Chris Boardman movingly spoke in public for the first time about the impact of losing his mother in a road collision seven years ago, saying “no family should go through what mine did”, as he called for greater protection for the most vulnerable on our roads.

At the launch of a new Road Justice report, which makes recommendations about improving road safety for vulnerable road users, former Olympian, campaigner and now England’s cycling and walking commissioner, Chris Boardman opened up about the “horrific consequences” of that day for his family: the blow of grief his father has never recovered from, and a loss that Boardman has found himself unable to process.

Boardman said he was speaking not in his professional role but as someone who has “felt it and lived…the horrific consequences of road danger”.

Carol Boardman was cycling near Chester in 2016 when she fell off her bicycle and was fatally struck by pick-up driver Liam Rosney, who had been texting on his mobile phone. Rosney admitted careless driving and was sentenced to 30 weeks in prison and an 18-month driving ban in 2019.

Boardman, who was commentating on the Tour de France on the day of the incident, described receiving a phone call from his father, who was “just about getting the words out” that his mum was in hospital.

Boardman described the “weird feeling” of making his way across Europe, “disconnected with everything that’s going on around you”. When he arrived at the Countess of Chester hospital, in the dark, he eventually found his family, and the A&E ward where he discovered they were keeping his mother alive until he got there.

On the way home from the hospital, Boardman said, his voice cracking with emotion, “my father just wailed, from grief, and he has never recovered from that. And I’ve kept it in a box for seven years, and that’s why I’m here because no-one else, no family should have to go through that.”

The Road Justice report, coordinated by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Walking and Cycling (APPWCG), makes ten recommendations, including treating road crash victims as victims of crime, with all the investigatory and sentencing powers that affords. It recommends compulsory re-testing of drivers after any period of disqualification, ending the speed leniency that allows drivers to exceed the limit by 10%, and making the “exceptional hardship” claim genuinely exceptional. Currently the claim that losing one’s licence would cause the driver hardship, because they rely on their vehicle for work or caring duties, say, is successfully argued by 23% of drivers with 12 points or more.

Boardman described his anger about the way we treat road crime and the quibbling around measures intended to make the roads safer. Media coverage of the report has in part focused on the theoretical possibility a driver exceeding the speed limit by 1mph could receive points.

“People who commit road crimes, either through choice or incompetence, are not the ones that we should be protecting,” he said. “I get incredibly angry when I see this reduced to it being about one mile an hour. Repeat offenders have already been accommodated with a point system, so they shouldn't be shielded from consequences.”

He suggested that this narrative was ultimately costing us “hundreds of millions” of pounds, building protected cycle routes to shield cyclists from law breaking drivers, and denying people the right to cheap, “easy health” in being able to cycle and walk regularly in safety – something Dutch residents enjoy daily.

He said: “If we don't do all that we can to ensure that the vulnerable are safe, and feel safe, we’re unconsciously snuffing out the opportunity for what should be easy health for millions of people; a right that's routinely enjoyed by millions of people, young and old, just 200 miles from where we're sitting now.

“We are spending hundreds of millions on infrastructure to try and give people a sense of security that they should feel on any road, in large part because of fear of those that are breaking the law whilst in charge of heavy machinery.”

Boardman ended by welcoming the report’s recommendations, which, if implemented, he said would “only affect those that break the law, especially repeat offenders”. The report was led by the University of Westminster’s Dr Tom Cohen and supported by British Cycling and Leigh Day solicitors. You can read the report here (link is external).

Three Key Recommendations of the Road Justice report:

Compulsory retesting for any period of Disqualification
Ending speed leniency, the 10% either way rule
Exceptional hardship - making it genuinely exceptional. 23% of those who amass 12 points or more currently keep their licence under the exceptional hardship clause

https://road.cc/content/news/chris-boardman-makes-emotional-plea-over-road-justice-report-303803

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> Chris Boardman movingly spoke in public for the first time about the
> impact of losing his mother in a road collision seven years ago, saying
> “no family should go through what mine did”, as he called for greater
> protection for the most vulnerable on our roads.

> https://road.cc/content/news/chris-boardman-makes-emotional-plea-over-road-justice-report-303803

Boardman:

"We know we won't make our carbon targets, our legal targets, unless we
drive a lot less”.

--
Spike

hawkinspeter | 12027 posts | 4 hours ago
5 likes

It's such a shame that so many lives are affected by drivers just being extremely selfish and not caring about other road users.

The level of injustice in this country around road deaths is staggering.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> hawkinspeter | 12027 posts | 4 hours ago
> 5 likes
>
> It's such a shame that so many lives are affected by drivers just being
> extremely selfish and not caring about other road users.
>
> The level of injustice in this country around road deaths is staggering.

