On Sunday 21 July 2013, Lyons Davidson’s cycling accident specialists arrived bright and early on Baldwin Street to set up our stand. As proud sponsors of the Bristol Cycle Festival series of talks, we are passionate in supporting Bristol’s local cycling community, through promoting cycling safety and providing support to cyclists when things go wrong.
For the week leading to the festival’s finale, we attended the varied programme on offer. Mike Glaskin’s talk on the science of cycling was entertaining and informative, Professor Ashley Cooper made us feel positive and energised about the health benefits of commuting to work on two wheels, Jon Usher updated us on cycling news and planned local infrastructure, while Nick Hand’s tales of long-distance solo cycling an inspiration.
Bristol Cycle Festival’s final day coincided neatly with the monthly closure of some of the main roads in the city centre for Make Sundays Special. The weather was fantastic and the atmosphere relaxed and happy. We were pitched next to Playing Out, the information and advice service for street play, so our colour-in ‘look out for me’ cycling safety posters for children were very popular.
We also managed to give away our entire stock of personalised snap bands as a useful treat for those cycling at night or wanting to use them as cycle clips. While we were there, we spoke to a number of people about cycling safety and the problems faced on our everyday cycling routes. Problems ranged from poor cycle lane layout to aggressive drivers and pedestrians not paying attention. It was interesting to find out just how widespread these concerns are and how cycling Bristolians cope. We also found it helpful to give people general advice on what to do if they were involved in accidents, no matter how minor, in addition to general legal advice.
Our involvement in Bristol Cycle Festival helped strengthen our link with Sustrans and promote the wonderful work they do for sustainable transport all over the country. However, our highlight of the whole day was meeting you: Bristol. Together we can make our roads safer, our people more informed and the next generation healthier. Together, we can make the cycling revolution happen.
See you next year!
For more information on any of the issues raised in this article or if you have been injured while on your bike and you think that you might have a claim, contact us for a free initial consultation and advice: [email protected] or telephone 0330 0539 411.
