Do cyclists ride on the pavement for fear of safety or because of a lack of road law knowledge? Image courtesy of Sustrans ©
Adult cycling courses are on the increase in Cardiff, suggesting there is a general fear for safety and lack of road law knowledge.
Did you know in a real crash a ‘good’ hardshell cycling helmet could prevent 90% of head injury related deaths*? Or did you know that staying safe on the road doesn’t mean cycling as close to the pavement as possible? If you didn’t, you’re not alone.
A recent demand for adult cycling sessions in Cardiff has prompted Maindy Road Safety Centre to pilot a new weekly Cycling with Confidence course. As well as educating cyclists in both the practical and theoretical elements of cycling, the course teaches cyclists about the Highway Code and how it applies to them.
And with a number of recent accidents involving high profile cyclists Mark Cavendish, Bradley Wiggins and GB team head coach, Shane Sutton, cycling road safety is back in the limelight.
It is clear the issue of road safety needs to be addressed, and road laws are one of the first things that should be considered. The Highway Code is as much a rule book for motorists as it is for cyclists and cyclists found disobeying the law could face heavy fines.
A cyclist could in extreme cases be fined up to £500 for riding on the pavement (Rule 64, Highway Code), however generally a fixed penalty notice of £30 is issued. And for disobeying a traffic sign or traffic light signal (Rule 69) a cyclist may face a fine of up to £2,500.
According to Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) David Lloyd, Cardiff police try to warn cyclists before fining them, as they want to encourage cycling in the city. But there is no denying that cycling in the city can be dangerous, whether cyclists obey road laws or not.
Trouble on the road
Just a few weeks ago, a cyclist was hospitalised after colliding with a car at one of Cardiff’s busiest road junctions near Cathays Park, while the day before a cyclist collided with a bus outside the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama during the morning rush hour traffic.
These incidents only serve to highlight the dangers of cycling on the city’s roads and although there are laws in place for cyclists, UK charity Sustrans’ ‘Bike It’ officer, Roxane Hackwood, thinks we should look at the cause of why people may not be following the rules.
Cyclists aren’t always to blame
She says, “We need a culture of respect between everyone using our roads, including pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. But the biggest ingredient in creating that culture of respect is slower traffic speeds. I don’t think many people cycle on the pavements to disobey the law or cause problems for pedestrians. It may well be down to a lack of confidence because of the speed of traffic on our roads.”
This may be the case, but not all cyclists are aware of these laws or the penalties they could face for disobeying them.
James Thomas is a resident in Whitchurch and cycles to university. The 23-year-old student is aware it is illegal to cycle on the pavement, but is unaware of the huge fines that could be imposed. “I didn’t know you could be fined that much,” he admits.
Thomas considers himself a careful cyclist and although he may occasionally ride on the pavement, he only does it when there’s too much traffic and to avoid knocking into wing mirrors.
Although Cardiff residents have been complaining that cyclists pose a danger to pedestrians when riding on the footpath, Thomas makes a point that pedestrians also need to be educated. “I don’t think pedestrians know enough about how to behave on a cycle path. Often I’ll be cycling along and somebody will just walk in front of me. I’ve almost smacked into a dog before just because the owner hasn’t kept control of it.”
Raising awareness
In an effort to improve road safety for cyclists and pedestrians, the Cathays Neighbourhood Policing Team and Cardiff City Council’s Road Safety Department recently carried out a joint initiative in Cathays Terrace.
PCSO David Lloyd says, “The objective was to promote greater safety awareness for cyclists and to reduce the dangers to pedestrians alike. I am sure together we can improve road safety for all in Cathays.”
Training to be a safer cyclist is crucial, and Sustrans runs a variety of projects for both adults and children across the UK to promote and educate people about cycling. The charity has also called for cycling training to become compulsory within the school curriculum.
Hackwood reveals, “In Cardiff schools where we run our ‘Bike It’ cycling programme 13.6% of children cycle to school at least three times a week compared to a national average of only 2%. We hope the ‘Bike It’ scheme will raise a new generation of considerate, road-savvy cyclists who enjoy getting on their bikes and understand the many benefits.”
*Margaret Dorsch et al, Accident Analysis & Prevention Vol. 19, No 3 1987