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Copied from the CTC website - P**l S**th won't like it - so it's got to be good
Cheers, helen s
"Cyclists want road safety made top priority February 5 2003
Cyclists are backing new demands for urgent action to make our roads safer for all.
National cyclists’ organisation CTC is part of the Safer Streets Coalition which is today
writing to Transport Secretary Alistair Darling urging him to take action to reduce speed limits,
enforce traffic law, introduce more traffic calming measures and raise driver awareness of road
safety issues.
CTC is one of 25 national organisations forming the Safer Streets Coalition. Today’s letter calls
for measures to force motorists to drive more responsibly. Improved road safety is just as necessary
as measures to fight crime and anti-social behaviour, the Coalition says.
Roger Geffen, CTC Campaigns and Policy Manager said: “We all stand to gain from the health,
social and environmental benefits of encouraging more cycle use. Yet too many people are put off
cycling by the fear of traffic. Cycle lanes can help but do not address the speed and dominance of
motor vehicles. These are the key issues that must be tackled if we want to see more people cycling
more often.â€
Speeding and speeds too high for the situation or conditions, are a major factor in the deaths of at
least 1,100 people on British roads every year.
Safety fears also force thousands more people off their bikes which means that the health benefits
of regular exercise, which for many could be part of the daily routine, are lost, significantly
contributing to increased heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
Geffen said: “It is time for the government to accept that responsibility for the safety of others
will have to be forced on drivers who intimidate, maim and kill.â€
The letter to Transport Secretary Alistair Darling follows.
Ends
For more press details call CTC Media Officer Cath Harris on 0870 873 0063 / 07909 685600 or email
[email protected]
Notes to editors
• CTC is the national organisation for all cyclists in the UK and Ireland, including children,
families, and commuters. CTC has 70,000 members and affiliates and is the oldest and largest cycling
body in the UK.
• In 2003 CTC celebrates its 125th anniversary with locally organised rides for all over the May
Day weekend and eight days of Birthday Rides in Dorset in August.
• Officers and members actively promote cyclists’ right to use roads and work to improve offroad
access throughout the UK and Ireland.
• CTC Cymru and CTC Scotland are well established and influential. CTC is in the process of
forming seven CTC regions in England.
• CTC membership includes free third party insurance, legal claims advice, travel and technical
guidance, on and offroad route information and a bi-monthly magazine.
• For details of all CTC services visit www.ctc.org.uk
Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP Secretary of State for Transport Department for Transport Great Minster
House 76 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DR
Wednesday 5 February 2003
Dear Mr Darling,
We represent millions of people from around the country: young and old, able-bodied and people with
disabilities, from both urban and rural communities.
We have become increasingly concerned about the impact of traffic – and particularly people
driving too fast – on our quality of life. Speed is a critical factor in road crashes: over 1100
people die every year in road crashes in which speed is a major factor. Many more thousands are
seriously injured as a result of excessive speeds.
People who drive too fast also intimidate other people on our streets, reduce people’s freedom to
enjoy walking and cycling (beneficial to both our health and the environment) and blight both towns
and villages through noise, air pollution and community severance.
As the Safer Streets Coalition, we call on the Government to take more action to deal with this
issue. We urge the Government to move quickly to review speed limits across the country, and in
particular to deliver a 30mph limit for every village and make much wider use of 20mph limits in
residential areas and on main shopping streets. We would like to see better enforcement of speed
limits through more speed cameras, more resources for traffic police and stricter traffic law
enforcement. And we would like to see substantially more funding for well designed traffic calming,
traffic reduction schemes and other improvements that take into account the needs of all road users.
Above all though, we ask for leadership from the Government on this issue. With all the Government
focus on the need to clamp down on anti-social behaviour and the need to be tough on crime, it would
surely be hypocritical not to demand more responsible behaviour from car drivers. After all, 3450
people died on British roads last year. Government needs to convey this message and ensure that the
matter gets the priority that it should in terms of policy, funding initiatives and awareness
campaigns. As legislation to make our railways as safe as possible is debated in the House of
Commons, the Government should strive for a similar attitude to be applied to safety on our roads.
