Parents who cycle with their children to a school in Exeter have spoken of the abuse – at times physical – they suffer at the hand of motorists, leaving some too scared to continue to do the school run by bike.
In a report on Devon Live, some described how they had been targeted by vehicle occupants throwing objects at them, with one mother adding that a friend who was preganant had been punched as she rode to Steiner Academy.
The school, whose students are aged from four to 16 years, is located on the busy Cowley Bridge Road which was singled out in the report as particularly problematic for cyclists due to the number of motorists using it.
One parent, Arabella Greatorex, said: "Mums and dads just feel scared.
"There are so many people who have been scared off the road that had abuse thrown at them, they had been hit, people that have been knocked off their bikes.
"We do have some real issues with driver behaviour around here and a lot of people who would like to cycle to school are too scared to cycle to school,” she continued.
"Frequently we get doored on the road so people opening their car doors without looking behind.”
She added that a passenger in a white van had slapped her on her bottom as she rode along the city’s New North Road on her way to a work meeting.
"He obviously thought it was a joke but I went flying over the handlebars," she said.
Other parents revealed that they had been deterred from undertaking the school run by bike because of the behaviour of some drivers and used other means instead.
Beacon Heath resident Laura Casey revealed that she made the trip by bus, from which she could see the danger cyclists were exposed to.
"Me and my friend come on the bus and normally there are cyclists in front and cars are getting so frustrated they are beeping, almost nudging into them," she explained.
"You can see the riders are looking back really frustrated and scared so obviously that’s put me off."
Another mother, Jane Rae, said: "We have had an experience with a tanker behind me, beeping for just being on the road and I have got a four-year-old on the back
"I have seen it from all perspectives, being a driver, a pedestrian and a cyclist. Cyclists are not an alien species. We are just like anyone else trying to get our kids to school."
The school’s office and systems manager Alice Knight, whose biography on its website reveals that she studied planning and urban design, said it wanted to encourage parents and their children to cycle but acknowledged the problem.
"Obviously we have a big problem because Cowley Bridge Road is so busy," she said.
"Cyclists have a lot of issues with car and van drivers feeling they are holding them up. As a school we really want to encourage them, we have got cycle parking and we are in discussions with the cyclists to improve conditions as much as we can but our hands are tied with Cowley Bridge Road," she added.
Do you accompany your children to school by bike, and if so, what is your experience? Let us know in the comments below.
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Why should we? The road is not bad (well the surface may be), its the attitude of the drivers that is bad.Its a slippery slope if you accept bad driving and intimidation - it normalises it and makes it worse for everyone.
I live in the New Forest so there are plenty of 4x4s and narrow potholed lanes. Makes me laugh how frequently drivers don't make use of their off road ability, you'd think their 20" wheels were made of delicate china
Well it sort of is.
It illustrates how conditions for cycling are so hostile that only the most culturally or ideologically committed even attempt it. And how far we are from a situation where 'normal' people consider it an option.
And the more that said 'normals' are deterred from even thinking about it, the more the likes of Dave Hill can bash cyclists and cycle-infrastructure as 'elitist'. It's a a nice little vicious circle.
Older kids (Years 5 and up) can ride on their own to school. Plus it's the New Forest, the haters are plentiful
Sadly it resulted in him not riding his own bike. Admittedly perhaps we started riding on the road too young (age 7) but his road sense and positioning was good and these are (outside school run times) quiet roads with a lot of kids out on bikes and scooters. We've got a great skate park on the edge of town that encourages kids to ride.
The solution has been to go back to the tagalong and it is noticeable that drivers are giving us a wider berth and less aggressive passes at speed. Being a tourist destination I think subconsciously it triggers a "tourist, might not know where they're going" response.
When he was riding independently I got several comments about being an irresponsible parent for putting him at risk. Cognitive dissonance of the chelsea tractor brigade is epic
That is so sad and what the numpties can't picture is those folk scared of cycling become larger blocks which cant easily overtake (cars) and add to the congestion. If the numpties were fustrated before, they will become more fustrated
Unfortunately in Britain traffic laws are viewed as optional by most, and they view it as a human right to break the law. Just look at the attitude to speed cameras.
"When he was riding independently I got several comments about being an irresponsible parent for putting him at risk".
That'll be from the 'It's not safe on the roads for my child to walk to school so I drive them' brigade. Should be shot!
My favourites are those wahoo speed up to the yellow 'school keep clear' paint, literally boot child out and speed off again with barely a check, shoulder check et al. Yep, I don't mind running anyone else's child over so long as mine is within 3m of the gate.
