Cyclists

On 21 March, the BBC’s Reporting Scotland ran an item about deaths of cyclists, noting that four had died in Edinburgh in the past year. The piece began with a video clip from a cyclist’s helmet camera. The cyclist, on a roundabout, was passed on the left by a road tanker which then swung right, squeezing the cyclist towards the central island.

As the prospect of being dragged under the wheels of the vehicle increased, the cyclist can be heard screaming and is seen to wobble as he or she loses balance. The item concluded with a brief comment from Neil Greig of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, who suggested that errant cyclists should undergo remedial training. As this was irrelevant to what had gone before, and was presumably part of a more extended interview, the choice of extract raises a question about objectivity.

I do not regard all motorists as villains. Almost all cyclists are motorists, relatively few motorists are also cyclists. The issue is straightforward: the increasing number of cyclists is leading to a concomitant rise in the number of casualties. If government and others wish to see this increase continue, then a sensible and comprehensive strategy must be drawn up, both to accommodate and to protect cyclists, not only from death and injury but also from prejudice and vilification.

ALAN IRONS

Woodrow Road

Glasgow