Sir – I am scared! Scared that in the next few weeks or months, I will kill or seriously injure someone. It will happen in the dark, and the victim will be specifically a cyclist.
On two separate occasions, within the past 12 hours, while driving I have encountered cyclists who were barely visible. I should add that the two occasions were in the Harwell/Didcot area and street lighting was non-existent.
Both cyclists wore dark clothing and their cycles carried no form of lighting.
One cyclist was wearing a crash helmet. It was only the lights from oncoming vehicles that provided a silhouette and thereby thankfully gave an indication of their presence and gave me the opportunity to avoid them.
On my trips into Oxford city centre, a place known for its high-density cycle traffic, I regularly see cyclists with no lights and few with crash helmets.
I am not anti-cycling but do feel that it is about time that some form of legislation should be put in place to make cyclists adopt basic safety measures, specifically high-visibility clothing, lights and a crash helmet. I can remember when it was not compulsory to wear a crash helmet on a motorcycle until death rates started to escalate. Now it is the norm.
Cyclists are not immortal and should consider their responsibility to themselves and others. I am amazed at how little some consider their safety and security when on two wheels. A few simple measures would make life a lot easier for all road users.
Terence Hadler, East Hendred
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