Agree with cycle training certainly. In fact I would suggest basic levels of cycle training as a mandatory part of any license for a motorised vehicle. An hour is all that it would take just to give motorists of all decriptions a perspective from the human powered saddle. Certainly there will always be a bunch of shitty drivers on the road, but they won't be doing it from a point of ignorance. For instance, car drivers will have a notion that things like cross and headwinds and bad surfacing will have an impact on a cyclists behaviour.
The next thing would be designing with cyclists in mind as a principle travel option. It's difficult to re-engineer a city like London but there are some improvements to be made that don't have formal bike routes wending their way the long way around to get to places. Case in point here - the A40 cycle lane. It stretches from Witney all the way to Wheatley. It runs beside a major road that is fast with high levels of commercial traffic. It serves a strict purpose of getting people from A to B quickly and safely without being concerned whether the ride will be pleasant. Away from major arterial routes, this should be the same mentality that should be adopted as a first consideration. How can a cyclist travel along this section of road or through this junction quickly and safely? It's not about sticking cycle lanes all over the place, just making all other traffic favour the cyclist.
Agree with cycle training certainly. In fact I would suggest basic levels of cycle training as a mandatory part of any license for a motorised vehicle. An hour is all that it would take just to give motorists of all decriptions a perspective from the human powered saddle. Certainly there will always be a bunch of shitty drivers on the road, but they won't be doing it from a point of ignorance. For instance, car drivers will have a notion that things like cross and headwinds and bad surfacing will have an impact on a cyclists behaviour.
The next thing would be designing with cyclists in mind as a principle travel option. It's difficult to re-engineer a city like London but there are some improvements to be made that don't have formal bike routes wending their way the long way around to get to places. Case in point here - the A40 cycle lane. It stretches from Witney all the way to Wheatley. It runs beside a major road that is fast with high levels of commercial traffic. It serves a strict purpose of getting people from A to B quickly and safely without being concerned whether the ride will be pleasant. Away from major arterial routes, this should be the same mentality that should be adopted as a first consideration. How can a cyclist travel along this section of road or through this junction quickly and safely? It's not about sticking cycle lanes all over the place, just making all other traffic favour the cyclist.