The utterly misinformed piece of BS below comes from a UK "Road Safety"
organisation. What a pity that the only effect of their press release will
be to make the roads more dangerous for cyclists.
I used to support BRAKE but I've just rung and informed them that not only
has my support ceased, I will be actively opposing them. Any "road safety"
organisation which is so completely misinformed and misguided deserves all
the opprobrium they get. Cretins.
PRESS RELEASE: Embargoed: 00.00hrs Thursday 7 June 2007
Contact: Dianne Ferreira, Communications Officer
Tel: 01484 559909 or 07976 069159 (out of hours)
Websites: www.brake.org.uk and www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk
Scared cyclists are staying off the road
Research launched today reveals the extent of the cycling fear factor in the
UK with two thirds of drivers admitting they never get out of the car and
cycle on roads because they fear traffic.
National road safety charity Brake and Green Flag can today reveal that 64%
of drivers say they never cycle on roads, many through fear of traffic.
Recently-released provisional Government figures show that in 2006 an
alarming 2,420 cyclists were killed or seriously injured on roads in Great
Britain [1]. From 2003-2005 there was a horrifying 30% rise in cycle deaths
[2] (2006 death statistics not yet available). Bicycle use in Great Britain
is decreasing. The average number of cycle trips made per person per year
fell from an average of 18 from 1995 - 1997 to just 14 in 2005. Every year,
statistics show that more and more young people, to the detriment of their
health and well-being, are being driven to school. 43% of primary pupils and
22% of secondary pupils are now driven to school [3].
Brake believes more people would cycle - a healthy, congestion-easing and
environmentally-friendly means of transport - if the national cycle network
included more off-road cycle paths between homes and amenities. As the
research shows, many drivers understand how risky the roads are for cyclists
and will only get out of their cars if they can do so 'off-road'.
Brake is also calling for the Government to get serious about its bid to
persuade people to use their cars less and invest in road engineering
measures to protect cyclists and pedestrians such as 20mph safety zones
around our schools and homes.
Jools Townsend, head of education at Brake, said: "It's terrible that so
many people are afraid to get on a bicycle because of fear of traffic, and
worse their fears are justified. Too many people try to cocoon themselves
and their families in cars, leading to more vehicles on our roads and an
even greater threat to pedestrians and cyclists. Choosing cycling and
walking over the car is good for your health and the environment, so we
should be encouraging it. But people won't be persuaded to get on their
bikes - quite rightly - unless they can do so without putting their lives in
danger. It's time the Government put some serious investment into the
national cycle network and other measures to enable people to walk and cycle
safely."
Philippa Naylor, spokesperson for Green Flag, commented: "With so much
discussion about people's health and the 'carbon footprint', it is a shame
that so few would cycle but perhaps not surprising given the high number who
are killed or seriously injured each year. Two thirds of the drivers
surveyed would not cycle because they think it is dangerous so hopefully
they will remember this when they are behind the wheel and look out for
cyclists. We would advise motorists to always check for cyclists on the
inside when turning left and ensure they have enough space, especially in
bad weather conditions."
Key findings of the Brake and Green Flag survey:
More than a third (35%) say they would use cycle paths to travel from home
to local amenities if they were available
Nearly half (47%) of respondents never cycle
Of the 508 respondents who do cycle, 34% only do so on paths and away from
roads
A third (34%) of those who cycle on roads think dangerous drivers outnumber
safe drivers
One in three (36%) of the 645 respondents who never cycle on roads do so for
reasons including fear of traffic
Case study
David Standard's father Sid was killed in 2003 in a road crash while he was
riding his bike. David, head of media relations at Brake corporate partners
Irwin Mitchell Solicitors, said his father was a well-known cyclist. A tram
in Nottingham is named in his honour for the work he did introducing
thousands of young people to the sport, including Olympic medallists. David
is no stranger to cycling. He is a former captain of the Great Britain
cycling team and raised money for charity by cycling across Cuba in 2001.
David says: "I am extremely pleased to have the opportunity to support Brake
in their work to make the nation's roads safer and to help those people who
have been bereaved through road crashes. Everyone uses the roads and
everyone has a right to feel safe whether cycling, walking or driving."
To help highlight the importance of road safety, David and four other Brake
volunteers are using pedal power to raise funds and awareness by biking from
London to Paris on a five-day charity challenge which gets underway next
week on 13 June 2007. David is available for media interviews, please
contact Dianne Ferreira, communications officer at Brake to arrange, 01484
559909.
Taking part and raising vital funds for the education, bereavement care and
campaigning work of Brake, are also social worker Rebecca Crawley,
Motability Operations head of insurance Will Thompson, company driver
trainer Russ Moggridge and community campaigner Martin Edwards (see editor's
notes for more details on these cyclists). The cycle ride gets underway at
7am on 13 June 2007 at Black Heath, outside The Clarendon Hotel (postcode
SE3 ORW) in Greenwich.
