New guidance puts cycling and walking at centre of efforts to improve nation's health

I was discussing this with colleagues at work yesterday. They immediately hit back with 'of course all cyclists jump red lights and ride on the pavement'.

My reply was 'So are you saying that car drivers never go through red lights? What about mobile phone use?' I then told them about my cycle ride back from Holborn to Paddington where I'd seen one cyclist jump two red lights in a row (I managed to catch him even though I waited for the green) but saw three taxis and two cars go through red lights on the same trip.

If you believe Sport England's data, that 11% of the UK population cycle regularly, that's about 6.5 million people on two wheels. The 111 fatalities and approx 3000 injuries required a hospital stay is a relatively small proportion but the reality is that most potential cyclists find traffic volumes and speeds intimidating – they just don't feel safe.

Thanks!

For every RLJ cyclist I see, there's a red light running motorist. Let's not beat ourselves up over it, its a behaviour common to road users, including pedestrians.

I am a very keen cyclist who tries to find every way possible to use my bike over the car.
Also I take great pride in the way I drive and ride, neither of these ways of transport gives me the right to jump lights. We as cyclists should be riding sensibly and safely (this doesn't mean we have to ride slowly and get pushed into the gutter by inconsiderate drivers who for some reason are thick and cant balance on two wheels, I assume thats why so many get annoyed by cyclists).
Grumble over I negotiate around cars effortlessly whilst riding and when driving give cyclists plenty of room for their safety. We should all be throwing the book at law breaking wreckless idiots. But most of all show cycling as an enjoyable law abiding form of transport so no car driver can complain....
Maybe then we could start to convert a few car drivers.

Looking at comments appending this story on other outlets is predictably depressing. The whole 'tested and licensed' thing is cropping up more and more (though presumably these same people would baulk at the necessary establishment of a new government agency for monitoring, testing, issuing etc.).

Let's not kid ourselves about any 'cycling revolution'. The standard direction of discourse in this country remains firmly anti-cyclist.

“All activities carry a risk,” Dr Rutter explained. “For some reason there seems to be strong focus on the risk of injury associated with cycling.

“Clearly, when deaths to takes place that's tragic, and we need to do all we can to avoid them. But I think there is a perception that cycling is much more dangerous than it really is.

At last, some form of perspective from an educated person. As I have said on a few previous posts where Road CC have seemed to focus on the negative, cycling is one of the safest forms of travel. Pedestrians are 4 times more at risk of death than cyclists,and motorists 8 times more. Information can be found on Google. Agreed it is a percentage of those engaged in the activity, but numbers haven't risen significantly in relation to the increase in cycling. Although I can't find statistics that state the death rate from obesity, death rates from circulatory desease (which might be caused from obesity) in 2011 was 140,000! The time has come to undo previous Governments focus on the car and invest in cycle safe routes.

Wow Cycling & walking is good for you.....

@Sam1 - I didn't say it did - I merely pointed out that it wasn't really relevant to the news story.

FWIW, I don't RLJ.

More nice words, but where are the deeds?

Speaking as a slightly lardy middle aged man who drives a convertible car AND a BMW, both too fast...

Sounds like a step in the right direction.

The report didn't even mention parking charges.

It only says 'It should be noted that reducing car use may have a beneficial influence on the environment by reducing traffic volume and air pollution and this may a positive influence on the health of the whole population' (p39 of 126, para 3.39).

The Mail has extrapolated that to mean increased parking charges. It's a pity as there are many sensible, well-balanced suggestions in the guidance.

The most important recommendation for us cyclists is recommendation 2, which calls for all local authority officers to work together on planning/road schemes to ensure that barriers to cycling (and walking) are removed.

The report also shows that every cycling initiative undertaken in the UK shows a positive benefit to cost ratio when the savings due to public health benefits are included.

I saw this on Sky News. It mentions cycling as a possible activity, but that's the only link, but it didn't stop this numpty:

MinuteMan3
8:56 AM on 28/11/2012
Why, so you have more bicyclists wanting to use the road, but not obey the rules of the road. They have dedicated cycle lanes to wait at red lights like other road users do, but 99% of them completely ignore red lights. Why don't the government start penalising the cyclist. If a car goes through a red light, it's 3 points and a fine. When a cyclist does it, nothing happens. Very transparent rules.

rant, rant rant etc.

Please don't click on the link to the Heil. Half of their (considerable) online traffic comes from links to their hateful fear-mongering bullshit from other (rightly) outraged websites.

Wouldn't expect anything less from the Daily Mail. It's the paper I'd expect the stereotypical overweight, middle-aged, speeding driver who's angry at cyclists for slowing him/her up by a few seconds to read.

Dr Rutter is absolutely right that we need to focus on the benefits, not the risks of a relatively safe activity.