#BikeIsBest Advocacy Digest - Edition No.54
#BikeIsBest Digest Edition No. 54 | Sunday 5th March 2023 | View in browser
Hello and welcome to March. Ever thought about giving up driving for lent? Just leaving that there for now.
LIES, DAMN LIES, AND GONZO STATISTICS
As the 15 minute neighbourhood debate rolls on, we’re reminded not all surveys are created equal and there really is no opportunity some parts of the media will duck to blame cyclists for road danger.
BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY
WHEN ROAD SAFETY SURVEYS GO WRONG
An IAM RoadSmart survey saying 60% of drivers feel aggressive cyclists threaten their safety made headlines on Sunday, ignoring the basic physics of drivers being protected by a metal box. The 78% who responded that aggressive driving put them at risk was further down the piece. This survey is unhelpful at best, and at worst could erode the safety of the most vulnerable road users. More helpful would be for the road safety charity to focus on the greatest threat of harm.
WHEN HI-VIS BECOMES THE STORY
ITV ran a piece on its breakfast show asking if cyclists should be made to wear ‘a hi-vis uniform’, after it emerged TV presenter Dan Walker was wearing dark clothing when he was hit by a driver. Another case of blaming the wrong person, it was an unedifying debate, to say the least.
IN DEFENCE OF LIVEABLE CITIES
A lot has been said and is likely to be said on 15 minute cities, or 15 minute neighbourhoods as they are sometimes known - and a lot more is likely to be said. This week the Financial Times, Citymonitor and others have written helpful explainers and defences of the concept, to inform audiences about what they really mean.
GIVE UP DRIVING FOR LENT?
Habits exist until we change them and times like Lent, Ramadan or other festive fasts are a time to question our less helpful ones. Cycling UK suggests this might include travelling less by car. With most driving trips short ones that could be walked or cycled, it’s a great idea to get people thinking.
BIKES BACK ON EUROSTAR
After a pandemic-induced hiatus Eurostar customers can once again bring bikes on board. Their you-can-then-you-can’t cycle carriage policy has been the source of some consternation but it’s great to see the best way of travelling to Paris and beyond from the UK, once again welcoming pedal power.
OTHER HEADLINES
CARS AND MASCULINITY
Some men want to be an action hero when they get behind the wheel. What the films don’t show is the devastating impact of dangerous driving - on loved ones and on society. This piece by Katy Wix is incredibly powerful on when her dad’s love of fast driving changed their lives forever.
INTERESTING GRAPH OF THE WEEK:
Many people aren’t aware of particulates (see the below definition), essentially non-gas pollutants, and while we’ve come some way in reducing them in the UK, the British Lung Foundation says there is no safe level - which is just one reason tackling air pollution from road transport is urgent.
Source
ACTIVE TRAVEL WORD OF THE WEEK:
Particulate Matter (PM): A lesser-known part of the air pollution cocktail, fine particulates, classified by size as PM2.5 and PM10, are emitted from engines, and brake and tyre wear. They enter our bodies’ cells and bloodstream, lodging in the heart, brain and other organs, with potentially serious health impacts. While PM levels have dropped in recent decades, there’s arguably no safe level - and electric vehicles still generate them.
Until next time,
Founder, #BikeIsBest
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