It's such a shame that so many lives are affected by cyclists just being
extremely selfish and not caring about other road users.

The level of injustice in this country around road deaths is staggering.

--
Spike

I'm in two minds about whether cycling should be a protected characteristic.. On the one hand, it would make it easier to shut down the idiots spewing anti cycling propaganda, but on the other hand it almost diminishes the idea of a protected characteristic. Whilst cyclists are injured and killed on the roads, the problem is nowhere near the size of problems that various skin colours and sexualities have had to face over the decades/centuries.

What I'd prefer is if traffic policing was emphasised. Make it so that drivers believe that they WILL get caught if they regularly speed or use a phone. Also, tighten up the sentencing guidelines and fix the jury problem with careless/dangerous court cases - ideally bring in a driving test examiner to provide expert opinion about whether driving would be an instant fail during a driving test and have the judge instruct the jury that driving below the standard of a driving test is definitely careless driving and if it has a high chance of causing injury (or did), then it counts as dangerous.

We already have relevant legislation around road use, so it's a matter of making that relevant rather than ignored. Once the police are on top of things, it won't matter so much if MSM are pushing anti-cyclist tripe as motorists would be removed from the roads if they persist in abusing cyclists.

On 12/09/2023 10:28, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> hawkinspeter | 12027 posts | 4 hours ago
> 5 likes
>
> It's such a shame that so many lives are affected by drivers just being extremely selfish and not caring about other road users.

That is topsy-turvy. You just utered the textbook descr iption of chavs
on bikes:

"extremely selfish and not caring about other road users"
>
> The level of injustice in this country around road deaths is staggering.

Self-inflicted in so many cases.

On 12/09/2023 11:03, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> I'm in two minds..

Don't be silly.

You are claiming something like a tripling or quadrupling of your brain
power there.

Bungle_52 | 686 posts | 2 days ago
9 likes

It seems to me that Chris Boardman has behaved in a very dignified way over the death of his mother. I would have been livid with the driver and would not have been able to hide my contempt for a system that considers killing a cyclist merely careless. I really hope that now he has finally opened up and given his response in a well reasoned and cogent way he will be listened to and his recommendations acted upon. I am not holding my breath though..

JNugent <jennings&co@mail.com> wrote:
> On 12/09/2023 10:28, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> hawkinspeter | 12027 posts | 4 hours ago
>> 5 likes
>>
>> It's such a shame that so many lives are affected by drivers just being
>> extremely selfish and not caring about other road users.
>
> That is topsy-turvy. You just utered the textbook descr iption of chavs
> on bikes:
>
> "extremely selfish and not caring about other road users"
>>
>> The level of injustice in this country around road deaths is staggering.
>
> Self-inflicted in so many cases.

And so frequently reported here in the case of fatal motor-vehicle SVAs.

--
Spike

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> Bungle_52 | 686 posts | 2 days ago
> 9 likes
>
>
> It seems to me that Chris Boardman has behaved in a very dignified way
> over the death of his mother. I would have been livid with the driver and
> would not have been able to hide my contempt for a system that considers
> killing a cyclist merely careless. I really hope that now he has finally
> opened up and given his response in a well reasoned and cogent way he
> will be listened to and his recommendations acted upon. I am not holding my breath though.

Boardman wants the country to meet its climate targets, so perhaps if you
did hold your breath, say for about six months, that might help.

--
Spike

ymm replied to hawkinspeter | 42 posts | 2 days ago
6 likes

It is staggering and truly appalling also. I am 100% for zero tolerance for any motorists breaking the law as let's face it, its motorists who present the greatest danger by behaving in an criminal or incompetent manner when they drive. Motorist behaviour is a social problem and society as a whole needs to fix it. Everything should be thrown at this issue as the benefits of higher levels of active travel are so huge they simply cannot be ignored.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> ymm replied to hawkinspeter | 42 posts | 2 days ago
> 6 likes
>
> It is staggering and truly appalling also. I am 100% for zero tolerance
> for any motorists breaking the law as let's face it, its motorists who
> present the greatest danger by behaving in an criminal or incompetent
> manner when they drive. Motorist behaviour is a social problem and
> society as a whole needs to fix it. Everything should be thrown at this
> issue as the benefits of higher levels of active travel are so huge they
> simply cannot be ignored.

If in the above you replaced ‘motorist’ with ‘cyclist’, the cap would fit
pretty well.

