Cycle Safety - A year for change?

2012 may be seen as a defining year for cycling in the UK and Whitchurch has played a part.

With The Times Cyclesafe campaign came a greater call for the the needs of the more vulnerable road users, following the tragic case of Mary Bowers who was in collision with a lorry. The campaign led to a full debate in Parliament on cycling, while many cities and towns adopted the points in the Cyclesafe manifesto. The Times: Cyclesafe.

Parliamentary, Borough and Town representatives
looked at cycling issues in Whitchurch.

Whitchurch supports Cyclesafe
Here in Whitchurch, the Town Council unanimously agreed to support The Times Cyclesafe campaign. Brilliant, for a small town.

As a follow up, last April all locally elected representatives were invited to take part in a cycle ride around Whitchurch looking at local cycling issues. Setting off from the Town Hall, it was attended by Sir George Young MP, Borough Councillor Eric Dunlop – who was riding a cycle for the first time in 37 years – and several Town Councillors, including the Mayor Cllr Barry Jackman respendent in his chain of office. National, Borough and Town were thus all represented. Only the Hampshire County Councillor, from ironically the town's main highways authority, was unable to attend, sending apologies. They came on their Bikes

Cycling becomes mainstream
Other Whitchurch cycling highlights in 2012 included the well-publicised ride to Ben Nevis by Chris Miller in raising funds for the town's Youth Project (Ben Nevis and Back), and the creation of a Jubilee Cycle Route. But by far the most important local initiative was again by the Town Council when they supported a call for a 20mph speed limit pilot to be run in the town. Such schemes are one of the most effective ways of making a community feel, and be, safer, benefitting all. Towns throughout the UK are adopting such limits and it is hoped Hampshire County Council will allow Whitchurch to follow suit.

Then came the Tour de France which put cycling firmly in the limelight with Bradley 'Wiggo' Wiggins taking the winning yellow jersey; a first ever British win in the 99-year history of the race, hotly followed by the London Olympics. The icing was put firmly on the cake, as British road and track cyclists dominated both the medal tables and the TV screens. Wiggo then took the much publicised BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.
Suddenly sideburns became fashionable again and cycling was in everyone's minds.

Many cyclists feel bullied and intimidated
so illegally take to pavements.

Lobbying, but poor road safety figures
Meanwhile lobbying for safer roads continued as the Cyclesafe campaign gained strength but it is no wonder some people have fear of our roads.
Although overall figures fall, Hampshire had shown a very disturbing increase in casualties for cycling in 2011 and the trend was upward - it mustn't continue.
Hampshire Police have tweeted "Our Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) numbers (for 2012) will not be published in the immediate future". Apparently they need to be "verified".
Thus the Hampshire 2012 figures are awaited with much interest. Hopefully they will be better, but the signs are worrying.

Nationally the figures are not good.
Cycling deaths hit a five-year high in 2012 with 122 cyclists killed on the roads, of all ages from 8 to 94 years old, and from all walks of life. 106 of these involved a motor vehicle in which it was noted in almost all cases the driver was unhurt. It has to be questioned why safety for this class of road user is so poor.


Is the focus right?
So are current policies working?
Many claim the emphasis on hi-viz, protective clothing and the handing out fines for pavement cycling is simply missing the point. Such a focus fails to address where the real danger originates and that they are a sticking plaster over a wound which just becomes more infected. They ignore that it is mainly bad driving which kills and maims by putting the onus on the victim rather than the perpetrator. Is this one reason why the KSI figures are rising.

It may be one, but there are others too.
The law also fails take cycling deaths seriously. This is shown well by the driver who ran into a 20-year old cyclist, and carried him on his bonnet for 300 feet, killing him. He received a paltry fine of £35 and 3 points. The same court in the same week gave another driver who damaged a parked car and drove off a fine of £110 plus £80 costs and 7 points. Just where is the justice? Just what messages are being sent?
The law is saying it is worse to bump into a parked car than to kill someone.

Collecting evidence
2013 has started with representatives from various bodies giving evidence to a 'Get Britain Cycling' inquiry at Westminster under the lead of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group. Over six weekly sessions, a panel of MPs and Peers will listen to submissions from a selected group of witnesses.
The aim will be to find out just what will enable more people to cycle more regularly and more safely. Cycling takes just 2% of journeys here, while it is 18% in Denmark and 27% in the Netherlands. Look at the bike sheds in the local schools and the low useage is all too apparent.

Safe routes into the countryside
are just as important as routes in towns.

A shift in understanding is required
Segregated cycling infrastructure has a big part to play in encouraging a modal shift to cycling, as fear of traffic is a major deterrent to many. Locally this arose in the campaign by a Whitchurch resident to have the A34 slip-road / Tufton junction improved. While the HCC Councillor was in favour of some changes to the road layout, in an aside he added he would not support spending on segregated facilities between Whitchurch and Tufton for recreational cyclists. So anyone wanting a safe route to reach the surrounding countryside for leisure purposes will be disappointed - your needs don't count.
There is a long way to go to change attitudes.
'Tufton or Death' Public Meeting

Into 2013
Meanwhile there is a risk that, even with cycling to the fore in many minds, it may soon slip down the pecking order and safety for the vulnerable road users will be further compromised.
We need to keep lobbying at all levels to ensure the gains of 2012 are not lost in 2013 and that providing safe road conditions for all including cycling and walking is at the top of the agenda. It will be a long haul.

