Fears for the safety of young cyclists (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Fears for the safety of young cyclists

MOST children who ride bikes have not taken a cycling proficiency course, research shows.

A survey of 1,350 parents revealed that the majority believed their children should have to take a formal cycling test before being allowed on the roads on a bike. The report, by fuel giant Jet, showed that three out of four youngsters were cycling on roads without having had any training. Roy Roley, manager of a Jet safety campaign said: "Nobody would consider letting a 17-year-old drive a car on the road without any formal training, so why do we put our children in such a vulnerable situation on their bikes? It doesn't make any sense. Road safety officers are committed to providing some form of cycling training."

Details about cycling proficiency courses in Swindon are available from Swindon Council.