Monday 17 September 2012
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In an article in today's Times newspaper and on their website, four Olympic champion cyclists have called for urgent action to make cycling safer on Britain’s streets.
Joanna Rowsell and Dani King (pictured right) both said that Britain should take inspiration from the cycle lanes in the Netherlands and Belgium, where they train, whilst Jason Kenny called for more people to take to their bikes to provide safety in numbers.
King, who won gold alongside Rowsell in the team pursuit, said: “I’ve spent a lot of time in Belgium and Holland, where I go for races. It’s totally different ... you don’t get beeped as much and you feel really safe. The cycle paths are just amazing.”
Rowsell added: “They have wide cycle lanes and the cyclist doesn’t have to give way – they are treated as another member of road traffic. I would like to see new roads and junctions designed with cycling as a part of them, not as an afterthought. I would also like to see motorists learn how to overtake cyclists safely in their driving tests.”
Kenny said that he took up cycling on the roads after becoming sick of paying for parking. “Bike lanes are nice to get you away from the traffic,” he said. "I prefer ones that don’t make you get off and on again. I think the more people that ride, the better."
Meanwhile, Victoria Pendleton admitted that a fear of being knocked off her bike made her cycle less and drive her car more in the build-up to the Olympics
Read the full article on the Times' website
For more on British Cycling's campaigning for the rights of cyclists, visit our Campaigning Home
