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Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week – or trying desperately to reality TV-wash your failed political career in an Australian jungle – you’re bound to have formed an opinion on that viral video of the five-year-old cyclist and the close passing driver.
The contentious clip, which is approaching three million views on Twitter, has been featured on Jeremy Vine’s Channel 5 show, several Tory WhatsApp groups, and even an Ashley Neal YouTube video (more on that soon).
Since that particular video has attracted quite the online backlash, I thought I’d kick off this week’s live blog with a few wholesome clips of children enjoying riding their bikes safely on the road:
On Friday morning, Cycling Scotland joined the Shawlands Primary School bike bus. Launched last year in the south-east of Glasgow, the Shawlands Bike Bus is believed to be the first such initiative to trial new ground-breaking technology which allows its members to control traffic lights so every child can safely pass through a busy junction.
> “Game changing” device allows cyclists to control traffic lights so children stay safe
“It’s amazing to see how they’ve grown in just over a year!” Cycling Scotland said of the popular bike bus on Facebook.
“Until we have more dedicated cycle lanes separate from traffic, bike buses like this are a brilliant way of supporting and encouraging primary-school children to cycle to school, giving them the experience of cycling on roads with the safety of being directed by adults and surrounded by others.”
Meanwhile in London over the weekend, children were out on their bikes as part of a Kidical Mass-organised ride through the city’s streets, cycle lanes, LTNs and parks:
🌅It was a stunning cycle home through #Islington, #Hackney & #Haringey’s high bike neighbourhood! If you can, I’d highly recommend exploring them.
Initiatives like #LTNs, and the introduction safe #cycling infrastructure make riding around #London 👌 pic.twitter.com/WTdRowu21r
— Francesca Savage 🚲💕 (@francesca_kms) November 12, 2022
Today with @KidicalMassLond we cycled through parks, #LTNs, main roads & #cycle lanes. For the avoidance of doubt, these children have every right to be on our roads; if hit by a vehicle which wasn’t driven responsibly it wouldn’t be the fault of the children or their parents. pic.twitter.com/2osWFbJ84W
— Harith Canna حارث (@hcanna1) November 12, 2022
Joyful. ❤️
— Railton LTN (@RailtonLTN) November 13, 2022
However, after last week’s seemingly endless ‘child versus car’ debate, it’s perhaps no surprise that it didn’t take long for the usual suspects to have their say:
That’s irresponsible to place children in that position and the drivers too if they need to swerve to avoid a collision
— Steph Teague (@Mad_Steph) November 13, 2022
You’re ridiculous. To put a young child on the roads with even a medium weight of traffic is folly. Saying that it would be the fault of the driver is no comfort when a child is killed or injured. You seem quite prepared to trust that drivers are scrupulously paying attention.
— Alix Traynor (@AlixTraynor2) November 13, 2022
Ok lovely to see kids on bikes but not on a road!!!!! Seriously???? And what happened to cycling in single file???
— Beth Hamilton (@BethHam68127802) November 12, 2022
Not related to Ronnie are you, Keith?!
— Magnumificent ✊ (@MagnumificentTT) November 13, 2022
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