Cycling on the Left Side of the Road

I am, as they say here, rubbish at blogging regularly and frequently.   I have a number of blog topics swimming around in my head, usually as I'm driving someplace.  While I have so far managed to stay accident-free on the left side of the road, if I tried mobile blogging, that would swifly come to an end.  In September I intended, with the fresh start of the new school year, to blog once a week.  I blogged twice in September, and now it's mid-November.  The good news is, this blog comes with a money-back guarantee.  If you're not satisfied, your subscription price will be refunded.  It's that simple!

So, to the topic of this post.  Cycling.  A couple observations.  Cyclist Bradley Wiggins was in the news last week, not for winning Olympic medals or the Tour de France.  He was out on a training ride and was hit by a car.  He spent the night in the hospital and is expected to recover fully.  Many felt sympathy towards him.  Getting on a road on two wheels can feel like taking your life into your hands.  Some felt sympathy for the driver, who said she didn't see him when she was pulling out onto the street.  Who wants to be the driver who takes out a national hero?

In addition to all the usual hazards of cycling on roads (inattentive drivers, poor cycling habits, high traffic volume, dangerous intersections, etc), one problem may be that many roads here are tiny.  The UK is relatively densely populated at 663 people per square mile.  Here's a road near our house.

Two lanes with parking on one side of the street.  The lane on the left would be a nice width for a bike lane.  Trouble is, it's not a bike lane.  It's a regular vehicle lane.  In most cases, where a parked car is in the travel lane, when traveling in that lane one yields to oncoming traffic, waiting behind the parked vehicle until it is safe to pass.  In this instance, the convention is for both lanes to move freely, just squeezing over as much as necessary.  Keeps the traffic moving, but can be nerve-wracking, depending on the size of the oncoming vehicle.

Back to cycling.  About a year ago, a reporter at the newspaper The Times was hit by a truck while commuting by bike to work.  She's still in the hospital in a rehabilitation unit, and hasn't regained full consciousness.  After her accident, The Times launched the Cities Fit for Cycling Campaign to make Britain's roads safer for cycling.  They've worked to raise public awareness and pressure the Government (big-g government here is the national government) and local councils (town, city, county governments) to improve safety for cyclists.  Since 2001, more cyclists have been killed or injured on Britain's roads than members of the British armed forces have been killed or wounded in Afghanistan.  Yes, it is more dangerous to ride a bike on the streets of this country than to be on active duty in a war zone.  Already this year, 106 cyclists have lost their lives while cycling in this country.

I thought The Times campaign was interesting not just from a cycling point of view, but from a media point of view.   I don't think in the US you would see this sort of activism from a newspaper.  Sure, papers and other media outlets have their editorial and political viewpoints.  But I can't think of another instance of this sort of outright advocacy on the part of a new outlet.  I hope they're very successful!

While I'm on the cycling subject, I have a product recommendation for all you cyclists, runners and walkers out there.  Get a Road ID if you don't have one already.  If something should happen to you, it will help emergency responders to quickly find out who you are and notify your family.  Order one today as a Christmas present for yourself and your loved ones, and start wearing it right away.

So as not to end on a serious note and with a commercial message, no less, here's  bonus pic of my darling children cycling!