‘Saddle up for cycle lessons’
A Stirling councillor is urging colleagues to take up an offer to do a road safety training session regarding cyclists.
Stirling Cycle Training has offered the session to all Stirling councillors.
It followed the article in the Observer’s November 1 issue in which police were urged to penalise “inconsiderate cyclists” in the same way as discourteous drivers.
At last month’s meeting of Stirling Council’s public safety committee, Trossachs and Teith SNP councillor Evelyn Tweed applauded the work of a police operation encouraging Forth Valley drivers to respect cyclists on the road.
However, she asked what was being done to ensure those on bikes were also cycling in a way that showed consideration to drivers and pedestrians.
Following publication of the story, some people contacted the Observer to defend cyclists while others criticised them for “arrogance”, failing to use cycle lanes, riding two and three abreast on narrow lanes and not having a bell on their bikes.
Following publication of the story, Andrew Abbess, from Stirling Cycle Training, got in touch with Councillor Tweed and offered to lay on a training session for councillors.
Mr Abbess said every year one or two cyclists in the UK were killed and hundreds injured by hitting car doors thoughtlessly opened by drivers and their passengers.
The cycle trainer said people on bikes are sometimes wary of using cycle lanes because they have to pass cars parked in them.
He believes this is an example of how drivers may not always understand why cyclists do certain things and is keen to educate councillors with the offer of the special road safety session.
“There’s a lot of misunderstanding by people who drive about what good cycling practice is,” said Mr Abbess.
“Cyclists may have to ride in the centre of the lane at traffic islands to discourage dangerous overtakes where there is no room to overtake.
“Cyclists are trained not to go inside large vehicles at junctions but the cycle lane leading to an advanced stop box encourages the novice cyclist to go into the blind spot of HGVs.”
Stirling North Conservative member Ross Oxburgh, who recently underwent a training session with Mr Abbess, believes his council colleagues should take up the offer.
Councillor Oxburgh admitted he was a “fair-weather cyclist” but found the session useful.
Stirling East Labour councillor Chris Kane, who has called for “inconsiderate cyclists” to be penalised in the same way as “inconsiderate drivers”, countered: “It is frustrating that these discussions are constantly framed as ‘drivers v cyclists’. The vast number of cyclists and drivers operate in a safe and courteous manner.
“Whilst I appreciate the offer of a training session, in the context of it being in response to comments made at the public safety committee, I’m a little uncomfortable with the implied logic that anybody criticising any cyclist behaviour requires better education. Illegal or unsafe behaviour on our roads should be dealt with appropriately, regardless of the mode of transport to which the behaviour relates.”
A spokesperson for Stirling Council confirmed the offer of a training session had been made and was currently under consideration.