Pleased to say we told you so... #147
Insurance premiums are dropping as 20mph policies prove what we knew all along: slower speeds save crashes—and cash.
This week we’re seeing yet more validation of 20mph policies as insurance premiums drop, because of the simple fact drivers crash less, and with less devastating outcomes, at slower speeds. Yes, this was all highly predictable in fact. Could it be that the hysteria around 20mph was merely hype, after all?
BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY
20MPH CAMPAIGNERS VINDICATED. A national newspaper called me anti-motorist because of my support of 20mph speed limits in built up areas. It turns out no other recent policy has done more to save drivers money. Saving lives and saving money, what’s not to like? It’s great to see decades of campaigning by safer speed heroes like 20’s Plenty for Us vindicated.
ROAD SAFETY STRATEGY WORK PROGRESSING. Road danger blights our communities and tackling it should be a huge priority. In doing so, and reclaiming our streets, we'll save lives, help people feel safe and create nicer places to live. It was good to see Heidi Alexander in the West Midlands last week to highlight the issues. In November the government promised us our first Road Safety Strategy in a decade.
ANTAGONISTIC HEADLINES ASIDE. This piece, by the Guardian’s Zoe Williams, is actually very balanced on the topic of ebike riders and their behaviour. With characteristic wit and charm, Williams looks impassively at some of the issues, like how pedestrians, particularly disabled pedestrians, can feel intimidated by bad cycling behaviour, before walking us through what the solutions may or may not be.
ANTI-LTN CAMPAIGNERS JOIN FORCES. Fifteen community groups sent a letter to the new transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, opposing Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. They want only those with community support implemented. In fact, measures are already introduced with community buy-in, and support. Misinformation can and does warp perceptions, and communicating and shaping ideas with the community must be part of the picture. Those who shout loudest aren’t usually the majority, despite appearances.
DELIVERY RIDERS IN ‘NIGHTMARE’. The working lives of delivery riders continue to be blighted by a system that is as opaque as it is unpredictable. App algorithms, they say, make random calls that seem to ignore how long they’ve been logged on, how many riders are available or that they were logged in at all - with impacts on their earnings and hours. This Guardian piece talks to those affected, who say finding a person within the apps to help iron out these problems is vanishingly hard.
OTHER HEADLINES
TO DING OR NOT TO DING? This ‘petty gripe’ piece in the Guardian’s Australia coverage has raised eyebrows for highlighting the etiquette minefield that is whether to ring your bell on shared paths or not. While the solution may seem simple, psychologist Ian Walker points out, for everyone who wants to hear a ding, there is an opposite number who don’t.
BIKE THEFT HEROES. Bike theft is a colossal problem. Almost 70,000 cycle thefts were reported in England and Wales in 2023, and despite the efforts of various agencies 90% of owners will never see their possessions again. One London duo is ‘sticking it to the thief’ using GPS trackers within customers’ bikes - and, using ‘recovery agents’, BackPedal has so far retrieved 250 machines.
INTERESTING GRAPH OF THE WEEK:
Do 20mph zones work? In Wales since 20mph zones were introduced drivers travelling at or below 24mph (the upper end of compliance) increased from 20% pre-implementation to 58%. For every 1 mph reduction in urban mean speeds the frequency of collisions drops by between 2% and 7%. Source: https://tfw.wales/national-monitoring-report-september-2023-april-2024
ACTIVE TRAVEL WORD OF THE WEEK:
Mean speeds: That’s simply average speeds, to you and I.
Until next time,
Adam
Adam Tranter
Founder, #BikeIsBest