We look forward to working with Ministers to rectify this situation and to make our streets safer
for all of us.
Yours sincerely,
Martin Bacon – Chief Executive, Civic Trust Tom Bogdanowicz – Campaigns Manager, London Cycling
Campaign Paul Cann – Director of Policy, Research and International Development, Help the Aged
Helen Carey – National Chairman, National Federation of Women’s Institutes Brigitte Chaudhry –
Director, RoadPeace Kevin Clinton – Road Safety Adviser, ROSPA` Issy Cole-Hamilton – Acting
Director, Children’s Play Council Tom Foulkes – Director General, Institution of Civil Engineers
Tom Franklin – Director, Living Streets Roger Geffen – Campaigns and Policy Manager, CTC (the
national cyclists’ organisation) Robert Gifford – Director, Parliamentary Advisory Council for
Transport Safety Matt Grainger – Guide Dogs for the Blind Association John Grimshaw – Director,
Sustrans Mike Hayes – Deputy Director, Child Accident Prevention Trust Stephen Joseph –
Director, Transport 2000 Tony Juniper – Executive Director, Friends of the Earth Brian Lamb –
Director of Communications, RNID Paul Lincoln – Chief Executive, National Heart Forum Gordon
Lishman – Director-General, Age Concern Paige Mitchell – Co-ordinator, Slower Speeds Initiative
Kate Parminter – Chief Executive, Campaign for the Protection of Rural England Ian Roberts –
Professor of Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Nicholas Russell –
Transport Policy Officer, RNIB Carol Thomas – JMU Access Partnership and the Joint Committee on
Mobility of Blind and Partially Sighted People Mark Whitby – Director, Whitby Bird and Partners
Engineers"
~~~~~~~~~~
Flush out that intestinal parasite and/or the waste product before sending a reply!
Any speeliong mistake$ aR the resiult of my cats sitting on the keyboaRRRDdd
~~~~~~~~~~
Cheers, helen s
"Cyclists want road safety made top priority February 5 2003
Cyclists are backing new demands for urgent action to make our roads safer for all.
National cyclists’ organisation CTC is part of the Safer Streets Coalition which is today
writing to Transport Secretary Alistair Darling urging him to take action to reduce speed limits,
enforce traffic law, introduce more traffic calming measures and raise driver awareness of road
safety issues.
CTC is one of 25 national organisations forming the Safer Streets Coalition. Today’s letter calls
for measures to force motorists to drive more responsibly. Improved road safety is just as necessary
as measures to fight crime and anti-social behaviour, the Coalition says.
Roger Geffen, CTC Campaigns and Policy Manager said: “We all stand to gain from the health,
social and environmental benefits of encouraging more cycle use. Yet too many people are put off
cycling by the fear of traffic. Cycle lanes can help but do not address the speed and dominance of
motor vehicles. These are the key issues that must be tackled if we want to see more people cycling
more often.â€
Speeding and speeds too high for the situation or conditions, are a major factor in the deaths of at
least 1,100 people on British roads every year.
Safety fears also force thousands more people off their bikes which means that the health benefits
of regular exercise, which for many could be part of the daily routine, are lost, significantly
contributing to increased heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
Geffen said: “It is time for the government to accept that responsibility for the safety of others
will have to be forced on drivers who intimidate, maim and kill.â€
The letter to Transport Secretary Alistair Darling follows.
Ends
For more press details call CTC Media Officer Cath Harris on 0870 873 0063 / 07909 685600 or email
[email protected]
Notes to editors
• CTC is the national organisation for all cyclists in the UK and Ireland, including children,
families, and commuters. CTC has 70,000 members and affiliates and is the oldest and largest cycling
body in the UK.
• In 2003 CTC celebrates its 125th anniversary with locally organised rides for all over the May
Day weekend and eight days of Birthday Rides in Dorset in August.
