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Cycle helmets bill for kids
LibDem MP Annette Brooke has submitted a private members bill to force cycling children into helmets. The MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole said the bill "aims to protect children from head injuries, and the devastating effects of brain injury, by making it compulsory for those under 14 to wear cycle helmets." The Cycles (Protective Headgear for Children) Bill will make it mandatory for children under 14 to wear cycle helmets when cycling on roads and in open spaces.
She said: "The law will not criminalise those cycling without helmets, instead requiring proof of purchase of a helmet within 28 days to avoid a fine.”
The MP's bill has the support of the BMA, brain injury charity Headway, the Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust, Child Brain Injury Trust, road safety charity BRAKE, and the Child Accident Prevention Trust.
No cycling groups are in favour of cycle helmet compulsion. And Brookes does not have the support of key LibDem MPs. Julian Huppert, LibDem MP for Cambridge, and co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group, said:
"The Lib Dem transport team disagrees with her. I've tried to persuade her! Lib Dem (& coalition) policy is not to have compulsory helmets."
ROAD Comment: People like Annette Brooke are a threat to the motorcycle lifestyle just as they are to cyclists. That she claims not to be criminalising bare-headed cycling simply reflects a poor sense of intellectual honesty. There is a counter swing against the obsessive health and safety culture but right now the pendulum still seems to be swinging in favour of those who wish to use criminal law to squeeze every last risk or spark of human exuberance from our society. We should challenge these people at every opportunity and Dorset MAG members may like to contact their MP.
8 The ROAD 80mph limit on motorways Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) support rise in Mʼway speed limit
The IAM is calling for the government to pilot an 80 mph speed limit on a controlled and managed motorway to assess its practicality and safety, and road users’ reaction to it.
In September the government announced that the motorway speed limit might be raised to 80mph. On uncongested motorways more than half of car drivers exceed the 70mph speed limit, and around a fifth exceed 80 mph; it is rare for the police to prosecute drivers travelling between 70 and 80mph. Road safety groups have raised a concern that legalising today’s tolerated, yet unofficial, 80 mph speed limit would simply create an unofficial 90 mph limit. If this happened, it is argued, average traffic speeds would increase, as would accidents and their severity – more people could be killed and seriously injured.
The IAM highlights the need for a full risk assessment of an increase in the speed limit and believes strict enforcement is required to ensure greater compliance with the limit. For example
Cyclists invite persecution
Most cyclists want their right to chose whether to wear a helmet or not removed according to a new survey.
The survey conducted by cycle insurer Cycleguard indicate that 75 per cent of cyclists thought helmets should be compulsory. This figure is up from 60 per cent last year.
The survey also revealed 87 per cent of cyclists now wear reflective clothing. In last year’s poll almost half of the respondents shunned reflective clothing in dark conditions “Our survey results are very encouraging and are quite surprising,” said Cycleguard MD James Pickering. “We were not expecting to see such a remarkable change in attitudes towards safety in just one year! We hope people continue to become more safety conscious and wary of the dangers involved when cycling without helmets and reflective clothing.” “We will repeat the survey again next year so we can gauge if attitudes towards safety continue to improve.” Road comment:What an interesting take on the word ‘improve.’
driving at 82mph should risk a speeding ticket. The IAM wants to see 80mph trialled initially on ‘Controlled Motorways’ and ‘Managed Motorways’ where variable speed limit technology is used. These have already been implemented successfully on the M25 orbital motorway in Surrey and the M42 in the West Midlands. IAM CEO Simon Best said: “A fifth of motorway-users already travel at this increased speed, and more than half exceed 72mph when they can, suggesting that a properly controlled 80mph limit may not show huge increases in carbon or road casualties. A detailed trial is needed to assess these risks though, and if they are shown to increase significantly, of course a better-enforced 70 limit may be a more appropriate system. “Raising the motorway speed limit has been debated for many years, and the evidence is that the motoring public are ready for it. The transport secretary should now publish a consultation with firm proposals”.
Headphone cyclist prosecuted for injuring biker
A student who left a motorcyclist with a broken collar bone has been charged with careless cycling. The Clare College student caused the crash while cycling wearing headphones. Cambridge Magistrates’ Court heard how Jin-Hyung Lee was travelling in the same direction as the motorcyclist, who was overtaking when Lee suddenly turned right across the path of the motorcycle. The 19-year-old undergraduate was fined £200, ordered to pay £300 costs and a
Serious injury by Dangerous Driving
A new offence of ‘Causing Serious Injury by Dangerous Driving’ is to be created. This will bridge the gap between ‘Dangerous Driving’ which attracts a maximum penalty of two years in prison, and ‘Causing Death by Dangerous Driving’ which is punishable by up to five years in prison.
£15 victim surcharge. PC Stuart Appleton, the prosecuting officer, said: ‘This is a rare charge. I have been in the police force for eight years and never come across it before. The cyclist was wearing iPod speakers which we think had a big part to play in the accident as he would not have been able to hear the traffic. Given the seriousness of the accident and how badly the victim was hurt, we felt it necessary to prosecute in this case.’
Road Comment:
There’s a substantial level of bicycle-orientated news on this page for a reason. With government, both nationally and locally promoting cycling as the green alternative to the car, the role of the motorcycle is conspicuously low key. It is also interesting to note how the obsessive elements in the Health and Safety culture are focussing on cyclists and how the cycle lobby are dealing with that threat, the parallels with motorcycling are – interesting.
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