I READ with interest the results of the British Heart Foundation (BHF) survey in relation to potential death from heart disease and the fact that the average adult in Scotland has not been on a bike in the last nine years (“Scots among the most reluctant cyclists of anywhere in the UK” , The Herald, January 23) . Whilst the sample only included 159 Scots, nevertheless the results are concerning. Why then is it that Scots seem reluctant to want to get on their bikes? Surely it cannot just be the weather conditions or the odd hill here and there?
I believe one of the key reasons why people are not getting on their bikes, especially women and children, is because they believe it to be too dangerous to ride on the roads. We need to ensure that short journeys to schools, shops and places of work are easily and safely accessible.
Currently, however, we do not have enough cycle paths or segregated lanes and the vulnerability of those who walk and ride bikes is not understood or fully considered by those driving motor vehicles. A culture of road share needs to be developed but this will take time.
If you step onto the road in France, especially in smaller towns, cars will stop to let you cross safely. Similarly, motorists give cyclists plenty of room when passing. We need to have a legislative system similar to theirs whereby the vulnerable are protected in civil law. We need presumed liability so that in the event of a road traffic collision between a cyclist or pedestrian and a motor vehicle, the burden of proof would rest with the more powerful as opposed to the weak which is the situation currently.
This change in the law is just one of number of measures that would help but it can be implemented quickly and cheaply. Most importantly, it might just spark that change in attitude and sense of responsibility which is dearly needed.
Jodi Gordon,
Senior Solicitor at Cycle Law Scotland,
285 Bath Street, Glasgow
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel