Cut traffic speed to make cycling safer

No-one was to blame; it was just that the narrow road was too crowded for the both of us. I came off worst - although not too badly, with only a few nasty cuts and bruises - simply because I was more exposed and vulnerable. Like most children of that generation, me and my mates carried on roaming free on our bikes, away from home for hours at a time.

Nowadays the cycling debate hits us from all sides, especially in relation to the risks and benefits for children and young people. The issues about cycling in general are legion: read Matt Seaton's collection of columns for The Guardian, compiled in his recent book Two Wheels: Thoughts from the Bike Lane.

For young people, there are particular questions. Doctors in accident and emergency units are calling on the government to make it illegal for those under 16 to cycle without a helmet. Children are involved in more than half of all accidents affecting cyclists. Schools are worried and there is a debate about whether or not they should be actively discouraging students from cycling to school.

The government's investment in cycling includes funding for the training of children in Bikeability, the National Cycle Training Standard. The aim is for up to half a million children and young people to be trained by 2012.

There are, of course, numerous arguments in favour of supporting cycling. The three most prominent are for health, economic and environmental reasons. But quite how to do it, with our congested streets and racing traffic, remains a contested issue. In some countries - Denmark and The Netherlands for instance - there is clear, dedicated and separate space for cyclists and a culture of recognition, acceptance and respect for cyclists by other (less vulnerable) road users. Here in the UK, the situation is very different.

Doctors may quote studies that tell us the use of helmets can reduce the risk of head and brain injuries by more than 80 per cent, but other research suggests vehicles drive more closely to cyclists when they are wearing helmets - thereby increasing the risk of accidents. The same seems to be the case with dedicated, painted cycle lanes: vehicles pay less attention to giving bike riders a wider berth, seemingly assuming they have some magical protection simply through the markings on the road.

If we cannot have separate routes for cyclists, which is virtually impossible in most places, then the real issue is the speed of cars, buses and lorries. Vehicle drivers bully, terrorise and intimidate cyclists, whether or not it is their intention to do so. Therefore, where we want children and young people to use their bikes more safely, for fun and for going to school, 20mph zones have to be the paramount starting point.

Howard Williamson is professor of European youth policy at the University of Glamorgan.