Sleepwalking to autonomy, #166

Mobility for whom? Is the question

This week, the prospect of autonomous vehicles arriving in Britain from next year has hit the headlines - but what are the implications for mobility? Do we risk ‘jaywalking’ becoming a crime here, too? Also this week: higher charges for higher bonnets, a huge legal win for cycle funding and the worrying experience of cycling for women.

BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY

SLEEPWALKING TO JAYWALKING? Beware motor companies shaping the narrative. That’s a lesson history can teach us. In the 1920s the term ‘jaywalking’ was coined, by the motor lobby, to belittle and then sideline what it characterised as ‘bumpkins’ who were foolish enough to walk in the road. Soon came laws preventing such pedestrian activity. Autonomous vehicles will supposed be rolled out in the UK next year. Hearing tech companies refer to Britain’s ‘jaywalking’ problem - a term with no legal foundation in the UK - should set alarm bells ringing. I wrote a piece for The Guardian on just this.

TFL TO CHARGE MORE FOR SUVS? Sir Sadiq Khan has been urged to work to increase taxes and parking fees for SUVs. The London Assembly voted 14:8 on the motion amid growing concerns over large vehicles. SUVs are heavier and larger than the average car, taking up more parking space and causing more damage to roads but, even more worryingly, they are more likely to kill and severely injure other road users. Any tax changes based on size, or vehicle restrictions, would need treasury approval.

YET MORE EVIDENCE WHY IT’S NEEDED. Yet more research was published this week, describing the increasing height of SUV bonnets as a ‘clear threat’ to children. The research, by advocacy group Transport and Environment, finds the average bonnet height has increased from 77cm in 2010 to 84cm in 2024. Higher bonnets mean that, rather than striking the lower body, a vehicle bonnet is more likely to strike vital organs of adults, and the heads of children, when driven into someone.

WOMEN FEEL UNSAFE CYCLING ON THE ROADS. For every three men that cycle, just one woman does. Part of the reason for this is that women are less tolerant, on the whole, of road danger. Frankie Leveton, a cyclist from Huddersfield, rides her bike four times a week. Leveton tells the BBC the ‘war on cyclists’ worsens bad attitudes towards cyclists, particularly women, for whom verbal abuse, at times sexualised, is commonplace. In a year Leveton reported at least 100 close passes, 82 of which resulted in action against the drivers.

CYCLING AND WALKING CUTS UNLAWFUL: COURT OF APPEAL. Transport Action Network has won its case against active travel cuts. In a historic judgment the Court of Appeal found in TAN’s favour, that requirements set out in 2015, that cycle funding be given the same status as railways and roads, should be honoured. Funding cuts in 2023, imposed by the previous government, went against this requirement, the ruling says. While the funds cannot be returned, TAN believes this will end the ‘chop and change’ plaguing cycle funding.

SPEAKING OF WHICH. The Spending Review came this week. If you’re wondering what it means for active travel, I wrote a piece on that (in case you missed it here on #BikeIsBest).

OTHER HEADLINES

EDINBURGH MEASURES WORKING. A Low Emission Zone (LEZ; mandatory capitalisation) in the Scottish capital has had a profound impact in its first year, according to new data. The zone, which issues fines for non-compliant vehicles, has corresponded with a marked increase in walking, cycling and public transport use, even within its first six months. New bike lanes have also come online in the last 18 months. A shocking one in five Scots will develop a lung condition like asthma or COPD in their lifetime, so air pollution is a public health crisis.

INTERESTING GRAPH OF THE WEEK:

The increasing height of bonnets across Europe - a worrying trend. Source: https://www.transportenvironment.org/articles/ever-higher-the-rise-of-bonnet-height-and-the-case-to-cap-it

ACTIVE TRAVEL WORD OF THE WEEK:

Cinderella mobility: A term that refers to something with huge potential that is often overlooked or undervalued. Transport Action Network referred to cycling as ‘Cinderella mobility’ which perhaps accurately reflects our attitude towards this potentially powerful means of transport.

Until next time,

Adam

Adam Tranter

CEO, Fusion & Founder, #BikeIsBest