Hi all,

My local CC (www.wellandvalleycc.co.uk) has sent out the following email regarding the idea of having cycling awareness as part of driving instruction/tests. Doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me; for anyone who would like to sign up to it there’s a petition here

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Having spent some time thinking about cycling safety, on the bike and as a result of a tragic accident in November (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-20250225) I felt that something needs to be done at ‘grass roots’ level.

I cant help feeling that there was a chasm between the UK’s love of our TdF and Olympic medal winning cyclist, Bradley Wiggins, and how the general public behave on roads.

But I have realised that Bradley winning SPOTY is just proof that we don’t hate cyclists as a nation, we love them.

Many people just don’t know how to deal with them on the road.

The other day it just hit me that perhaps people just need to be trained in how to overtake and when to overtake.

It’s as important as learning how to do a three point turn, in fact more important as lives are at stake, and I saw that British Cycling were supportive of including things in the practical driving test so I set up an e-petition. Apologies if it implies your involvement, it’s not meant too 🙂

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/44059

Is there anyway I can get British Cycling interested in getting people to sign up to this ?

100,000 is a lot of signatures but I think once I get some momentum the story can build and it’s good to start something off.

It seems a good way to get this debate in the open.

Any thoughts ?
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Seems like a good idea and now seems like the right time to push for some changes to suit cyclists – so I’ve signed it 8)

Slightly misleading to describe them as “optional questions” in the theory test. They aren’t optional if they are in your paper (and the passmark is very high so quite likely that answering one question wrong tips you into fail). I am sure there are other areas of road safety where lobby groups would also like their questions compulsory in the test. However compulsory tests make it easier to learn and just focus on the bits which WILL come up. In any case passing a written test and driver behaviour 1, 5, 10, 40 yrs later is quite different. Is there any evidence that new drivers are the “problem” (anecdotally I would say no – except those you are intentionally aggressive souped up “Nova” drivers who are beyond help!). Only around 500,000 people pass a driving test each year, but there are roughly 60x as many drivers on the roads. What makes you believe that forcing those people to answer one question would make any difference to the larger problem in any useful timescale?

Is there any evidence that when people are randomly given the “cycling” questions in the theory test that they do badly on them?

Practical test wise I can’t see how you could force everyone to encounter a cyclist – but of course if people do then they will need to manage it correctly. Rather than signing a pointless epetition if people really wanted to improve driver training all the need to do is cycle close to test centres between about 9.30 and 4 mon-fri and you will manually introduce a real “test” into the process. As instructors also tend to gravitate towards the test routes to practice you will also get the students…

I was watching a driving instructor teaching a pupil how to pass a cyclist the other day. I wanted to punch the driving instructor, because it appears that he is teaching, or at the very least allowing, his pupils to buzz cyclists. The road in question was an urban dual carriageway with a 30mph limit and there was nothing in the other lane stopping the learner moving over. If the quality of driving instruction by some is that poor, what chance do people have.

The guy was an AA instructor taking pupils in the Silverknowes area of Edinburgh.

I passed my theory a few months back, plenty of questions about vulnerable road users including cyclists.

if people really wanted to improve driver training all the need to do is cycle close to test centres

Of course, making people experience the trauma of riding on the road would be nice, but that won’t happen so why make a pointless suggestion?

My first thought regarding this is that it won’t change a thing, but how do I know that? Isn’t it possible that trying to get people interested and having an proactive attitude might go some way to making some positive change?

The guy was an AA instructor taking pupils in the Silverknowes area of Edinburgh.

Worth making a complaint/having a friendly word with the driving school I’d have thought?

I saw an AA driving instructor using his mobile whilst driving across a zebra crossing, approaching a roundabout in an urban area 😯
I realised then that we have a very big problem…

AA instructers– don’t be fooled– they are franchisees on low pay !!

I was watching a driving instructor teaching a pupil how to pass a cyclist the other day

I pass the local testing place on my commute – I’ve been overtaken pretty close a few times. Was passing the car park when one who had gone particularly close was getting out of the car, I shouted “Give cyclists room!” at the instructor. Look of shock on his face. They have about as much clue as anyone else, so what Rob Hilton proposes is good. Not “one question” poly, but cyclist awareness as a fundamental part of the test. What’s the point of the test if it isn’t to make people think about driving safely?

Of course, making people experience the trauma of riding on the road would be nice, but that won’t happen so why make a pointless suggestion?

My first thought regarding this is that it won’t change a thing, but how do I know that? Isn’t it possible that trying to get people interested and having an proactive attitude might go some way to making some positive change?
Rob – I think you’ve missed my point. I wasn’t suggesting you make drivers ride on the road – I was suggesting that cyclists could make it very likely that learners encounter cyclists either during their training or test by cycling on “test routes”; that would surely be far more effective than having to tick a box saying “give vulnerable road users more room”