--
Spike

Avatar
leedorney | 23 posts | 2 days ago
7 likes

I'm 51, I've always cycled for leisure and performance based fitness for health. Other than that bus or train. To own a car isn't a benefit from my pov but a removal of independence. To see a collection of bikes parked up makes me smile inside. There've been times on the road when I've feared for my life vis the car, that's criminal and grossly unnecessary. The Law needs altering to deal with individuals who flout respect for the most sensitive road users whatever they be and stamp them out in society.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> Avatar
> leedorney | 23 posts | 2 days ago
> 7 likes
>
>
> I'm 51, I've always cycled for leisure and performance based fitness for
> health. Other than that bus or train. To own a car isn't a benefit from
> my pov but a removal of independence. To see a collection of bikes parked
> up makes me smile inside. There've been times on the road when I've
> feared for my life vis the car, that's criminal and grossly unnecessary.
> The Law needs altering to deal with individuals who flout respect for the
> most sensitive road users whatever they be and stamp them out in society.

Cyclists are NOT ‘the most sensitive road users’ and I can’t quite see why
you would want them stamped out, although there seems to be a groundswell
of opinion in favour of that, to judge by the highly-partisan cycling
media.

--
Spike

On Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at 2:07:15 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> Chris Boardman movingly spoke in public for the first time about the impact of losing his mother in a road collision seven years ago, saying “no family should go through what mine did”, as he called for greater protection for the most vulnerable on our roads.

The late Keith Peat, who kept a list of cyclists killed by drivers, actually trolled "Chris Boardman" after his mother was killed by a driver. He trolled him on Twitter for two months not realising it was a "Chris Boardman" based in New York City who wondered why some slapheaded ghoul from Lincolnshire was wittering on about his dead mother.

Ironically, Peat was himself killed by bone cancer a few weeks later.

On 15/09/2023 05:58, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> Avatar
> leedorney | 23 posts | 2 days ago
> 7 likes
>
>
> I'm 51, I've always cycled for leisure and performance based fitness for health. Other than that bus or train. To own a car isn't a benefit from my pov but a removal of independence. To see a collection of bikes parked up makes me smile inside. There've been times on the road when I've feared for my life vis the car, that's criminal and grossly unnecessary. The Law needs altering to deal with individuals who flout respect for the most sensitive road users whatever they be and stamp them out in society.

What have you done to earn the respect you arrogantly claim as a right?
>

On Friday, September 15, 2023 at 2:02:08 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at 2:07:15 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> > Chris Boardman movingly spoke in public for the first time about the impact of losing his mother in a road collision seven years ago, saying “no family should go through what mine did”, as he called for greater protection for the most vulnerable on our roads.
> The late Keith Peat, who kept a list of cyclists killed by drivers, actually trolled "Chris Boardman" after his mother was killed by a driver. He trolled him on Twitter for two months not realising it was a "Chris Boardman" based in New York City who wondered why some slapheaded ghoul from Lincolnshire was wittering on about his dead mother.
>
> Ironically, Peat was himself killed by bone cancer a few weeks later.

QUOTE: For those brave enough to go exploring the murky depths at the bottom of the gene pool, the vile Keith Peat has been quick to gloat. ENDS

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=98529.0

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Friday, September 15, 2023 at 2:02:08 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>> On Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at 2:07:15 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>>> Chris Boardman movingly spoke in public for the first time about the
>>> impact of losing his mother in a road collision seven years ago, saying
>>> “no family should go through what mine did”, as he called for greater
>>> protection for the most vulnerable on our roads.
>> The late Keith Peat, who kept a list of cyclists killed by drivers,
>> actually trolled "Chris Boardman" after his mother was killed by a
>> driver. He trolled him on Twitter for two months not realising it was a
>> "Chris Boardman" based in New York City who wondered why some slapheaded
>> ghoul from Lincolnshire was wittering on about his dead mother.
>>
>> Ironically, Peat was himself killed by bone cancer a few weeks later.
>
> QUOTE: For those brave enough to go exploring the murky depths at the
> bottom of the gene pool, the vile Keith Peat has been quick to gloat. ENDS
>
> https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=98529.0

You might like to consider how far down the gene pool someone might be that
they should drag up such comments and articles from seven years ago to make
a point in a group read by only a handful of people.

--
Spike

Keith Peat, the YellowTim of road safety, is channeling the spirit of Paul Smith....

PS was on our local radio some years ago as a "Road Safety Expert"

Emailed in the contents of his "Avoid" Page to the presenter and pointed out that he advised a number of illegal and distasteful methods of avoiding fines, and hence was rather a poor choice.... He was dropped from the rest of the program

Another organisation totally out of touch..