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MENDIP TIMES
Cycling along safer roads
TRANSPORT for London recently paused an advertising campaign promoting road safety towards cyclists after a CYCLING backlash of with EDMUND complaints – from LODITE cyclists! In the film, a driver is seen slamming on her brakes after almost knocking a cyclist off his bike. At first the pair begin an altercation blaming each other for the incident. Then as the rage subsides, they slip into a moment of reflection and check on how each other feels before a voiceover concludes: “If we understood how we really make each other feel, our roads would be safer.” The purpose of the “See their side. See safer roads” campaign is to highlight the lack of empathy and understanding that road users often have for each other. The concept behind the well-made film, namely in seeing things from someone else’s perspective is great, so why has there been so much negative feedback? The problem is the portrayal of “false equivalence” and the lack of ownership for responsibility. In the advert, the car driver is clearly in the wrong making an illegally close pass and almost colliding with the cyclist, yet both are portrayed with equal blame. Those walking and cycling are much more vulnerable than those driving a motor vehicle and impending changes to the highway code will better define the responsibilities of all road users. One of the fundamental changes is the introduction of the “Hierarchy of Road Users”, recognising that those who pose greater risks to others ought to have a higher level of responsibility. The new code will also simplify the rules at non-signalised junctions. Vehicles turning where no signals are in place should give way to pedestrians or cyclists going straight ahead across their path, unless traffic signs, signals or markings say otherwise. In other words, the person going straight ahead would have right of way over the person turning left. This
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should reduce “left hook” collisions and make it easier to maintain cycle track priority at junctions. Another important change is on minimum overtaking distances. The new rule will require that drivers should “leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists at speeds of up to 30mph, and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds”. All of these are welcome changes and long overdue. However, it also means that as cyclists we must carry our own burden of responsibility by riding safely and being aware of the risk to pedestrians. A lot of safety features on bikes are there to protect the cyclist – helmets and lights etc. Yet there is one seldom used piece of equipment that is there to warn and protect pedestrians – the humble bicycle bell. A pedestrian being approached from behind along a lane or shared use path will not hear an oncoming cyclist. So, it’s only fair to give them advance warning in case they suddenly change direction. It also avoids the element of unwelcome surprise as you suddenly pass by.
I’ve seen cyclists try and do this by shouting ahead but that can come across as arrogant and rude or as “get out of my way”. The legal position is that bikes are fitted with a bell when they are sold as new but there is no legal requirement to keep them on bicycles or use them on the road. The Highway Code merely suggests that cyclists “should be considerate of other road users, particularly blind and partially sighted pedestrians”. I think that’s a reasonable thing to ask for. Like wearing a facemask for Covid it’s there to protect others from you. In trying to balance the debate about the rights of cyclists, pedestrians and cars its worth noting that in some cases the cyclist can be the problem. Recently, I heard of a lady who was walking along a lane near Stanton Drew and was hit from behind by a cyclist who refused to stop and give his name to her husband. She ended up in hospital with several injuries. Such instances are cowardly and rare, but sadly demonstrates that all road users including cyclists have a responsibility to others.
JANUARY CROSSWORD SOLUTION
ACROSS: 1. Somerset Day 9. Attenuate 10. Clown 11. Earwig 12. Spray gun 13. Pulpit 15. Flattery 17. Eel 18. Feminine 19. Uses up 21. Cobblers 23. Sprint 26. Orate 27. Impulsive 28. Eleventh may. DOWN: 1. Shake-up 2. Motor 3. Rendition 4. Exam 5. Deed poll 6. Yucca 7. Tenancy 8. Congress 14. Lima bean 15. Fee 16. Test pilot 17. Energise 18. Factory 20. Putrefy 22. Liege 24. Idiom 25. Épée