And while we wait, more will lose their lives as a result of inaction by those who have the positions to make change.

One initiative to help move this forward is a Whitchurch BUG:
Details here: WHITCHURCH BICYCLE USERS GROUP

Tufton Junction - the Public Meeting

Around twenty people attended the Tufton or Death meeting in the Gill Nethercott Centre, arranged by Whitchurch resident Mike Stead who is calling for the A34 / Nun's Walk junction at Tufton to be improved to ensure safety for all.

The Dangers
Mr Stead opened the meeting explaining the dangers, in particular for users of vehicles from Whitchurch turning right towards Tufton. These were also covered HERE.

If this van met someone cycling or driving from the other way
the results would be horrendous.

Throughout most of the evening Liveable Whitchurch's photo of a white van crossing the existing hatching was used as an example of the potentially lethal dangers that exist.

Difficulties
Hampshire County Councillor Tom Thacker explained that the junction had special difficulties as it was on a boundary of responsibilities between HCC and the Highways Agency, and also that in these days of austerity, funding was very limited. Despite local worries it seems it is listed number 73 out of 78 in order of concern for the Highways Agency. The Councillor described Mike as "very tenacious" - a credit to his commitment - but agreed over the junction's problems and was progressing various ideas including upgrading the footpath to improve access for pedestrians.

Suggestions
Some excellent ideas came out of the meeting including use of bollards/concrete barriers to narrow the road and force drivers to keep left, together with moving the road signs but again the issue of who was responsible was raised.
Quite why these public bodies cannot work easily together seems a question that needs resolving!
Meanwhile every day that passes when vehicles leaving the A34 don't keep to the left increases the risk of a head on collision.

Not all drivers keep to the left when leaving the A34,
putting those turning into Tufton at serious risk.

Cllr Thacker argued against the idea of redesign with a T-junction and Give Way signs at the end of the A34 slip road to slow traffic, despite Mike showing some good examples of where these existed and indeed worked. The Councillor claimed that 'putting in signs that people won't obey can sometimes be worse than doing nothing'. He added that police would not support changes where most people would ignore them as they would be unenforceable. Of course whether a T-junction would be ignored is highly questionable.
Some believe such logic is flawed. If the majority of people became shoplifters, would the law then turn a blind eye?
There are certainly junctions with slip roads and T-junctions that DO work, some quite close by such as the A303 Micheldever/Overton exit, as shown HERE on Google. There are many others.

It has been proposed this path at the Tufton junction
may become a cycle route.
Would you ride here with a 60mph traffic flow
coming towards you just inches to your left?

Cycle Route
Cllr Thacker also mentioned a possible shared use cycle route with a central white line back as far as the 40mph signs, but as many cyclists know these can cause more difficulties than they solve, so this will be followed with interest. Any such work should be of proper segregated provision rather than the usual UK poor relation to continental practice where cycle facilities are far more advanced. He also said was that he would not support any spending on a route that was for recreational cycling. That raised some eyebrows!

Horses
It was a positive meeting although it strayed at one point into a complaint about horses that regularly left their calling cards on the footpath at the junction!

Progress
It is excellent that Cllr Thacker said he will be progressing some of the ideas including upgrading the footpath on the Tufton side of the bridge and investigating the concrete kerb/bollard idea, but Mike Stead is also to be much thanked for raising this issue and encouraging the authorities to take notice of the real dangers that exist here.
Let's hope the junction is improved before anyone is killed or seriously injured.

Congratulations to Wiggo

Slightly off topic for a 'Liveable Whitchurch' blog but congratulations go to Bradley Wiggins for winning the 2012 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award last night. Indeed we think there could only be one winner after his fantastic achievements in being the first Britain to win the Tour de France, then following it up with an Olympic Gold, but we do admit some bias.

Bradley Wiggins

Cycling has now truly been put on the Agenda and it is hoped the successes will lead to more investment for making our communities and our roads safer places for cyclists.

Wiggo attended a cycle-training session a few years back, run by Hampshire Cycle Training which was founded in Whitchurch eight years ago. He joined in riding with the children as they learned some of the skills to ride a bike safely. Maybe one day they will follow in his wheel tracks.

On related news it is great to learn that the Tour de France is to start in the UK in 2014 - many of us will remember when it came through Whitchurch in 1994 on only its second visit to these shores. In 2014 it is to start in Leeds with two Yorkshire stages before heading down to London for a third stage finish. Perhaps we should start growing those famous Wiggo sideburns!

Meanwhile Hampshire Cycle Training is still offering its free Dr Bike cycle safety checks to anyone in Whitchurch who is having Santa deliver a bicycle this Christmas. We also recommend North Hants Bikes in Church Street to purchase new bikes, spares and gifts for Christmas - a great bunch of guys.
See: FREE CYCLE CHECKS