I think the moaning was more about the initial
7. Drivers have much higher duties to ensure the safety of cyclists of all ages.
Which sounds like a bunch if BS along the lines of it’s not OK to kill people
Fair dos. Worth pointing out that the duties quote is from a summary provided by an expat organisation. I had a skim through the actual changes and that doesn’t appear. The implications for cyclist safety are:
Under 16s required to wear helmet at all times (adult not required to do so in urban areas)
Drivers can pass cyclists using the entire opposite lane where oncoming cyclists are not endangered or impeded (I think this is a roundabout way of saying drivers can cross a solid white line to pass cyclists, though the white line isn’t mentioned implicitly)
Drivers must give cyclists 1.5m when passing (previously this applied only on certain roads on Sundays and holidays)
There are increased penalties for alcohol and drug use while driving. You might remember xc Olympic medalist Iñaki Lejarreta was killed by a drugged driver a year or so back.