Elf N Safety gawn Maaaad

[jig-sore]

well i've seen the other side of this at my daughters school. they had new cycles racks put in and said any child (7 to 11 years) could cycle to school as long as they had a bike helmet and locked the bike up.

now it's a shocking sight to see at kicking out time. helmets on backwards, helmets on handlebars, kids riding on the wrong side of the road, kids terrorising pedestrians etc. etc.

apparently the cycling proficiency scheme (or whatever they call it now) was dropped due to lack of interest

there has to be a halfway point, don't you think ???

 

[lech]

I can't imagine being terrorised by a seven year old on a bike.

The simple fact is, the more cyclists there are on the roads, the safer the roads become.

Wasn't there a study that said kids are far more alert at school if they cycle there rather than get a left in a car?

At my school we looked askance at any Litle Lord Fauntleroy who got carted to school by his mum in a car.

 

[jonesy]

well i've seen the other side of this at my daughters school. they had new cycles racks put in and said any child (7 to 11 years) could cycle to school as long as they had a bike helmet and locked the bike up.

now it's a shocking sight to see at kicking out time. helmets on backwards, helmets on handlebars, kids riding on the wrong side of the road, kids terrorising pedestrians etc. etc.

apparently the cycling proficiency scheme (or whatever they call it now) was dropped due to lack of interest

there has to be a halfway point, don't you think ???

Sounds to me like providing Bikeability training, and having that as a requirement instead of h*lm*ts would have been rather more productive.

http://www.bikeability.org.uk/

Bikeability is the new National Standard for Cycle Training and government money is being put into promoting it.

 

[MacB]

As others point out the traffic issues are due to parents in the first place. I see terrible examples of driving if I cycle around school run time. The congestion also causes irritation and agression in other drivers not trying to do the school run. As of 4 weeks ago all 3 of mine now qualify to cycle, they are 8, 11 and 13. I don't think my youngest has ever worked harder at anything, he was determined to pass his proficiency test.

Yes I worry but I'd also have misgivings about denying them the pleasure they get from cycling to and from school.

I'm also gobsmacked by how short a distance some of the parents drive to collect their children.

 

[summerdays]

12 could be OK. The difference between 10 and 12 in terms of awareness, responsibility and maturity is enormous.

Each kid is different in their road awareness, my middle child is 12 and I still have worries about her, whereas my 8 yo cycles to school, some parts on the pavement (watching out for the cars using the same pavement to DRIVE along), and some parts on the road (holding up the parents trying to get those last few yards closer to their child's classroom). OK I'm cycling behind him but he does pretty well.

If children get lots of practise cycling to school with an adult, learning all the skills needed then they are quite capable of cycling to school. Obviously Bikeability helps but not on its own ... they still need to actually practise it.

 

[jig-sore]

I can't imagine being terrorised by a seven year old on a bike.

what if you were also 7 years old ????

I'm not saying it was a bad idea to get the kids using bikes, as my three girls do, i just think it needs a bit of discipline

 

[lech]

You're right anorak, this is what I was looking for:

http://www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=701




A BMX bike club’s “outreach programme” which shows pupils the thrills and enjoyment of cycling was among the top winners in this year’s London Cycling Awards. Under the outreach scheme, in Hillingdon, school children were given the chance to discover the challenges and learn the skills of BMX cycling. Pupils who participated in the project described it as “fantastic”.

 

[summerdays]

My youngest learnt to cycle just before he started school so we cycled to school to practise it, and he has cycled ever since. He knows pedestrians have right of way on the pavement and waits behind, although he has been told off by one particular mum on more than one occasion for waiting patiently and not using his bell which she seems to prefer.

 

[colly]

Interesting, the report says:

''His primary school imposed the bizarre restriction saying it had nowhere to store bicycles.''

Yet all the direct quotes from the head bang on about how the roads are congested and dangerous it was for him to be riding to school.
What the f*** has it got to do with the school how he gets there?? Or how he returns home after?

Is she really saying that in the whole of the school there is really nowhere for a small bike to be stood up and locked?
Perhaps if she were to stop all the other kids from coming to school other than by foot, cycle or public transport the roads would be safer.

It just goes to show that an education doesn't stop you from being an idiot.

As for terrorising other kids. I reckon a 2 tonne 4 x 4 is a damn sight more frightening than any kid on a pushbike.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Interesting, the report says:

''His primary school imposed the bizarre restriction saying it had nowhere to store bicycles.''

Yet all the direct quotes from the head bang on about how the roads are congested and dangerous it was for him to be riding to school.
What the f*** has it got to do with the school how he gets there?? Or how he returns home after?

Is she really saying that in the whole of the school there is really nowhere for a small bike to be stood up and locked?
Perhaps if she were to stop all the other kids from coming to school other than by foot, cycle or public transport the roads would be safer.

It just goes to show that an education doesn't stop you from being an idiot.

As for terrorising other kids. I reckon a 2 tonne 4 x 4 is a damn sight more frightening than any kid on a pushbike.

+1

 

[postman]

I assit at a local school one day a year.With two local authority staff doing cycle training.

Parents are advised by letter and the children choose to do it or not.
First thing is the bike it must be roadworthy.What an eye opener.Thats all i am going to say.Some parents !!!!!!
Second half of the day is spent in the quiet back streets.And it becomes apparent some of the children do not understand the dangers of the road.
But at the end they have all enjoyed it.

 

[HF2300]

Article's dated November '08. This has been posted and discussed here already, can't [be bothered to] find the topic though.

 

[jonesy]

I assit at a local school one day a year.With two local authority staff doing cycle training.

Parents are advised by letter and the children choose to do it or not.
First thing is the bike it must be roadworthy.What an eye opener.Thats all i am going to say.Some parents !!!!!!
Second half of the day is spent in the quiet back streets.And it becomes apparent some of the children do not understand the dangers of the road.
But at the end they have all enjoyed it.

Only one day? Surely this can't be National Standard?

 

[thomas]

When I started helmet and hi-viz hadn't been invented.

What about the wheel?

 

[mr_cellophane]

I see about 10 school kids on bikes in the morning (more than adult cyclists). Mainly around Upminster the number drops off as I get nearer the City. Most on the pavement though

This is what could happen if you drive your kids to school. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...crushes-gatepost-car-park-private-school.html
Not even a 4x4