National Cycle to Work Day
A quick google search shows that there is a “special day” of some kind almost every day of the year, but some days are more resonant with personal injury lawyers than others.
August 6 sees the UK celebrating National Cycle to Work Day which is all about getting people out of their cars and onto their bikes for their daily commute. August is a good time to pick, there’s a good chance it won’t be raining and generally the roads are quieter during the school holidays.
Other benefits extolled on the website are the environmental, no CO2 emissions involved, costs – cheaper than taking the bus or other public transport and significantly cheaper than driving your own car and of course there are health benefits to cycling with an average stone in weight loss in the first year of cycling to work.
Great news, but I am a personal injury lawyer and this is a blog about personal injury so it goes without saying that whilst the benefits are manifold, so, unfortunately are the risks.
The most common cause of injury in cycling accidents are of course car vs bicycle. These include cars emerging from side roads into the path of bicycles, because they just haven’t seen them, passing too close and knocking cyclists off as they do so, but there are also examples of cyclists being crushed between vehicles and safety barriers, or being pushed into bollards, traffic islands and even trees.
And talking of street furniture, there is also the condition of the roads to take into account. Potholes and sunken or raised grates create hazards for cycles that car drivers wouldn’t even notice. Sometimes, in attempting to avoid a hole a cyclist will inadvertently swerve into the path of a passing vehicle.
National Cycle to Work Day is in August in the hope that the weather will be kind to first time cycling commuters, but weather can be a real factor in the safety of cyclists. Mist and fog can make spotting them even more difficult for the car driver distracted by a nagging sat nav or fighting children and I don’t need to spell out the dangers of snow and ice. Even rain can cause roads to become slippery and extra hazardous for those on two wheels. And when the sun comes out, there’s the storm debris or gritting salt waiting to help those skids.
So what can you do to stay safe?
- Try if you can to plan a route that keeps you off the busiest routes into the city/town. More and more local authorities are investing in cycle lanes, even if it is a little bit further to go, can you avoid travelling on the road altogether?
- If not, again, think about your route. As a cyclist you shouldn’t be riding on the pavement but what about back alleys or even little side streets that you mightn’t want to drive down but for that reason are very quiet and relatively car free.
- Maintain your bike. Are the tyres pumped up, is the chain oiled and do the brakes work? This is an ongoing need, try and factor in some regular time to just check all over, screws haven’t work loose, lights are in working order etc.
- Think about clothing. It’s difficult when riding to work, especially if there isn’t anywhere to change when you get there, but get yourself a hi vis vest to wear over your coat or jacket, make sure shoes are secure on the pedals and check for flapping skirts or trousers that they’re not going to get caught in spokes or the chain.
- Stay vigilant. I would caution against putting in earbuds and blasting your favourite tunes as you cycle. Instead, concentrate on your surroundings, looking out for that driver who has a car full of noisy children or barking dogs, watch the road ahead for potholes or glass so that you can react quickly if needed.
I do hope that you do feel brave enough to try cycling to work – if we all did it the roads would be a lot safer for all of us. Stay safe and enjoy the freedom that cycling brings.
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I am regulated through the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
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Typically, my Notarial fees for a Power of Attorney for Spain, based on two parties signing the document, would be £280.00. There is no VAT payable.
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ANDREA PASHLEY NOTARY PUBLIC
The purpose of this notice is to explain how I collect, process and retain personal data in the course of providing notarial services and to gain your consent to do so.
As a Notary Public I follow the privacy policy of Malcolm C Foy & Co Ltd. However, my notarial practice is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”) under number ZA276555.
Telephone: 01302 340005
Email: info@malcolmcfoy.co.uk
Post: Lazarus House, 14 Princes Street, Doncaster, DN1 3NJ
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I collect information and data:
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Your personal data may need to be shared with third parties if:
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Basic data regarding the documents I am asked to notarise is transferred into a Master Client Protocol as required by my regulator, the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury. These records are kept permanently and include the following data:
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I _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
have read the above DATA PROTECTION: PRIVACY AND CONSENT NOTICE and hereby give my express consent to the terms contained therein.
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