A death on the roads is always deeply saddening. It is particularly distressing when that person who has championed the outdoor life and cycling specifically is the victim of a senseless road traffic collision.
That is the case with Carol Boardman.
The mother of Olympic gold medallist, Chris Boardman, Carol, who was in her 70s, died from her injuries following a collision with a pick-up truck in Connah’s Quay, North Wales, last Saturday.
Two things strike me. The first is that in February, Chris revealed that his mother was involved in a ‘close pass’ with a lorry while out cycling with her local cycling club. He tweeted a link to a video of the incident, asking the question, “Is this considered OK?”
Poor driving habits on our roads are commonplace and a nudge or near miss one day, can be a lot more serious the next.
Secondly, Chris has called for better legal protection for cyclists and other vulnerable road users through the introduction of presumed liability.
Now he finds himself in a situation where in the inevitable absence of any evidence from his mother, the Police are appealing for witnesses. His agony and pain is likely to be protracted while the current legal processes grinds into motion.
We have to redouble our efforts for Road Share. A change in legislation that puts the vulnerable first will help speed up the resolution of cases for the injured and bereaved and in time will impact on driving behaviour.
Cycle Law Scotland and Founder of Road Share, the campaign for presumed liability for vulnerable road users.