• Officers and members actively promote cyclists’ right to use roads and work to improve offroad
access throughout the UK and Ireland.
• CTC Cymru and CTC Scotland are well established and influential. CTC is in the process of
forming seven CTC regions in England.
• CTC membership includes free third party insurance, legal claims advice, travel and technical
guidance, on and offroad route information and a bi-monthly magazine.
• For details of all CTC services visit www.ctc.org.uk
Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP Secretary of State for Transport Department for Transport Great Minster
House 76 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DR
Wednesday 5 February 2003
Dear Mr Darling,
We represent millions of people from around the country: young and old, able-bodied and people with
disabilities, from both urban and rural communities.
We have become increasingly concerned about the impact of traffic – and particularly people
driving too fast – on our quality of life. Speed is a critical factor in road crashes: over 1100
people die every year in road crashes in which speed is a major factor. Many more thousands are
seriously injured as a result of excessive speeds.
People who drive too fast also intimidate other people on our streets, reduce people’s freedom to
enjoy walking and cycling (beneficial to both our health and the environment) and blight both towns
and villages through noise, air pollution and community severance.
As the Safer Streets Coalition, we call on the Government to take more action to deal with this
issue. We urge the Government to move quickly to review speed limits across the country, and in
particular to deliver a 30mph limit for every village and make much wider use of 20mph limits in
residential areas and on main shopping streets. We would like to see better enforcement of speed
limits through more speed cameras, more resources for traffic police and stricter traffic law
enforcement. And we would like to see substantially more funding for well designed traffic calming,
traffic reduction schemes and other improvements that take into account the needs of all road users.
Above all though, we ask for leadership from the Government on this issue. With all the Government
focus on the need to clamp down on anti-social behaviour and the need to be tough on crime, it would
surely be hypocritical not to demand more responsible behaviour from car drivers. After all, 3450
people died on British roads last year. Government needs to convey this message and ensure that the
matter gets the priority that it should in terms of policy, funding initiatives and awareness
campaigns. As legislation to make our railways as safe as possible is debated in the House of
Commons, the Government should strive for a similar attitude to be applied to safety on our roads.
We look forward to working with Ministers to rectify this situation and to make our streets safer
for all of us.
Yours sincerely,
Martin Bacon – Chief Executive, Civic Trust Tom Bogdanowicz – Campaigns Manager, London Cycling
Campaign Paul Cann – Director of Policy, Research and International Development, Help the Aged
Helen Carey – National Chairman, National Federation of Women’s Institutes Brigitte Chaudhry –
Director, RoadPeace Kevin Clinton – Road Safety Adviser, ROSPA` Issy Cole-Hamilton – Acting
Director, Children’s Play Council Tom Foulkes – Director General, Institution of Civil Engineers
Tom Franklin – Director, Living Streets Roger Geffen – Campaigns and Policy Manager, CTC (the
national cyclists’ organisation) Robert Gifford – Director, Parliamentary Advisory Council for
Transport Safety Matt Grainger – Guide Dogs for the Blind Association John Grimshaw – Director,
Sustrans Mike Hayes – Deputy Director, Child Accident Prevention Trust Stephen Joseph –
Director, Transport 2000 Tony Juniper – Executive Director, Friends of the Earth Brian Lamb –
Director of Communications, RNID Paul Lincoln – Chief Executive, National Heart Forum Gordon
Lishman – Director-General, Age Concern Paige Mitchell – Co-ordinator, Slower Speeds Initiative
Kate Parminter – Chief Executive, Campaign for the Protection of Rural England Ian Roberts –
Professor of Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Nicholas Russell –
Transport Policy Officer, RNIB Carol Thomas – JMU Access Partnership and the Joint Committee on
Mobility of Blind and Partially Sighted People Mark Whitby – Director, Whitby Bird and Partners
Engineers"
~~~~~~~~~~
Flush out that intestinal parasite and/or the waste product before sending a reply!
Any speeliong mistake$ aR the resiult of my cats sitting on the keyboaRRRDdd
~~~~~~~~~~
