How safe is our village?

Over the many years we have lived here I have always considered Tarvin to be a safe village and I have always enjoyed being able to cycle around knowing that I was not at any risk of harm.

Well in the last two weeks my attitude has changed because of 3 incidents along my own road:

1. A car following me while I cycled past a parked car then quickly overtook me, braked hard and pulled into my path because a car was coming towards us which had been obvious before the overtake.
I was put at risk in the lane I live on.

2. I was cycling 50m from my house when I had to pull over to let a motorist pass who was coming the other way on a narrow stretch. When they came alongside I noticed that they were on their mobile phone! When challenged they replied "it's only a small road".
I was put at risk 50m from my own house.

3. A few days later my wife set out on her bicycle and was signalling to turn right after only 50m. A motorist was coming up to the junction. Like me my wife always watches for the driver's intention. The driver was texting on their phone, didn't see her and pulled out of the junction and across her path. My wife was put at risk 50m from her own house.

In the same two weeks there has been coverage on the news of the increase in penalties for using a mobile phone whilst driving and also about the safe space motorists should give cyclists when overtaking them.

Please can motorists living in our village, or visiting, consider the safety of others on the road in our own village. Tarvin shouldn't be regarded as being safe from prosecution just because a motorist has turned into the village off main roads and there are no police.

Some related links are:

http://think.direct.gov.uk/cycling.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37389800
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37389800

Ed. We received this article from a Tarvin resident