Channel 4 News presenter Jon Snow is campaigning in tandem with a Kent MP to make Britain’s roads safer for cyclists.
The respected broadcaster is president of the national cyclists’ organisation CTC, which is putting pressure on the Government to help promote its “safety in numbers” campaign.
Dover and Deal MP Gwyn Prosser, who is chairman of the all-party cycling group, is one of those backing the campaign and has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) on the issue in Parliament.
He said: “When we ask people living in the towns and big cities why they don’t cycle to work or school, most say it’s because they think it’s too dangerous.
“What we’re trying to say is that even though there will always be some element of danger, cycling will become safer the more people there are doing it.
“The statistics show quite clearly that as the numbers go up, the accident rate falls.
“The important message we are trying to get across is that it’s far safer than you might think it is.”
Mr Prosser’s EDM asks the House of Commons to acknowledge the evidence that cyclists gain from safety in numbers, and to support his view that the Government’s draft road safety strategy should tackle the fears that deter people from cycling – such as traffic speeds, irresponsible driving and “hostile” roads and junctions.
So far more than 100 fellow MPs have signed the document.
According to CTC, London has seen a 91 per cent increase in cycle use since 2000 together with a 33 per cent reduction in cyclist casualties.
Snow, who is enjoying his 20th year as the face of Channel 4 News, said: “My own experiences as a regular cyclist tell me that London’s streets have started to get a lot safer, thanks to the growth in cycling over the past decade.
“We all know more cycling is good, not just for our health but also for our communities and the environment.
“I hope decision-makers throughout the country will now heed CTC’s message that more cycling will improve road safety too.”
As part of his role as chairman of the all-party cycling group, Mr Prosser and other members visited Amsterdam to see how the Dutch have successfully made the bicycle their most popular mode of transport.
When asked if he thought the English would ever go the same way, Mr Prosser replied: “I would love that to be the case and that’s something we have to strive for.
“It’s absolutely amazing to go to Holland and see how the bike is king out there.
“The city centres are almost car free.
“They’re light years ahead of us but we’ve picked up a few ideas that we can bring back here.
“The first step is to get people over the safety barrier, and then hopefully everything else will follow.”
POSTED: 31/05/2009 16:00:00
Bookmark with:
Email to a friend: