Bath-based solicitor Mark Hambleton has added his voice to the growing national concern over the dangers of cycling on Britain’s roads.
The Times newspaper has launched a campaign, Cities Fit for Cycling, following news reporter Mary Bowers’ near-fatal accident on her way to work.
It has already received support from a number of famous faces including Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, Lord Alan Sugar and former Olympic rower James Cracknell.
Now Mark, a solicitor at Withy King and keen cyclist, hopes to drum up support in Bath for the campaign, which has received the backing of more than 17,000 people.
Mark said: “With the number of cycling accidents and fatalities rising year on year in the UK, it is important that we continue to push the Government to prioritise its road safety policies.
“High-profile campaigns, like the one currently being run by the Times, are central to achieving the necessary changes to make the roads safer.
“Withy King represents a large number of injured cyclists following accidents on our roads and with the increasing popularity of cycling it is clear that something must be done to improve road safety.”
The effects of accidents can be devastating for cyclists, said Mark. Not only are there physical injuries to deal with but often financial losses too, such as loss of earnings and rehabilitation, not to mention damaged bicycle equipment.
“In terms of the wider economy, businesses lose time from the workforce as a consequence of time off work and we all end up paying higher motor insurance premiums.” Added Mark.
Jeff Jones, editor of Bath-based online publication, BikeRadar.com, said: “The recent debate around cycling safety is incredibly positive. It is so rare to see cycling on the front page of a national newspaper, never mind two days in a row. It is this kind of campaign that appeals to the general public, which is precisely why it is so important; perhaps now we can elicit real change.
“I would encourage all cyclists in Bath to join the campaign. Cyclists are vulnerable road users and we need to put pressure on the Government to fund cycling-centric infrastructure and educate motorists on sharing the road. We suffer from traffic problems in Bath and there is a real lack of cycling facilities. It certainly makes getting around tricky.”
