Politics and Road Safety

I came to cycling through my involvement in transport campaigning. While going around persuading my friends, neighbours and others living nearby that road building wasn't the answer to local traffic problems, I learned more than I ever wanted to about transport policy and took to two wheels in order to put my money where my big fat mouth is. Those <3 miles journeys turned into <5 miles, <10 miles, and now I cycle pretty much everywhere in any weather and try and make as many trips as possible by bike and train instead of car. The campaign got pretty heavy going, taking a heavy emotional toll, so it was lucky for me that it reached a natural conclusion, giving me the chance to bow out from it all. I was still pretty fired up about it though, so went on to do a part-time MA, focusing largely on the issues I observed during my campaigning efforts, with the end result being campaign fatigue and environmental policy burn out. Since then I've just been riding my bike and doing all I can to stay out of the way of anything vaguely political. But maybe that needs to change?

Honestly, I'm passionate about cycling but that has nothing to do with sport and everything to do with the environment: low-carbon (although not low-carb!) transport solutions, cities and streets designed around the needs of people, safe for all vulnerable road users, getting us to where we want to go, making us healthier and happier too; all these things make sense to me and I find it hard to comprehend why some folks think otherwise. But they do.

Then there are places like the Netherlands. Cycling is prioritised, it is popular. Cyclists are safe, they can wear normal clothes, ride to and from work on dedicated routes, go on trips with the family and (and the dog) at the weekend. You can move house by bike and no-one will think you're barmy! Bikes are everywhere. It is just a tiny slice of bike heaven dotted.

Then there is the UK. Car is king. The Government positively discriminates in favour of the combustion engine because cars, lorries, and vans burn fuel which creates income through taxation (fuel duty), whereas cars, bikes, and trains (the things greenies like me dream of) cost the Exchequer because every mile we do by one of those methods is fuel duty lost. Yes, it really does work that way. We don't have anything like an integrated transport system. Shows like Top Gear actively promote running cyclists over. Since we ran out of money to put actual police out on the streets to monitor speed limits, replacing them with speed cameras, everyone drives at pretty much whatever speed they want, irrespective of the limit, and motorists who knock down a cyclists are given a slap on the wrist (if they're really unlucky) and told not to do it again. Those of us who are crazy enough to get out there and ride on the roads feel the need to dress up in flourescent gear visible from space and ride like the clappers in the primary position in order to hold our own. It's a war out there folks.

And that, in short, is why most ordinary people, those who just want to go to work, go to the shops, go out with their friends, and don't want to be at war with anyone aren't jumping over themselves to swap four wheels for two. It's not about the rain or the hills; it's about fear.

So it's with great joy that I read today about Early Day Motion 407, proposed by Lib Dem MP Julian Huppert, which attempts to bring to the attention of Parliament the current imbalance in the system, which favours the car over the human. The full text of the EDM reads:

That this House notes that many victims of road accidents do not feel that the criminal justice system adequately protects or supports them in the aftermath of their case; further notes that it is important that those who have suffered traumatic incidents are given effective and sympathetic support as they attempt to rebuild their lives; welcomes the work of British Cycling and other groups, including CTC, Sustrans, London Cycling Campaign, The Times, Cycling Weekly, RoadPeace and Brake to raise the profile of the issue; and calls on the Ministry of Justice to review carefully the evidence they have submitted and undertake a comprehensive review of each part of the criminal justice system, from crash investigation standards through to sentencing guidelines, to ensure that it is fairer for cyclists, pedestrians and other road users who are hurt or seriously injured on the country's roads.

Trust me. This is huge. It's a few carefully worded sentences away from calling for the ultimate ideal of "strict liability" -- the norm in Denmark and the Netherlands -- but it's a step in the right direction. So here's what to do...

Write to your MP. Do it now. It's important. You can save yourself alot of effort by going to this site here, aptly called Write to Them and putting something in writing. Write to your local Councillors too. They'll be glad to receive a letter that's not banging on about potholes or pointless cycle lanes (we'll save that for another time). For now, just write to your MP asking them to support EDM 407. Tell them why you think it's important. Tell them you're a cyclist. Tell them whatever you like really. It's no big deal. People write to them all the time. You should get a letter back, which will probably be fairly dry and not particularly informative, but a few lucky ones will get a proper letter written by a real human who geniunely shares your concerns. The thing is, if you don't write to them they'll never know you care. Make the bastards work for it, I say. So stop reading now and get writing. Thanks!