OPINION - This moral panic about killer cyclists is hateful and wrong — it's drivers who kill people

My dad, Keith, is 86 and having a bit of bother walking even short distances. But what he can do, as he has all his life, is ride a bike. Having given up his car, it’s his only transport, his independence, the way he shops, gets to the cafe and the station. I can’t imagine what he’d do if he wasn’t able to ride.

So, I was upset a few week ago to see certain parts of the media continue their relentless campaign against cyclists, accusing them of “turning our roads into death traps” when the reality is, the mortal threat posed by cyclists is lower than that of lightning or cows. Meanwhile, more than 1,700 people are killed each year by motor vehicles.

In 2016, one of them was my mother, Keith’s life partner, gone, crushed to death by a law-breaking driver. A vibrant, elderly woman in great health because of her passion, wiped off the face of the earth. What makes this even more horrific, if that was possible, is she was one five people who died on our roads that day. Five mothers, sons and daughters killed every day, without national headlines or calls for changes in the law.

Allowing such uniformly negative, data-barren and blatantly false accusations to continually go unchallenged does people like my dad, and the vast majority of cyclists, a terrible disservice.

Whether we’re commuting, going to visit friends or taking the kids to school we all need safe space and this aggressive othering of cyclists makes it harder to provide. This is especially the case in cities with busy roads where space is at a premium.

This might seem like a niche topic, unconnected with most of our lives but I’m afraid it isn’t. It’s huge and it’s costing you personally.

Politicians, local or national, have to pick their battles carefully. Knowing they’ll face a torrent of abuse for making things like riding or wheeling to school easier — which is what’s happening — means many will choose to steer away from action, or even show support.

This in turn keeps us locked into the status quo… the never-measured choice that is literally killing tens of thousands a year through inactivity-related illness alone. It’s robbing our children of both health and a sustainable future.

At a time we desperately need to decarbonise, to improve public health and ensure everyone has affordable transport choices, we cannot afford this relentlessly hostile rhetoric.

You’ll notice the hate-mongers offer no solutions, they don’t take responsibility for their actions, they just peddle hate (excuse the pun).

So I for one am going to speak up for my dad and my kids, for the things that will lead to a better life for them. I hope others will stand with me, be brave and speak up for their family’s future.

Whether walking, wheeling or riding, our streets would be a nicer place if we stopped persecuting the vulnerable and instead directed our energies to ensuring everyone has the choice to be a bit more Keith.

Chris Boardman is the National Active Travel Commissioner