Spinneyhead

Ignore the Clarkson image at the top of the article and have a read of this- I don’t ride a bike, why should I sign the Times cycling petition? | The Times.

Everyone can benefit from an increase in cycling, so please sign the petition to help yourself out.

Promote cycling by implementing the recommendations in the ‘Get Britain Cycling’ report. – e-petitions.

The petition needs over 100,000 signatories to get discussed in Parliament.  It’s got over 25,000 in its first two days, so please help keep the momentum up.

We need to encourage more cycling, better infrastructure and more understanding from- and harsher punishment of, if necessary- drivers when it comes to sharing the road.  The ‘Get Britain Cycling’ report is built upon an enquiry into the state of cycling in the UK and its recommendations are based upon input from a wide range of experts.

I keep saying that drivers should have more training in cycle safety, so this petition that someone has started, to have cycling awareness made a mandatory part of driver training rather than just an optional module, appeals to me. Consider it and if, like me, you think it’s a good idea, please do sign it.

Dear drivers,

I don’t do any of those things you keep complaining about cyclists doing. I don’t run red lights. I don’t cycle on the pavement. I wear clothes which are bright and/or have reflective patches and I have lights on my bikes. I also do some things you don’t know to tell me about, such as riding a sensible distance out from the kerb- when the traffic lets me- keeping clear of opening car doors and inattentive pedestrians. (I also wear a helmet, but that’s not a safety measure, it’s about damage reduction.)

So, when are you going to keep your side of the bargain? When will you start giving me enough room when you pass me? How long until you stop parking and driving in the cycle lane (or on the pavement, but that’s something for the pedestrians to take up with you)? When will you learn what advanced stop boxes are for and that amber means slow down and stop, not speed up to get through before the lights go red? It’s not much to ask, just that you show a little sense and courtesy when dealing with more vulnerable road users.

I’m sure you’ll all tell me that you’re wonderful, careful drivers. Many of you will be right. And then some of you will tell me all about the terrible things that cyclists do. I won’t refer you back to the first paragraph, you’re just making excuses for not changing your ways.

I’m not defending misbehaving cyclists, but I am getting tired of being told that I’m the problem when I’m not, or that we, as a group, are the most dangerous bunch on the roads. A cyclist would have to be pushing at the very far edges of bad luck or behaviour before they could do as much damage to another human as a driver is capable of just by forgetting to look around properly before opening their car door.

So- for Christmas and beyond- could you please be so kind as to give me my space on the road, look out for me and stop blaming me for problems created by bad road design or the failings of car culture.

Sincerely,

A cyclist.

Nottingham North MP Graham Allen and a delegation of councillors will travel to Westminster on Monday to meet with Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport Stephen Hammond.

They will be calling for changes in the law so that all cyclists must wear helmets and all bikes must be fitted with lights.

The delegation also wants all new bike sales to include helmets, reflective clothing and lights, and to ban BMX bikes on public roads as some do not have brakes or lights fitted and are only suitable for tracks.

via Deaths on Notts roads spark MP’s call for tighter cycling laws | This is Nottingham.

Every so often someone comes up with the idea that they have to protect us cyclists from ourselves.  This protection almost always takes the form of compulsory helmet wearing and banishment to the cycle path.

It’s not the solution.

Firstly, let’s make an important distinction about cycle helmets and “safety”.  Cycle helmets do not make cyclists safer.  Not one bit.  (In fact, there’s one study which suggests that they actually make us less safe because, for some reason, they make drivers think they can give us less room when passing).  However, I almost never go for a ride without my helmet on, because whilst it doesn’t throw up a forcefield to keep bad drivers away it will prevent or reduce damage to my brain box if something unfortunate should happen. I like my brain, it’s one of my favourite parts of my body.

Making us wear helmets all the time, or forcing us to stay within the poorly designed and maintained cycle paths, will do nothing to make us safer.  Better enforcement of existing laws and improved training for drivers would be more effective.  The return of Cycling Proficiency training in schools wouldn’t hurt either, but MPs and other wannabe safety campaigners have got to stop blaming the victims and start accepting that motorists cause most of the problems.