to ask views on the 5-year-old cycling and Sajid Javid video?

[allswellthatends]

Maybe this has been debated to death already because the story came out Nov 11 but it's not showing up on search here. A dad's helmet camera catches a driver passing his 5yo by what he felt was too close, and Sajid Javid and Jeremy Vine got into a disagreement about what the driver should have done.

I live in London and I think (hope) I'm very good with cyclists if only because I'm not usually in a rush. Also I cycle, and my children cycle more. And I'm used to the countryside rule of not coming too close to horse riders . In this particular case, a small child, I would have stopped completely or slowed to a crawl.

Still, London roads are very narrow, traffic is generally quite slow-moving anyway, and so observing a 1.5m distance isn't always practical. It seemed to me that it also makes a difference if the driver is coming towards the cyclist (who can therefore see the car) or from behind (which as a cyclist I find much more unnerving). The type of cyclist in general: 20-35 year-old racing steadily, I'm less worried than with a shaky-ish person on a heavy rental bike; I'll stop for a cyclist panting uphill. I totally get why my fellow-cyclists don't always stop for red lights: sometimes it's safer to go first while the cars are forced to stop, and also it's bad to lose your momentum and your balance. Then again I LOATHE those cargo bikes where parents move very slowly in a vehicle that blocks the full road, with precious cargo, but commonly at school/work rush hour. And cyclists who don't wear reflective gear and lights at night are idiots IMHO. (Actually so are pedestrians. Don't you folks realise that even to the most careful driver you're basically invisible?)

I kind of want to hear some thoughtful real-world practices from my fellow drivers and cyclists and parents.

Anyone who puts their 5 year old in a situation like that dad did his kid is an idiot and I'm not interested in your perception of my debating skills thanks

We are talking about little children not the general public and pedestrians v cycling.

That's what you're talking about, I was adding these figures in to demonstrate people's mostly wonky risk assessment. People's ability to assess risk is pretty relevant to a discussion about taking risks.

Missunshine, it's as valid as any opinion on here

The Child Accident Prevention Trust also states that children are not ready to cycle in traffic until they are at least 11 with an adult.
Advice is to stick to parks.

And kids in cargo bikes?

I (a grown adult) have been dressed in head-to-toe orange before and cars have still pulled out in front of me. There are none so blind as those who weren't bloody looking.

Yesterday I was driving along in my town, and there was a parent and a small child riding on the pavement. I looked at the boy as I drove past him. He was about 4 or 5 but could cycle without stabilizers.

So, yes I could see him over my bonnet. However, he was TINY, on a TINY bike. There is no way a child that big should be on a road.

Now I think the parent is even more of a plank than before.