From Ian Chapple
An important point was missed when discussing cycling safety in London and the Netherlands (30 November, p 14). As more people cycle, there is an increased likelihood that those who drive cars are also cyclists.
In the Netherlands there is a small core of drivers who never ride a bike, and a small number of adult cyclists who don’t drive; but most do both. This improves driver awareness and makes it more likely that cyclists have some idea what a car driver can and cannot see.
There is one worrying statistic for Dutch cyclists: the number of over 60s killed or injured while cycling has increased sharply in the past two years.
This seems to be largely down to the increased use of battery-assisted bikes, which can dramatically increase the speeds that are possible. Between July 2011 and June 2012, 13 per cent of cyclists needing treatment in hospital had been riding these bikes; the average age of the casualties was 66.
The Hague, The Netherlands
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