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National newspapers launch cycling and motoring surveys

Times cycling survey will help shape Parliamentary inquiry, Telegraph seeks views on motoring

Two national newspapers are currently running surveys through their websites that will be of interest to road.cc users for rather different reasons - one by The Times under its Cities fit for Cyclists campaign, the other by The Daily Telegraph on motoring and which is very much car-centric in its framing.

Results from The Times survey, which you can complete here, will underpin a report that will be written to accompany the cross-party Parliamentary inquiry that aims to get more people cycling as well as focusing on cycle safety. The survey will be open for around four weeks.

The Telegraph, meanwhile, has launched its third annual motoring survey in partnership with the insurance company, AXA, and will be open until midnight on Tuesday 20th November, posing the question: "Fed up with the standards of driving and aggression on the UK's roads? Here's your chance to have a say to provide a clear picture of attitudes to cars and driving across the country."

It's aimed specifically at motorists, but given that the vast majority of adult cyclists also hold a driving licence that's likely to include you.

It's an opportunity for those of us who do use two wheels to get around rather than rely solely on the car to get our views across, as cycling journalist and campaigner Carlton Reid says on his Quickrelease.tv website, where he also imagines what responses would look like if drivers were being truthful.

Reid also points out: "The two surveys are related: dismal driving behaviour makes cycling (and walking) far more dangerous than it needs to be."

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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Bob's Bikes | 11 years ago
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The Times survey asks us what would make us cycle more then lists a few options including cycle training NOWHERE does it say better/and ongoing training for ALL road users. It still appears to be blaming the victims and ignoring/failing to see the elephant in the room. Again with Q4 "who is the greatest danger to cyclists" there is no option for bad drivers I had to use the other box to point out vehicles are mechanical objects it's the person who is driving it who's the danger.

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OldRidgeback | 11 years ago
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The Telegraph poll did have some odd questions and I did wonder who had put it together. It didn't ask about other forms of vehicle used, which I thought was a major omission. But then I suppose cycling and motorcycling are still seen as fringe pursuits, despite the fact that if more people were to switch to two wheels the congestion problems would evaporate.

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dmuid | 11 years ago
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Reading the comments on the Telegraph page there is more than a bit of a stench of racism, bigotry, and sexism about them.

The questionnaire plays to those ignornant attitudes and is so biased as to be inrrelevant.

What can more could you expect from the Torygraph!

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hoski | 11 years ago
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Both surveys were absolutely terrible. Primary school children produce vastly better questionnaires.

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andyp | 11 years ago
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Times lumping high vis and lights into one question. Barking.

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nellybuck@msn.com replied to andyp | 11 years ago
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andyp wrote:

Times lumping high vis and lights into one question. Barking.

Agreed, I put that as a comment in the 'Other' box.

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Ghedebrav replied to nellybuck@msn.com | 11 years ago
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nellybuck [at] msn.com wrote:
andyp wrote:

Times lumping high vis and lights into one question. Barking.

Agreed, I put that as a comment in the 'Other' box.

Yes, odd to put these together - light-less cyclists at night frustrate and terrify me, but hi-vis I couldn't care either way. Personally I usually wear a bit of reflective stuff but I wouldn't want to have to dress like a highlighter pen when I'm pedalling a couple of miles to the shops.

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zoxed | 11 years ago
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The Times one was nice and quick (!)
The Telegraph one was longer, also:
Q4 I say a car is unimportant, then Q5 asks me *why* it is important !
Q9 what make of car: I am not a car owner, but in a car sharing scheme, so can driver may cars !

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hoski | 11 years ago
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*shape << in the subheadline  3

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Ghedebrav | 11 years ago
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Only one mention of cycling on the AXA/Torygraph survey, and in a negative context at that ('ban cyclists from using certain roads' as an option for how to improve road conditions).

Curiously, cycling was not given as alternative to using the car along with walking, public transport etc.

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miles_from_anywhere replied to Ghedebrav | 11 years ago
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Ghedebrav wrote:

Only one mention of cycling on the AXA/Torygraph survey, and in a negative context at that ('ban cyclists from using certain roads' as an option for how to improve road conditions).

Curiously, cycling was not given as alternative to using the car along with walking, public transport etc.

I agree, a shame....  20

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mingmong | 11 years ago
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Pedant spelling: 'specifically'

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