Safe Cycling
The majority of students at St Bede's will cycle to and from school. Whilst many students will cycle relatively short distances to school, a significant number of students will cycle from further away.
We therefore remind students of the importance of safe cycling, and ask all parents and carers to support us in reiterating the paramount importance of safety equipment.
The Highway Code (rules 59 to 82) sets out the rules and guidance for cyclists, and can be found HERE.
Safety Equipment:
- Cycle helmets and reflective clothing SHOULD be worn by cyclists (rule 59)
- A cycle MUST have white front lights and red rear lights and reflectors when used at night (rule 60)
As winter approaches, light can fade considerably by 4pm, just as many of our students are making their way home along the busy Cambridge roads. We therefore remind all of our students of the importance of wearing helmets and reflective clothing, and the need to ensure their bikes have lights and rear reflectors, as required by law.
Considerate Cycling:
- Students MUST not cycle on pavements (rule 64). This rule is in place to protect pedestrians (and cyclists) from the risk of collisions. At the time when our students leave school, many other young children will also be returning home, often using the paths outside our main entrance.
- Cyclists SHOULD be considerate of other road users when riding in groups (rule 66). Cycling two abreast can be a safe option at times, however cyclists should allow vehicles to pass when safe to do so, by moving into single file, or stopping, for example.
The following rules (rule 68) MUST be adhered to by all cyclists:
- Students MUST not carry a passenger on their bike
- Students MUST not hold onto a moving vehicle or trailer
- Students MUST not ride in a dangerous, careless or inconsiderate manner
- Students MUST not ride when under the influence of drink or drugs, including medicine.
At St Bede's, we appreciate that part of our success as a school owes to the partnerships we build and maintain with the communities around us. We therefore support and encourage local residents to inform us of any potential examples of inconsiderate cycling by any of our students, which we will act upon.
In-School:
- Students are not permitted to ride their bikes on the school premises. Bikes must be walked to and from the designated cycle racks.
- Bikes should be locked to the secure cycle racks. It is the responsibility of students to ensure their bikes are securely locked whilst on the school premises. As a school, we stock spare bicycle locks so if a student forgets to bring their own lock, they can request one from main reception.
School Travel Ambassadors:
Our school travel ambassadors surveyed school students, combined with hosting a focus group, in order to determine why many students do not wear bike helmets. The main reasons that many students do not wear helmets include:
- Not wanting to mess up your hair
- Peer pressure
- Not actually having a helmet
The research also indicated that it was mainly older students who tended not to wear their helmets.
Additionally, one of the main findings was that some students were not really aware of the day-to-day challenges faced by those using wheelchairs, and how we could all be more considerate.
As part of their important work, our ambassadors have been very busy!
In addition to creating and displaying educational posters around St Bede's, they have also been visiting primary schools in order to help educate younger students and to reiterate the importance of wearing helmets, and being considerate of others.
They have even produced a video, below:
