The Times Cycling Campaign

I beg to differ Cliveo. I have cycled over 200,000 miles but fear for my life as never before. I get the miles in at night now (15% of so-called accidents happen then.) - well set up for Dunwich Dynamo and BHF Night Ride to Brighton.though.. I was nearly done for four times in 2010 - 3 HGVs (not at junctions) and one fight almost to the death (mine obviously) with a BMW. This is reality!

I think, with the utmost respect, that you have missed my point.

Jeremy Clarkson and his hate-filled followers don't give a toss if a hundred cyclists are killed each week so long as they can drive their fuel guzzling penis substitutes at fast speeds. If we explain to them that cycle safety will free the roads up for their expression of inadequacy, they may well back off and allow politicians to support cycle safety.

Then, hopefully they will find themselves having to drive properly.

We need to sell to them and not to the already converted cyclists.

This worked with congestion charge. The BMW boys accepted it as it was taking poor people off the road for £5 a day. When it went up to £12, they jumped into their Addison Lees.

Clive, genuine worries about safety are usually expressed by existing cyclists who have had frightening experiences. Those who haven't cycled much recently often 'know' that 'cycling is dangerous' by hearsay, but often have no relevant personal experience. Some existing cyclists are genuinely intimidated, and it is usually them who lead calls for 'more safety' (a very loaded concept, and more complex than one imagines). At the same time, the latter have also experienced the pleasure and fun of cycling and are loth to give up; whereas the former can suffer from not having experienced the positives, and their state of avelopia is truly pitiable.