The London to Paris ride takes place during Bike Week (16 - 24 June 2007),
the UK's annual 'celebration of cycling' with more than 1,500 events
expected to attract more than 250,000 participants. Organisers say Bike
Week is a great opportunity for people to discover, or re-discover, the
appeal of cycling. The Bike Week website has information about how you can
get involved.
This year, child pedestrian and cyclist safety is the focus of Brake's
annual Road Safety Week (5-11 November 2007). Local communities around the
country will be taking part in initiatives to urge drivers to slow down
around schools and homes and Brake will be hosting national and regional
media launches to call for measures to protect children on foot and bikes.
You can find more information at www.roadsafetyweek.org
Cycling safely
See the Brake website for a page of comprehensive cycling safety tips such
as:
Use off-road cycle paths where provided
Always wear a helmet and make sure it fits properly
Always wear a high-visibility vest when on the road, with fluorescent and
reflective strips
Read the Highway Code and undertake formal cycling training before taking to
the road for the first time or with little experience
If you are lucky enough to live in an area with cycle paths, which are
separate and protected from traffic, then there really isn't any excuse not
to get on your bike. Cycling is a great way to get and maintain a good level
of fitness, and it is an easy way to exercise as part of your daily routine,
on the way to school, work or the shops. Modern bikes are lightweight and
many are affordable.
In March, the Government launched Bikeability ( www.bikeability.org.uk), the
'cycling proficiency test for the 21 st century, designed to give the next
generation the skills and confidence to ride their bikes on today's roads.
The national award scheme replaces the old cycling proficiency training. It
has been launched following a six-month pilot involving 5,000 children in
eight Local Authorities. The scheme has been created by Cycling England, a
Government body aiming to increase cycle use and safety among cyclists.
Adults can also attain the award.
Notes to Editors
References
[1] The Department for Transport's provisional Road Casualties in Great
Britain, which includes statistics (rounded to the nearest 10) on road
casualties in Great Britain in 2006
[2] The Department for Transport Road Casualties in Great Britain 2005
[3] Department for Transport's National Travel Survey 2006
Brake volunteers taking part in the London to Paris Bike Ride
Rebecca Crawley is a social worker with Bedfordshire Social Services. Her
brother Neil was just 31 when he was killed in a car crash in February 2004,
leaving behind his wife and two small children. Rebecca says: "Just before
Christmas I decided that I wanted to take part in an event in Neil's honour
and raise both money and awareness. I had just bought a bike and felt that
the London to Paris ride would be achievable. My aim is to raise awareness
and if the money I raise can, in some way, prevent just one family going
through the heartache that we have then it will all have been worth it!"
Martin Edwards, 21, of Oxford, edits his local newsletter and works on
hospital radio. As an ardant supporter of Brake he thinks drivers'
attitudes must change to help solve the problems on our roads. He says: "Switching
off your phone, turning your lights on when it rains and leaving a
two-second gap couldn't be easier - but many drivers think they are exempt
from such things. As a keen cyclist, and thus a daily witness of bad
driving, taking part in the London to Paris ride is a great way for me to
show my support for Brake."
Will Thompson is head of insurance with Brake supporters Motability
Operations, which specialises in sourcing and delivering motoring services
to disabled people. Will, from London, says: "Through my work I see the
outcomes of fatal and serious injury insurance claims all the time. I think
Brake is doing a fantastic job in raising the whole road safety agenda and I
am delighted to be doing something positive to help Brake's ongoing work."
Russ Moggridge works for Carlsberg and has found Brake an invaluable aid,
using the charity's wealth of material for training company drivers. The
39-year-old from Yorkshire says: "This is my way of saying 'thank you' to
Brake for the free provision of resources which help make our fleets safer
on the roads. This year, I made a New Year's resolution to get fit and,
although I am not an experienced cyclist, I have got myself into training
and am looking forward to taking part in the 500-mile cycle ride for Brake."
Brake
Brake is an independent national road safety charity. Brake exists to stop
the 9 deaths and 82 serious injuries that happen on UK roads every day and
to care for families bereaved and seriously injured in road crashes. Brake
produces educational road safety literature, runs community training
programmes and runs events including Road Safety Week (5 - 11 November
2007). Brake's Fleet Safety Forum provides up-to-date fleet safety
resources to fleet managers. BrakeCare, Brake's support division, cares for
road crash victims through a helpline and other services.
Green Flag
Green Flag Motoring Assistance provides roadside rescue and recovery to over
5m customers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Green Flag's incident
management centre in Leeds manages around 1m breakdown incidents each year.
Survey results in full:
Q. Do you every cycle on roads?
33% cycle on roads
17% do not cycle on roads but use cycle paths and trails, away from roads
47% never cycle
3% did not answer
Q. Is your decision not to cycle on roads because you think it is dangerous?
17% don't cycle on roads mainly because it is dangerous
19% don't cycle on roads for several reasons, including it is dangerous
52% have other reasons
12% did not answer
Q. If there were more cycle paths and trails connecting your home to local
amenities, would you choose to ride a bike on them?
35% answered yes
54% answered no
11% did not answer
--
regards
Richard Burton