Cycling on UK roads and radicalisation

When people talk about the roads, it's clear that many mistake equality for equity. For example, the placatory and often heard "we all just need to share the roads" might sound reasonable enough, but it overlooks the fact that on the roads - as in so many other areas of life - equity requires that some people get more.

Unfortunately, at present, we do not even enjoy equality. The more time one spends walking or cycling, the more one is exposed to careless, anti-social and downright dangerous behaviour. Walking to school, it might be cars putting children's' lives at risk by parking on a zebra crossing, or even driving along the pavement. Earlier this month, drivers passing a school in Chessington, thought nothing of taking to the pavements because the road ahead was blocked. Children walking to school were forced to take refuge to avoid being run over. No action was taken by police against the drivers.

A cyclist in Essex this week handed police footage which clearly shows a driver using their car to knock him off his bike. No action was taken by the police against the driver. Two days after the horrendous car crash last week in Birmingham that left six dead, another speeding car on the same stretch of road crashed into a cyclist leaving him for dead. No action was taken against the driver.

None of these incidents made the papers and countless other examples of road danger happen every day.

Is it possible to cycle on British roads and avoid becoming radicalised? Perhaps, but if by radicalised we mean refusing to accept that our roads cannot be equitable, then hopefully the answer for us all is no.

An insurance company like no other

Not only are we Britain's most ethical insurance company, we campaign for sustainable transport. Sometimes that means protesting until a school gets the zebra crossing they've been refused, or running 60 roadshows this year to encourage people out of their cars, or fixing bicycles for free. Supporting this work is easy - you simply have to take out cycle insurance with us, cover that just happens to be excellent.

Unlike other insurers we never devalue your bike. And if you ride a carbon bike, rest assured we will never have a cracked frame repaired - we will always replace your bike with a new one. How many other insurers can say that? Find out more

..and it's not just cycle insurance that we offer. We provide home insurance, cycle insurance, travel insurance and breakdown cover - all while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

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