Olympic cyclist Andy Tennant is backing a campaign by road safety charity Brake for safer streets to enable more kids to get out and about on bikes and protect those already cycling. The campaign calls for action to protect cyclists in communities across the UK, helping us foster more world-class cyclists, and improve families' health and happiness.
A survey out this week of more than 1,000 parents reveals widespread fears about letting children cycle, and support for more safe cycling measures:
- parents' fears are stopping many kids having the freedom to cycle: more than half say they won't allow their child to cycle unsupervised once they reach age 12 because of traffic danger.
- three quarters of families would cycle together or do so more if local roads were made safer through 20mph limits and cycle paths connecting homes, schools and community facilities.
- only a small minority already have widespread 20mph limits and cycle paths joining homes and facilities in their area. Of those who don't already have them, nine in ten would support widespread 20mph limits in their community, and 92% would support cycle paths connecting homes with local facilities.
Through their Cycle for Life campaign, Brake are calling on the government and local authorities to promote safe cycling by investing in measures to protect cyclists such as traffic-free and segregated cycle paths and widespread 20mph limits.
They are calling on drivers to pledge to slow down to 20mph in communities, take care to look out for cyclists and give them a wide berth to help prevent devastating casualties and enable more people, including children, to cycle safely.
By road traffic accident specialist, Sam Ord
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