{"id":145626565,"date":"2009-08-13T11:49:25","date_gmt":"2009-08-13T11:49:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/?p=145626565"},"modified":"2009-08-13T11:49:25","modified_gmt":"2009-08-13T11:49:25","slug":"ten-common-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.baltimorespokes.org\/?p=145626565","title":{"rendered":"TEN COMMON QUESTIONS"},"content":{"rendered":"

[The following is from the UK but very applicable here as our number are near equivalent.]
\nQ1: Cycling\u2019s dangerous, isn\u2019t it?
\nQ2: Wouldn\u2019t cycling be safer if you wear a helmet? Shouldn\u2019t it be made compulsory?
\nQ3: Why can\u2019t cyclists learn to ride safely and obey the law? (see also Q4 &5)
\nQ4: Why don\u2019t cyclists obey red lights? (see Q3 for illegal cycling in general)
\nQ5 What are you going to do about cyclists riding on the pavement (sidewalk)? (see also Q3)
\nQ6: Why don\u2019t cyclists have compulsory training, number plates and insurance to stop them riding dangerously and illegally, or so they can be made to pay up when they do?
\nQ7: Shouldn\u2019t cyclists stop slowing down traffic and stick to where they belong \u2013 i.e. cycle paths\/tracks off the road? Shouldn\u2019t campaigners be asking for more on-road cycle lanes and off-road paths because they make cycling safer?
\nQ8: Cyclists don\u2019t pay road tax, so you have no right to complain about the roads or drivers, or to take up road-space, do you?!
\nQ9: You\u2019ll never get large numbers of people to cycle, will you?
\nQ10: Our roads would be safer if there were no cyclists, wouldn\u2019t they?
\n
\n.
\n[The following are just the major points more detail is in the actual text.]
\nQ1: Cycling\u2019s dangerous, isn\u2019t it?
\nHealth:
\n\u2022 The health benefits of cycling far outweigh its risks; not cycling is far more dangerous.
\nQ2: Wouldn\u2019t cycling be safer if you wear a helmet? Shouldn\u2019t it be made compulsory?
\nHelmets & Safety
\n\u2022 Cycle helmets won\u2019t always prevent injury in all circumstances and people should be aware of their limitations
\n\u2022 It is the behaviour of drivers that causes most problems for cyclists on the roads, so tackling speed and poor driving standards would help cyclists a lot more than widespread helmet wearing
\nQ3: Why can\u2019t cyclists learn to ride safely and obey the law? (see also Q4 &5)
\nIllegal cycling
\n\u2022 It is not the job of CTC to justify illegal cycling. However before deciding how to address the problem one needs to understand why it happens in the first place and promote effective means for tackling it
\n\u2022 Things that make it impossible (or prohibitively costly) for children and newcomers to take up cycling in the first place (e.g. registration, licences etc \u2013 see Q6 below) risk seriously undermining its health, environmental and other benefits.
\nQ4: Why don\u2019t cyclists obey red lights? (see Q3 for illegal cycling in general) Red light jumping
\n\u2022 Jumping a red light on a bike is illegal and can be dangerous; jumping a red light using a motor vehicle is just as illegal but causes a lot more death and injury.
\nQ5 What are you going to do about cyclists riding on the pavement (sidewalk)? (see also Q3)
\nPavement (sidewalk) cycling
\n\u2022 CTC does not condone law-breaking or misbehaviour by cyclists and believes that the road is usually the best place to cycle. However, we understand that lack of confidence and skills mean that some people feel \u2018safer\u2019 on the footway, particularly novices and children
\n\u2022 Figures show that cyclists very rarely cause injury to pedestrians on the pavement
\n\u2022 The proliferation of legal shared use (a lot of it patchy and unnecessary), only serves to confuse cyclists and pedestrians about the legalities of cycling on the pavement.
\nQ6: Why don\u2019t cyclists have compulsory training, number plates and insurance to stop them riding dangerously and illegally, or so they can be made to pay up when they do?
\nLegislative control of cyclists
\n\u2022 CTC believes that good quality, readily available cycle training is the best way of ensuring that cyclists obey the law and ride safely. It should not be made compulsory because that would probably deter people from taking up cycling
\n\u2022 CTC thinks that registration and licencing schemes would be prohibitively costly, unenforceable, impossible to administer and also act as a deterrent
\n\u2022 We don\u2019t see any reason for treating cyclists differently from pedestrians
\n\u2022 CTC promotes the take-up of third party insurance and provides it for its members
\nQ7: Shouldn\u2019t cyclists stop slowing down traffic and stick to where they belong \u2013 i.e. cycle paths\/tracks off the road? Shouldn\u2019t campaigners be asking for more on-road cycle lanes and off-road paths because they make cycling safer?
\nCycle paths\/tracks v the road
\n\u2022 Cycle paths, especially those provided alongside a road, are not necessarily safer than the road and there is no obligation to use them
\n\u2022 Cycles are vehicles and, as such, have every right to use the road
\n\u2022 Cyclists don\u2019t slow down traffic \u2013 they are traffic!
\nCycle lanes (lanes painted on the road)
\n\u2022 These are often not wide enough to help; and sometimes they are so narrow that they cause more problems than they solve
\nQ8: Cyclists don\u2019t pay road tax, so you have no right to complain about the roads or drivers, or to take up road-space, do you?!
\nRoad tax
\n\u2022 Actually, most adult cyclists do pay for the roads, even though they impose minimal wear and tear on them!
\n\u2022 There are no calls for pedestrians to start paying \u201croad tax\u201d, so why require it of cyclists?
\nQ9: You\u2019ll never get large numbers of people to cycle, will you?
\nGetting lots of people to cycle
\n\u2022 Yes we will! There is huge potential for increased cycle use in Britain. Cycling is fun, fast, flexible, free (well, almost), it keeps you fit, it avoids burning finite fuel reserves and is friendly to the local and global environment. It is good for the health of individuals and that of our communities and the environment. It\u2019s the answer to lots of the problems we have today.
\nQ10: Our roads would be safer if there were no cyclists, wouldn\u2019t they?
\nNo cyclists = safer roads?
\n\u2022 Around 3000 people die from road traffic collisions in the UK every year \u2013 only about three of those involve only a cyclist and a pedestrian, the remainder all involve motor vehicles. The roads would be safer with no motor vehicles!
\nhttps:\/\/www.ctc.org.uk\/resources\/Campaigns\/0901_CTC_10-Common-Questions_web_brf.pdf<\/a>oldId.20090813114925209<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[The following is from the UK but very applicable here as our number are near equivalent.] Q1: Cycling\u2019s dangerous, isn\u2019t it? Q2: Wouldn\u2019t cycling be safer if you wear a helmet? Shouldn\u2019t it be made compulsory? Q3: Why can\u2019t cyclists learn to ride safely and obey the law? (see also Q4 &5) Q4: Why don\u2019t … <\/p>\n

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