Here's some KARMA for you all. Yesterday I was out riding and some numpty van driver was leaning across his seat spouting something that I couldn't hear, but was obviously being a twat! HE HAD GIVEN ME SOME SPACE THOUGH (NOT 1.5M), I then noticed something ahead and slowed, he didn't and promptly drove into the back of a car that had stopped to turn right.
I quickly came to stop, photgraphed the incident from behind, then from the side with him in view, as he was trying to reverse out and probably make a run for it. Then called 999 and police were there in 2mins, gave my statement as above and he was arrested on the spot.....RESULT!
I Have been told he will be prosecuted, as the driver he hit insisted on it!
There is a god. And he rides a bike.
So for those who say the parents should drive to create havoc, there's the answer. A couple of cyclists less, and a corresponding couple of cars more, would not be noticed in this car mad country.
My girl is the only one in her school (London zone 1) who cycles. It would be lovely to say the others walk because it is a central London school with a small catchment area but no they are delivered by Range Rover. This country has gone mad.
Exeter - what do you expect? Aren't they all frustrated delboys, premiership footballers and wags in 4 wheel drives?
It's about time schools did more to encourage a change of behavour. Start offering cycling profficiency again and incentives for the kids. Kids can often be the instigator for change in their parents behavour.
As the school is down a cul-de-sac I am sure the residents are frustrated with all the traffic so maybe the school could co-ordinate a campaign with them to restrict traffic to residents only at school start/end times? At one of my local primary schools they have a PCO/PC outside regularly moving on parents who try to drop off/collect their kids by car.
Alternatively, organise a slow ride to school one morning and really piss them off.
Most schools where I live, Bristol, are extremely active in promoting cycling, and I can't think of a reason why Exeter should be any different. Perhaps you need a public meeting to discuss the situation, inviting all the parents and ask them why they drive, which is almost certainly a fear of motor vehicles. Then you point out that this is a self-fulfilliing prophecy and that they are the problem. When they are feeling thoroughly ashamed and contrite, have a vote on improving cycle access, pointing out that more bikes is fewer cars.
Great news, looks like Devon and Cornwall Police have taken action: http://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/covert-cycle-cops-stop-motorist...
Nice work!
You don't need much school to figure out on your own that it's not ok to slap/poke at a a cyclist.
The commute through the urban zoo continues.
I know said woman...It probably doesn't help that she also rides a 78kg Dutch Double seat extra wide converted Ice Cream cart.
The road is a bitch, it's arterial and narrow and in a shit state of affairs, its a 30mph but the speed cameras are turned off so everyone including Tankers coming in from Crediton and Tiverton do 40mph down it.
The turning into steiner requires moving to the centre of the road...If you're not confindent, riding in the gutter in fear or not riding at 20mph + average, you're never going to make it as there will simply not be a gap in traffic.
it's a clusterfuck, Exeter has possibly some of the THE WORST driving i've ever seen...I can't pinpoint why, I cycled in Liverpool, London, Plymouth, Barcelona, Girona and countless other places but Exeter is just the fucking worst, the sense of entitlement on the roads is just incredible.
I'm loving the idea of filling up bottle with DOT 4 genius
Jeez this is bringing all the Exeter riders out of the woodwork! The road in question is certainly bad BUT it has just been resurfaced to an uncharacteristically good standard rather than the usual chipseal crap we get.
Resurfaced...you say, maybe I'll dice with death and do some Stoke Hill reps
Maybe if they all got on a bus or a bike they wouldn't be so fuckign fed up!
The number of single occupancy cars on that stretch is insane all to park in the overcrowding car parks so they can all moan about the number of parking tickets they get, and complain about motorists being victimised by exeter parking wardens!
No, Stoke hill is still shite. Cowley bridge road is what's been resurfaced. Are you planning to do the hill climb?
Yeah I guessed that bit but was using it as an excuse to get out on lunch and see the resurfaced bit,
I guess they have done a better job that just taking the top layer off like they did on mamhead, sketchy coming down that one!
I hadn't thought about doing the hill climb, until now... maybe I change the ratio on one of my plastic MTB's and see how many places up from bottom I can be
**cant see the date for it on the Wheelers Website, when is it?
It's tomorrow, I don't think they accept entries on the day. Good event though!
agreed. Bottom line is theschool has a problem (with the safety of it's pupils) and should be doing all it can to co-ordinate a change of behavour to get their pupils out of cars and walking/cycling.
Tried to blag an entry but apprently not... Might pop up, I'll be on the Orange Singlespeed "Holdsworth"
I can't make it this year. Have fun if you go!
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