Free lights for kids as Dorset & Cambridge police tackle unlit cycling

This is not motivated by cyclist safety, going by study referenced below. There's no annual police campaign focusing on zero tolerance towards ASL lawbreaking by those killer lorries mowing down well-lit cyclists every other day in London, is there?

This is about the pr end of the police setting priorities to flatter and reassure reactionary community councillors and tabloid readers that they're dealing with problem cyclists, anti-social youth and any other outsider groups (all one and the same, for many, clearly).

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/dec/15/cycling-bike-accidents-study

Quote:

"A tiny proportion of accidents involving cyclists are caused by riders jumping red lights or stop signs, or failing to wear high-visibility clothing and use lights, a government-commissioned study has discovered.

"The study, carried out for the Department for Transport, found that in 2% of cases where cyclists were seriously injured in collisions with other road users police said that the rider disobeying a stop sign or traffic light was a likely contributing factor. Wearing dark clothing at night was seen as a potential cause in about 2.5% of cases, and failure to use lights was mentioned 2% of the time.

Why does nobody say or do anything until AFTER the clocks go back?

Surely prevention is better than cure.

Well I'm going to send my kids out without lights until they get nicked, I mean free lights. I could do with a set for my other bike...

A few years ago I acquired a box of about 120 sets of those little backup lights that fit with an elastic strap for nearly nowt. I decided to give these out to anybody I saw riding about with no lights, after one winter about two thirds were gone. A lot of adults would tell me to F off but kids were always really pleased and often said they wanted lights but their parents wouldn't buy them for them. With that in mind I feel this is by far the best approach despite the somewhat ill conceived thinking behind it.

Sounds like I need to get into the cycling light business! But in all fairness I love the idea of free lights for children. Even giving the opportunity to purchase a set rather than get a fine is pretty decent as long as they don't jack the prices way up

Quote:

All cyclists should wear a helmet, light coloured or fluorescent clothing in daylight and reflective clothing with bike lights in the dark. This will make sure that they are seen by other road users.

It's good to see that the cash-strapped, resource-starved police have enough manpower to waste on promoting bogus safety advice.

1. All cyclists should not wear a helmet. They do fuck-all for anything except very minor injuries. They increase the radius of the head, possibly leading to more serious rotational injuries.

2. Light/flourescent clothing has not been shown to make much of a difference in daylight.

3. Bike lights are only one part of the equation, quality reflectors, especially those on the pedals or lower ankles have been shown to be recognized by motorists at much further distances than static reflectors or lights.

And the real kicker behind all this is that even if you do all that, it'll reduce your chances a bit, but they could put the effort into chasing down all the car drivers who regularly speed.

This "well meaning" "safety advice" needs to be seen in the context of a police force which is ill-equipped and unprepared to deal with the underlying problem on the roads (morons driving several thousand kilograms of metal).

By all means cyclists should take these measures if it makes them feel safer, but the diversion of scarce police resources into this initiative is questionable, at the least.

I have read several articles referencing Graham Bright and he does seem like complete bell end.

Wonder whether they're clamping down on cars with faulty lighting as well.

How the fuzz pull over the cars that have faulty lights. I see loads every time the sun sets. Last weekend i was no further than 200m from home and I saw 3 cars running with one headlight. Never heard of anyone being nicked for it either.

“All cyclists should wear a helmet, light coloured or fluorescent clothing in daylight and reflective clothing with bike lights in the dark. This will make sure that they are seen by other road users."

What a tit. Maybe they should charge drivers who glance when pulling out and kill someone, that might get drivers looking rather than glancing.

Overalll I applaud this approach but the comments made by the police officers show that they stilll don't really understand the issues.

e.g. Special Superintendent John Haslop said: "There is a lot of dangerous cycling within Cambridge ....."

In light of that comment I wonder whether the police are able to spot "dangerous cycling" more easily than they seem to be able to recognise "dangerous driving"?