“The kid can cycle, but can the driver drive?”: Parents demand safer cycling infrastructure as video shows 5-year-old having to navigate traffic and blocked bike lane

A video of a five-year-old boy, picking his way through the traffic safely on a single-lane road full of cars in all four directions, has gone viral on social media, with many people pointing out that despite the kid’s brilliant riding skills, poor cycling infrastructure could be putting off less confident riders of all ages in the UK. 

Francesca Savage was making her way back home to Haringey in north London after a trip to Finsbury Park, with her husband and her son, but they were met with a cycle lane which was out of its “operating hours”. Naturally, this meant it was full of parked cars and slow-moving traffic, with occupants of the vehicles seemingly desperate to get in front of the three cyclists.

There’s barely any space in between the parked cars, where the cycle lane should have been, with drivers in moving vehicles presumably waiting at a signal. As the child makes his way past the standing traffic, the cars start moving, with a black BMW driver swerving to get in front and past him even when he’s alongside the front wheel of the car.

However, that doesn’t put him off, as he continues to make his way forward, sticking to his lane, not wobbling under intimidation, and even positioning himself slightly more centrally — all while maintaining direct eye contact with the driver.

> "Should not be on the public highway riding a bike": Conservative politician weighs in on viral clip of driver refusing to stop for child

After a trip to Finsbury Park we rode home. To get home we hve to cross the A10. There’s a bike lane but it’s out of operating hrs so cars can park.

Safety is a primary reason ppl are put off cycling.

Routes like this need to be safe to encourage more switches from 🚗 to 🚲. pic.twitter.com/SK5BTTuw5T

— Francesca Savage 🚲💕 (@francesca_kms) August 6, 2023

Savage told road.cc that her son had learnt to ride a bike by the time he was just about to turn three, and even did his first solo trip on his own bike from Tottenham into central London when he was three and a half years of age.

She said: “[He’s had] no professional training, other than from his parents — my partner and I. We cycle a lot, it’s our primary mode of transport. So we have been teaching from a young age. One of us is always in front and one behind.

“When I speak to my friends with kids, the primary reason they don’t cycle with their kids is safety. I think driving behaviours affect kids riding as a form of transport as their parents are put off using a bike over the car due to safety.”

> “In the middle of the road!” Motorist berates children cycling “harmlessly home from school” on empty cul-de-sac

She added she sees this sort of congestion regularly, especially at key times of the day such as school pick up and drop off times. “It affects us because if feels less safe when cycling around, I also think it’s a huge deterrent to people who might consider cycling if it were not for the road dangers,” she said.

Cyclists on social media platforms were in awe of the kid, praising him for his mature-beyond-his-years demeanour and handling of the bike. One person said: “The MGIF vibes from the driver here are strong, but the five-year-old holds them back with aplomb by looking back and communicating that he's ahead.”

The shoulder checks are rare here. Totally a must, just sad to see such a video when you've seen proper cycling infrastructure

— Mistress of Hellvetica (@sexandtheswiss) August 7, 2023

The little fella us a cool dude.
Totally knows how to handle his bike and his awareness us top drawn.

Chapeau pic.twitter.com/Cq0mS6mdd2

— Rapid Offensive Unit. (@AndyParrott1) August 6, 2023

The kid has skills - head on the full swivel while dancing on the pedals ❤️ it

— Mark (@Markstevel78) August 7, 2023

A councillor from West Berkshire commented: “That is a very confident and Road-aware youngster. Well done to the parents for that superb training. As an adult I would have wobbled & bailed! I agree, I’d love to see a cycle safe infrastructure. With so many financial pressures on most services, it’s going to be tough.”

Others were in praise of the couple’s parenting: “Your son has serious cycling skills & he is only 5, many adults don’t have such road awareness. Outstanding parenting.”

Savage was critical of the fact that on the A10, where the footage was from, the operating hours for the bike lane are Monday to Saturday, from 7am to 7pm.

“Outside of these hours, people can park on the cycling lane. There is no segregation so there is nothing to deter cars parking in the cycling lane outside these house,” she said.

Time restrictions on cycle and bus lanes make zero sense. You need them at peak traffic times...and if the world doesn't end if you have them at peak times, why would you not keep them at low traffic times?

— Götz von Berlichingen #FBPE (@georgebernhard) August 6, 2023

However, there were a few people who thought that the parents were using their child to make a point and putting him in danger.

Savage told road.cc this wasn’t the case, as cycling is their primary mode of transport. “In Haringey less than half of house holds own a car so many people rely on active travel and public transport. The cycling lane parking makes it an unsafe environment for more vulnerable road users and will prevent them from potentially making the switch from their car to a bike,” she said.

> Local activist slams “selfish” parents for allowing their children to cycle on the pavement, and says riding on the road is “safer” for primary school pupils

We are cycling back from the park. As we don’t have a car it’s the quickest l, healthiest and greenest way of getting there.

— Francesca Savage 🚲💕 (@francesca_kms) August 7, 2023

If we walked along pavements when there’s congestion we’d never get anywhere unfortunately.

— Francesca Savage 🚲💕 (@francesca_kms) August 7, 2023

Who, our child or the drivers?

— Francesca Savage 🚲💕 (@francesca_kms) August 6, 2023

Last year, a similar video of a motorist driving past a five-year-old cycling within touching distance went viral. As most people called for better infrastructure, two Conservative politicians threw their hat in the ring and argued that the child should not have been cycling on the road in the first place — not much unlike this recent incident, where people asked Savage why she wasn't cycling on the pavement with her chid. 

Other asked if there were any other safer alternatives than using a trunk road like the A10, to which Savage replied: “We avoid main roads as much a possible, using quiet street and cycle paths whenever possible. Sometimes however transversing busier roads, even for short distances, is unavoidable.”