I
Ian Smith
Guest
I think someone here recently asked a rhetorical question along the lines of when did you last see a
cycling safety thing that talked about brakes over and above helmets.
Anyway, I was shocked to pick up a Surrey County Council leaflet at my local library today, and find
that it does just this. The leaflet is mainly about cycle tracks (it's titled "Cycle Lanes and Cycle
Tracks Explained"), but it has some informational aside boxes. One of them says:
Before you start
1. Keep your bike in working order, especially the brakes, steering and tyres.
2. If you're going to leave your bike somewhere, take a decent lock.
3. Tyres pumped up to the correct pressure - as marked on the tyre wall - can make your bike much
easier to ride than if the tyres are too soft.
4. Check your lights before you riding in the dark.
5. Plan a route that suits your abilities.
6. The use of a helmet may reduce the risk of a head injury.
Which I actually think is a pretty good prioritisation of measures. I'd prefer lights higher and for
point 6 to mention hi-vis clothing first and then "a helmet may...", but this list is orders of
magnitude better than most bicycle advice I've seen from council bodies.
A rummage on the surrey web site finds something similar which you should be able to find by
following http://tinyurl.com/c04v
This I think is even better, but for the fact they've promoted 'carry a lock' to higher than 'make
sure the bike's safe'. That page has the final point as: "The use of a helmet may in certain
circumstances reduce the risk of head injury." Which I think even I agree with.
Also on that page is:
On-road cycling If you are new to cycling or have had a long lay-off, don't worry. By building up
your skills and confidence you can be safely self-reliant on the road. To enjoy travelling by bike
on roads a person needs to be able to stop, start and steer, look behind to see what's going on and
give clear hand signals. The better someone is at controlling their bike the easier they find it to
get about. Time spent practising riding skills is never wasted. Like everyone else, a person should
aim to feel confident about riding on the road. This comes the more you cycle. People riding cycles
should occupy enough space on the road to be safe themselves and be noticed by others. A person who
is worried about riding their bike should ask himself or herself: Is it because I need to practise
my bike skills?; or Is it because I need to study the traffic rules?; or Do I need to build up my
confidence when I share the roads? Two good ways to practice: Try riding on a cycle route that is
free of cars. Go out riding with someone who's used to being on the road and learn from him or her.
For parents of young children It is worth bearing in mind that one day your child will want to
travel freely and independently by cycle? You can help them with the necessary skills.
This I also like, note the assertion that "you can be safely self-reliant on the road", "cycles
should occupy enough space on the road to be safe", the suggestion to ride with someone experienced,
and the encouragemnent to parents to teach 'em young.
In fact, I so like the leaflet and this page that I might be obliged to get in touch with teh
cycling officer and tell them so!
regards, Ian SMith
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cycling safety thing that talked about brakes over and above helmets.
Anyway, I was shocked to pick up a Surrey County Council leaflet at my local library today, and find
that it does just this. The leaflet is mainly about cycle tracks (it's titled "Cycle Lanes and Cycle
Tracks Explained"), but it has some informational aside boxes. One of them says:
Before you start
1. Keep your bike in working order, especially the brakes, steering and tyres.
2. If you're going to leave your bike somewhere, take a decent lock.
3. Tyres pumped up to the correct pressure - as marked on the tyre wall - can make your bike much
easier to ride than if the tyres are too soft.
4. Check your lights before you riding in the dark.
5. Plan a route that suits your abilities.
6. The use of a helmet may reduce the risk of a head injury.
Which I actually think is a pretty good prioritisation of measures. I'd prefer lights higher and for
point 6 to mention hi-vis clothing first and then "a helmet may...", but this list is orders of
magnitude better than most bicycle advice I've seen from council bodies.
A rummage on the surrey web site finds something similar which you should be able to find by
following http://tinyurl.com/c04v
This I think is even better, but for the fact they've promoted 'carry a lock' to higher than 'make
sure the bike's safe'. That page has the final point as: "The use of a helmet may in certain
circumstances reduce the risk of head injury." Which I think even I agree with.
Also on that page is:
On-road cycling If you are new to cycling or have had a long lay-off, don't worry. By building up
your skills and confidence you can be safely self-reliant on the road. To enjoy travelling by bike
on roads a person needs to be able to stop, start and steer, look behind to see what's going on and
give clear hand signals. The better someone is at controlling their bike the easier they find it to
get about. Time spent practising riding skills is never wasted. Like everyone else, a person should
aim to feel confident about riding on the road. This comes the more you cycle. People riding cycles
should occupy enough space on the road to be safe themselves and be noticed by others. A person who
is worried about riding their bike should ask himself or herself: Is it because I need to practise
my bike skills?; or Is it because I need to study the traffic rules?; or Do I need to build up my
confidence when I share the roads? Two good ways to practice: Try riding on a cycle route that is
free of cars. Go out riding with someone who's used to being on the road and learn from him or her.
For parents of young children It is worth bearing in mind that one day your child will want to
travel freely and independently by cycle? You can help them with the necessary skills.
This I also like, note the assertion that "you can be safely self-reliant on the road", "cycles
should occupy enough space on the road to be safe", the suggestion to ride with someone experienced,
and the encouragemnent to parents to teach 'em young.
In fact, I so like the leaflet and this page that I might be obliged to get in touch with teh
cycling officer and tell them so!
regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|
