Funny how...

[iwantanewbike]

...the Highways Agency promotes radio, TV and social network advertising for "safety checks on your car before driving" (fluids, oil etc.), and also for red crosses on the motorway, yet the government won't fund potentially more effective safety campaigns regarding 20mph limits, overtaking cyclists, pavement parking, dooring etc.

 

[Profpointy]

...the Highways Agency promotes radio, TV and social network advertising for "safety checks on your car before driving" (fluids, oil etc.), and also for red crosses on the motorway, yet the government won't fund potentially more effective safety campaigns regarding 20mph limits, overtaking cyclists, pavement parking, dooring etc.

What's a red cross on a motorway?

 

[BrynCP]

Lane closed.

 

[srw]

...the Highways Agency promotes radio, TV and social network advertising for "safety checks on your car before driving" (fluids, oil etc.), and also for red crosses on the motorway, yet the government won't fund potentially more effective safety campaigns regarding 20mph limits, overtaking cyclists, pavement parking, dooring etc.

I can't find up-to-date figures, but a couple of years ago the grand total for the government's budget for road safety publicity was £4m. Set that against the £64m it's spending to promote cycling and walking and your protestations are a little unfair.

As it happens, I think you're wrong that the areas you highlight don't get safety campaigns - London in particular is pretty good on the subject - but I'm pleased the government is promoting safety checks for cars. The clue's in the name. Safe cars are cars that are less likely to kill me.

I'm also slightly curious - I don't think I've ever seen a safety check promotion. It's not one of the official UK government campaigns at the moment.

 

[psmiffy]

Set that against the £64m it's spending to promote cycling and walking and your protestations are a little unfair.

This settlement also commits more than £300 million to cycling investment between 2015-16 and 2020-21. This includes delivering in full the £114 million Cycle Ambition City scheme, with construction of segregated cycle lanes including 115 kilometres in Birmingham and 56 kilometres in Manchester.

roughly £60M/annum - about €20M less than than i was reading about a single town in Holland spending in a single year - and approx 0.6% of the £9.3G for this financial year

 

[Drago]

What's a red cross on a motorway?

Plague warning.

 

[srw]

roughly £60M/annum - about €20M less than than i was reading about a single town in Holland spending in a single year - and approx 0.6% of the £9.3G for this financial year

I'm not saying it's good!

 

[KnackeredBike]

My local council did a report "Connecting Oxfordshire 2015-2021" about how they would ensure the cycle routes weren't total crap and allocate some space away from motorists to cyclists.

Almost two years in and they have done the grand sum of sod all, although they have done several multi-million pound improvements to big road junctions that have included no cycling provision.

Cycling is always bottom of the list because what is needed is generally cheap and boring, and there's no fun spending money on that when you could spend it on imported Italian flagstones for a pavement, or some shiny traffic lights.

 

[snorri]

I wrote to my Tory council candidate asking how he would deal with a list of local difficulties and dangers for pedestrians and cyclists, but apparently nothing can be done as this is the age of the motor car, and it is human nature to drive and park irresponsibly
"It would be hard to disagree with most of the points you make under this section. However we live in the age of the motor car! I would dearly like to see people being more active and walking or cycling, but there's little we are able to do is likely to change human nature. We just have to live with the motor car. Do you own one? Do you have a garden or driveway to park in? Many people do not."

 

[mjr]

One big problem is that cycling- related road safety campaigns are completely delegated to county level (including unitary and so on), whereas motoring has both county-level and national campaigns and a large part of cycling campaigns need directing at those who are most often to blame: motorists. But we have often struggled to do that because county is reluctant to do more than amplify national campaigns and there are none for cycling. That seems to be changing but only recently.

 

[mjr]

I wrote to my Tory council candidate asking how he would deal with a list of local difficulties and dangers for pedestrians and cyclists, but apparently nothing can be done as this is the age of the motor car, and it is human nature to drive and park irresponsibly
"It would be hard to disagree with most of the points you make under this section. However we live in the age of the motor car! I would dearly like to see people being more active and walking or cycling, but there's little we are able to do is likely to change human nature. We just have to live with the motor car. Do you own one? Do you have a garden or driveway to park in? Many people do not."

Please, publicise that shoot to as many social network groups and media outlets as possible. Living Streets will probably love him as much as any local cycling groups: a vote for that Tory is a vote to do nothing for walking and cycling

 

[KnackeredBike]

Please, publicise that shoot to as many social network groups and media outlets as possible. Living Streets will probably love him as much as any local cycling groups: a vote for that Tory is a vote to do nothing for walking and cycling

No surprise, half the Tories still fap over Maggie "if you don't have a car you're a failure" Thatcher.

 

[Drago]

That's just politicians. No money for anything...except an above inflation pay rise for MPs, or foreign aid to mend the potholes in someone else's country.