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Video: Chris Boardman's 3 cycling lessons UK can take from Denmark

British Cycling advisor was in Copenhagen last month with transport minister Robert Goodwill

British Cycling has produced a video featuring policy advisor Chris Boardman outlining three essential lessons from the Danish capital Copenhagen that he believes can help grow cycling in the UK while improving the safety of people on bikes.

The former world and Olympic champion visited Copenhagen last month with minister for cycling Robert Goodwill, whom he had invited to come and see Danish infrastructure first-hand.

The minister reflected after the trip that the UK lagged three decades behind Denmark when it comes to making provision for people on bikes.

– Video: UK three decades behind Denmark in cycling provision, admits minister

Here’s the video outlining those three issues, and we’ve also summarised them below and added some background.

 

1 –Denmark has legislation in place to protect more vulnerable road users, which establishes a clear hierarchy of road users in civil (as opposed to criminal) cases and fosters mutual respect between them, especially at locations such as junctions where most collisions occur.

Under this concept, known as presumed (not strict) liability, following aroad traffic collision, the less vulnerable road user is deemed to be at fault, unless they can establish the other party was.

So the driver of a motor vehicle would automatically be held liable in an incident involving a cyclist, while a bike rider would be in a case where a pedestrian is injured.

The UK is one of a handful of EU member states that does not have such a law, but campaigners are pushing for it.

2 – Segregated cycle routes – similar to the new generation of Cycle Superhighways being rolled out in London – not only keep cyclists and motor vehicles apart, but also reduce congestion for everyone.

Surveys consistently show that the single biggest barrier to getting people cycling is the perception that it is unsafe, and not everyone feels confident riding in traffic.

– Half of Britons say local roads too dangerous for cycling in BBC poll

The more segregated or quiet routes, the more people will switch to cycling from other modes of transport, including cars, for their commutes, goes the reasoning – and as the video shows, that makes traffic flow more easily for everyone.

3 – A standard approach to infrastructure reduces confusion among different types of road users, meaning that everyone knows where they should be, through a combination of shared space on quieter routes and dedicated space for cycling on roads with more motor traffic.

The quality of cycle infrastructure varies hugely across the UK, and while in some places it is changing for the better we can all point towards our favourite examples of poor design that at best causes confusion and at worst puts cyclists in a position of danger.

A consistent and coherent approach, coupled with best-in-class design standards, would remove much of the potential for conflict while also enabling both motorists and cycles to know what to expect in a given situation.

– General public backs massive increase in cycling investment

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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9 comments

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severs1966 | 8 years ago
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Robert Goodwill is a massive hypocrite (although that is not in any way unusual for a Westminster politician). He accompanied Boardman on a trip with the certain knowledge that, no matter how much he lauded the ideals of the mission, that no government money would be avaiable for anything he is "promoting".
The obvious conclusion is that it was a PR move and nothing more; politicial ego, career-inflation and self-aggrandisement.

A "cycling minister" in a nation that does nothing whatsoever for cycling at a government level, expecting everything to be driven and funded by the local authorities. He might as well be minister for interstellar space travel. Assuming he draws a ministerial salary, he is worth less than nothing to UK taxpayers and bike riders.

Ten out of ten for Boardman, but despicable behaviour from his government guest.

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mrchrispy | 8 years ago
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the green wave thing they do is pure genius.

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WolfieSmith | 8 years ago
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I'm all for blocking with bollards and planters - as long as a cycle route us included. We have a classic short cut for cyclists near us - with high kerbs, two pedestrian paths, planter and bollards. 

I spoke to the council and asked why it wasn't both? 'We offered a choice of planter or cycle path to that street's residents and they chose the planter...' 

It's this lack of joined up thinking at Council level that is holding back a lot of  logical infrastructure changes. 

Another example: A new stretch of  road near us has a crossing point  with lights - for pedestrians, cyclists and even horses. The council have suggested in the press that cyclists are banned on the road itself but that's not legal is it? 

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Paul_C | 8 years ago
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by 'quieter' routes, I hope he means access only roads and not rat-runs which need to be rooted out and blocking with bollards and planters.

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Morat | 8 years ago
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They look like good ideas to me, I wonder how much it will cost?

Also, did I notice a speed limit for cyclists at 1.08? That seems like a very sensible step for shared use paths. Pedestrians and cyclists clash far too much in the UK at the moment.

Robert Goodwill looks a bit nervous! But I'm not sure I'd like to follow Chris Boardman round either, even on a sit up and beg bike like that....

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. . replied to Morat | 8 years ago
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Morat wrote:

I wonder how much it will cost?

Boardman was on breakfast telly a couple of days ago.  He said it would cost £600m to do the whole UK, "the same as refurbishing one underground station".

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congokid replied to . . | 8 years ago
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. . wrote:

Boardman was on breakfast telly a couple of days ago.  He said it would cost £600m to do the whole UK, "the same as refurbishing one underground station".

Or about the same as 7.5 miles of Thames Deckway...

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zoulfly replied to Morat | 8 years ago
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Morat wrote:

Also, did I notice a speed limit for cyclists at 1.08? That seems like a very sensible step for shared use paths. Pedestrians and cyclists clash far too much in the UK at the moment.

Actually I think it's a "green wave" speed, not a limit. But if you want to keep on having green lights all the way, that's the speed you should keep.

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zoulfly replied to Morat | 8 years ago
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Morat wrote:

Also, did I notice a speed limit for cyclists at 1.08? That seems like a very sensible step for shared use paths. Pedestrians and cyclists clash far too much in the UK at the moment.

Actually I think it's a "green wave" speed, not a limit. But if you want to keep on having green lights all the way, that's the speed you should keep.

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