allowed (like jetski's)

[CeePee1952]

23 minutes ago, grendel said:

I wonder how fast they have to go to get airbourne, if its more than 3mph they will not be allowed (like jetski's)

I think I read somewhere that they can get up to 30 mph  so depending on the efficiency of the foil, I reckon they’d have to attain around 10-15 mph to “get up on the plane!”!!

[Malanka]

But guys guys guys, we all KNOW, the speed limits are to protect against bank erosion and sub surface disruptions from quickly passing craft in shallow water. In which case these boards are fine as they don’t create wash or sub surface disruptions……We know that’s what the speed limits are based on right of course they are, no nobody put a finger somewhere and came up with numbers, no that did not happen stop saying that…

 

He he isn’t facetious wonderful 

[RS2021]

33 minutes ago, grendel said:

I wonder how fast they have to go to get airbourne, if its more than 3mph they will not be allowed (like jetski's)

A quick Google suggests 4-8 mph together on the plane. I think they are more akin to e-scooters on the road, Illegal unless part of an official scheme. But I fear they are small enough and portable enough for someone to use on the Broads and dissappear quickly when Broads Beat turn up.

[grendel]

I suspect another issue might be water depth, looking at how far above the water they rise, they will need that and more below the water, imagine skimming close to the bank and finding a tree root of sunken branch.

[Bikertov]

14 minutes ago, grendel said:

I suspect another issue might be water depth, looking at how far above the water they rise, they will need that and more below the water, imagine skimming close to the bank and finding a tree root of sunken branch.

LOL - shouldn't laugh, but it would be funny to watch that ...

[BroadAmbition]

Seconded 

Griff

[CeePee1952]

Thirded 

Chris

[Smoggy]

Not just me thinking that then, be almost as good as watching a scooter get the front wheel in a drain cover, I didn't laugh then either.... much.

[TheQ]

They are of course motorised therefore come under motorboat regulations. So will require a boat safety test , insurance, Broads tax, stick to speed limits and give way  to sailing craft and rowing boats. 

[grendel]

32 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

Not just me thinking that then, be almost as good as watching a scooter get the front wheel in a drain cover, I didn't laugh then either.... much.

dont, I once rode my bike 30 miles home in ever worsening road conditions, arrived home 6" snow, and the front wheel dropped into a hole made by a warm drain cover (where the snow hadnt laid) as I was turning into our garage, and off I fell at about 0 mph.

[Mouldy]

1 hour ago, CeePee1952 said:

Thirded 

Chris

I’d rather not go fourth!! 

[Vaughan]

I gather that the new Highway Code was drawn up without any input invited from motoring organisations.  In other words, just a cyclists' dream ticket.

As children we were taught to look both ways and always use a pedestrian crossing.  Remember the Green Cross Code?

Now it seems that children can just step out across a junction in front of traffic and hope to stay alive.

Who - "in their right minds" - could possibly have dreamed this up?

[grendel]

and cyclists are allowed to cut down the inside as you turn left, while busy watching for the suicidal pedestrians, you just couldnt make it up.