It is Bike Week 2025. https://www.cyclinguk.org/bikeweek.

There are a lot of misconceptions out there. This bike week I addressed a few of them. This is my last blog post on the subject, for now.

In many western countries society is skewed in the favour of cars. In the UK we have allowed cars to dominate city and town centres. This has led to many negative effects, high levels of pollution, particulate, noise and visual. Plus there is the ever present danger of injury from vehicles. We are now afraid to allow children to travel on foot or by bicycle on their own. Even parked cars take precedence over children playing. God forbid a car is accidentally damaged.

In the US, it’s worse. Who came up with the idea of jaywalking as an offence? Too many lawsuits against errant drivers? So criminalise the victims. In the UK pedestrians take responsibility for their safety and decide when to cross. In Germany the onus is on the driver. In Budapest often the drivers ignore the red lights at pedestrian crossings. In busy cities it is frustrating crossing the roads, you have to wait for the green man and watch for cyclists jumping the red lights.

The UK has made an effort to rebalance. The Highway Code has introduced the idea of the more dangerous you are the more responsibility you have. When turning left cars have to give way to cyclists and pedestrian, cyclists have to give way pedestrians. This is the opposite of might is right. Low emission zones and traffic free areas have helped improve safety and reduce pollution.

Low speed limits in built up areas, 20 mph in the UK makes life far more pleasant for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. Reduced noise and pollution, increased safety, what’s not to like. There is still a large minority of drivers who don’t think the rules apply to them. Enforcement is an issue, but when I am driving in a 20 mph zone, all the vehicles behind me obey the speed limit 🙂.

But even in higher speed limit areas, what could be round the corner? Drive so that you can avoid mowing down the mother with pram forced to walk on the road with no pavement, who could be round the blind bend.

There seems to be a lot of overly noisy people including some politicians who object. What’s not to like about increased safety and health? Unfortunately there is a sense of entitlement amongst some drivers, nothing must impede their speed. News for you, you are not that important.

Some politicians try to create a phoney argument with phrases like “war on motorists “, a typical populist approach to gain traction with an over simplified statement with no substance or merit. There is no war on motorists in this sense, just a push to make life better for people.

There is a kind of war on motorists in the UK, and all other road users. You can see the craters everywhere on the roads. Lack of maintenance a false economy. Today I hit a pot hole on my bike and ended up with a puncture.

Could things get more skewed across the world as driverless cars come into use? The offence of jaywalking makes it far easier to have poorly performing driverless cars on the road. Policy makers in all countries, protect people first, not car makers.

The UK has improved, you can see that in driver behaviour, but has more to do. Don’t allow repeat offenders to stay on the road. Speeding, reckless driving should be treated more seriously. Change the attitude of drivers so driving too close to cyclists and pedestrians and other vulnerable road users such as horse riders is absolutely frowned upon. Make towns and cities safe for people, especially children.