From the perspective of someone learning to drive in the early 60s in England and taking the test in a 1949, 2.5l Daimler, I’d say that a series of aspects is under-considered. Generally, that is!

Cars and other motor vehicles have developed hugely (brilliantly even) and the agility, responsiveness, fuel consumption and comfort of (my car) most cars is unbelievably ‘better’ 50+ years later.

After taking my test I had the chance in the mid 60s to drive an ordinary Mini 850. It felt like a racing car, so transformed was the car from my Daimler.

Later I owned a Mk1 Cortina estate. My growing family and a habit of camping created the need for the ‘large’ car. (Which now looks like a toy car!). This car had rather plain, unshaped, plastic covered seats which meant clinging to the steering wheel if you cornered or stopped too quickly. I then opted to fit seat belts which were not obligatory for some years. I recall vividly how, strapping myself in using the aircraft style buckle, I was now able to corner more quickly and even comfortably ... using this supposed ‘safety aid’!

And, regarding infrastructure and space on the road, the vehicle fleet has grown in width and height over 50 years. I recall a stat that the Ford Escort ‘grew’ c40% wider in its 40 year production run. In the UK this growth and the relatively unchanged road widths will inevitably result in less space available for people cycling. People whose spatial demands (excluding Bakfiets etc) have changed little.

There has been no commensurate, balancing ‘costs’ imposed on drivers of these larger, faster, vehicles with massive, passive, passenger safety improvements.

It’s surprising that ... anyone cycles in these changes conditions!

Graham

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Graham Paul Smith, Urban Design

5 Western Road

Oxford, OX1 4LF

MB 07796 263836

01865 725193

On 28 Sep 2018, at 11:54, [log in to unmask] wrote:

Blackfriars Bridge 2006-07 during Waterloo & City blockade & St Pancras 2004-2005 as a result of 6 month blockade on Thameslink through services a 1000% increase in bikes parked overnight plus unaudited increase in bikes on trains. Surbiton Station also (earlier c. 1996/7)

On Friday, 28 September 2018 Katja Leyendecker <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Hi Peter

I am not sure your argument stands up empirically. Where have high levels of cycling been achieved without compromising safety and without cycling infrastructure?

Regards
Katja

On Mon, 17 Sep 2018 21:47 Peter Chambers, <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Hello all,

my co-author Tom Andrews and I are writing a book on the deeper roots of conflict between motorists and cyclists, and how this links to land appropriation, modern colonial and imperial patterns of land use, 20D town planning and traffic engineering, infrastructure, jurisprudence of roads, automobilities &c.

Right now we’re trying to begin addressing aspects of this cluster of issues by trying to better understand causes of conflict and differentials of harm and vulnerability.

In this article, we’re taking some of the wisdom from primary prevention, based on what the best evidence suggests are the greatest causes of harm in Oz...

- the driver is drivers, we argue

so change laws in ways that acknowledge this as the root cause or problem

rather than keep insisting on expensive infrastructure and high tech gadgets

https://theconversation.com/rising-cyclist-death-toll-is-mainly-due-to-drivers-so-change-the-road-laws-and-culture-102567

for us this is less about ‘cars v bikes’ as it has been framed in Murdoch news media, and more about universal access to safe, sensible transport, which we don’t think should be the privilege of those with the bodies and wallets to drive cars.

If you like it, please feel free to share and Tweet it, and if you’re interested in this framing, we’re especially interested right now in getting perspectives from different countries in and outside of the Anglosphere, as well as those OECD countries where road deaths are highest, which appears to correlate with colonial-settler geographies.

sincere thanks

Pete

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