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Save
the world
Cycling
is one of the most environmentally sound means
of transport. It converts energy to motion
very efficiently - the energy efficiency of
cycling is estimated as the equivalent of
a car doing 1600 miles on a gallon of petrol!
You
can park ten bicycles in the space required
for one car.
In
York, Oxford and Lowestoft, cycling accounts
for 20-30% of commuting journeys. These
towns have embraced cycling (unhindered
by Howard De Walden Estates I suppose) but
are still a long way behind the Netherlands,
where 30-50% of all urban journeys are cycled
ñ the town of Houten was designed with bicycles
in mind and the figure for local journeys
cycled there is 80%.
With
72% of journeys under five miles, 50% under
two miles, there's plenty of scope to increase
cycling within current travel patterns. The
National
Cycling Strategy offers a new approach
to help organisations and individuals to change
conditions and attitudes, campaigning for
a shift of resources to traffic management
schemes that take account of cyclists.
But
I'm too unfit and it's too dangerous
Your
fencemaster is middle aged, likes a
pint, doesn't do any exercise or sport,
and finds cycling 25 miles per day easy.
OK, so it took a few months to get used
to it..
Many
people perceive cycling to be dangerous
but, as in other activities, danger can
be minimised by following a few sensible
guidelines. Like
all other road-users, cyclists should know
and obey the Highway Code. This means riding
carefully and considerately, obeying traffic
laws and signs. The most common criticism
of cyclists is that they do not observe
other traffic or signal their intentions.
Use cycle lanes where provided. Stop at
red lights - especially pedestrian crossings.
Oh yes, Zebra crossings...
When
your Fencemaster is out taking a stroll
with the lovely Mrs Fencemaster and the
three junior Fencemasters (or Fencesters),
he finds it most annoying when we are all
nearly mown down on a Zebra crossing by
an errant cyclist who thinks the traditional
'stopping for pedestrians' kind-of activity
associated with such things doesn't include
him.
Motorists
need to be more aware of cyclists and recognise
that, far from being a nuisance, each bicycle
means one less car in front of them. When
they are educated thus, and cyclists all
behave more responsibly too (by not tearing
through red lights and over pedestrian crossings)
cars and bicycles should coexist more happily.
Car
drivers need to be taught that each 'annoying'
cyclist they encounter means one less car
infront of them, one less car taking up
a parking space, and one less car in the
queue for petrol.
Be
seen - be safe
From an environmental point of view, the small
amount of space occupied by cyclists is a
benefit but it inevitably makes them less
visible. It's vital that individual cyclists
take responsibility for their own safety by
making themselves as visible as possible,
using reflective clothing and cycle accessories.
At night, a white front-light and red rear-light
are essential, even for the shortest journey.
Many
accidents involving cyclists are caused by
other road-users, but this is no comfort for
the cyclist, who usually comes off worst.
Monitor traffic all the time, with particular
care when approaching junctions and before
making manoeuvres. Avoid drinking before cycling;
although it's less irresponsible towards others
than driving, it puts the cyclist at greater
risk.
Some
kind of hat might be in order
Wear a cycle helmet. They help keep your
head warm in winter and the air flow through
the holes means your head does not get hot
in summer. They also (possibly) help stop
you from dying if you have an accident.
Some people don't wear helmets, such as
women who don't want to mess up their hair,
children who are too daft, and men who are
too cool or too hard for a helmet. In the
event of an accident these people are (possibly)
more likely to suffer serious head trauma.
Here
are some statistics, of which there are a
lot surrounding cycling and none of them seem
to agree:
-
Riding
without a bicycle helmet increases the
risk of sustaining a head injury in
the event of a crash. Nonhelmeted riders
are 14 times more likely to be involved
in a fatal crash than bicyclists wearing
a helmet.
-
Bicycle
helmets have been shown to reduce the
risk of head injury by as much as 85
percent and the risk of brain injury
by as much as 88 percent. Bicycle helmets
have also been shown to offer substantial
protection to the forehead and mid face.
-
It
is estimated that 75 percent of bicycle-related
fatalities among children could be prevented
with a bicycle helmet
All those stats are from www.helmets.org
in the US, where there are around
60-100 million active cyclists (depending
which statistic you believe).
God knows where they got them from.
Just
wear a properly fitted helmet or your Fencemaster
will worry.
Oh
no - the helmet can of worms has been opened
Some people do not want to wear helmets
and are convinced they are reponsible for
complacency and more accidents. This could
well be true in some circumstances. Fine.
Don't wear a helmet then.
The
helmet test
Your Fencemaster is developing a test for
anyone not keen on helmets. First I need
to find the rock that made the nasty dent
in my old helmet when I fell off in Richmond
Park. Then I'll make an open offer to hit
a non-helmet advocate on the head with it.
First with a helmet on (you can borrow mine)
then without a helmet. We'll see which he
or she prefers.
OK,
OK, don't get cross. Just be careful out
there. Don't let a polystyrene hat give
you a false sense of security. You won't
win any arguments with cars/white vans/even
milk floats. However, on a bike you are
more aware of your environment than the
driver, so stay clear and don't take any
risks at junctions when pulling out. Always
remember when you are about to take that
risk:
If you mess up you won't get a second
chance
Oh
yes, I once saw a tattooed bloke wearing
a T-shirt that said:
The only difference between
someone with tattoos and someone without
tattoos is that the person with tattoos
doesn't care that you haven't got any.
It
really did say all that on a T-shirt. He
was a big bloke. Maybe I'll make one for
helmet wearers. Or would it be non-helmet
wearers?
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