Why aren't you campaigning for cyclists to improve their behaviour?

CTC does not condone illegal cycling. But we also believe that there is a disproportionate amount of media attention expended on illegal cycling, such as jumping red lights or riding on the pavement. Both actions may be widely visible to motorists stuck in traffic or pedestrians that are accustomed to being bullied by other road users, but in actual fact they produce very few casualties. Jumping a red light on a bike or cycling on the pavement are illegal and can be dangerous, but doing either in a car is just as illegal and causes a lot more death and injury.

In London between 2001-5, 3 cyclists, 7 pedestrians, and 7 motor vehicle occupants were killed when a motorist jumped a red light. During this same period, 2 cyclists died when they jumped red lights. More cyclists die from motorists jumping red lights than from cyclists jumping red lights.

Both jumping red lights and cycling on the pavement are frequently bad behaviours of inexperienced cyclists who feel unsafe cycling in traffic, and who would therefore benefit from cycle training. Shared-use pavement cycletracks further confuse cyclists, by creating a situation in which a bit of paint transforms previously forbidden pavement into a designated space for cycling. We believe that widespread cycle training and a reduced emphasis on shared-use pavements would be the best ways to combat bad bicycle behaviour.