Steve Brine has co-signed a letter calling on David Cameron to take personal leadership in promoting the measures needed to stop cyclists dying on British streets.
The Winchester & Chandler's Ford MP, a keen cyclist, is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Cycling Group, which has been working with The Times to tackle the question of how we can stop cyclists dying on Britain's streets, and improve the roads as a place to be shared safely by pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike.
Steve said: "I was more than happy to be a part of this wonderful cross-party initiative, and I fondly recall the Westminster Hall debate held earlier this year. I have joined colleagues including Ian Austin, Sarah Wollaston and Julian Huppert in signing this letter and backing the message, and look forward to hearing more as this plays out."
Pictured; Steve can often be seen cycling through Winchester
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You can read the text of the letter below:
Prime Minister,
The year 2012 will be remembered for many wonderful things in Britain, but it also risks being remembered for an unacceptable rise in the death toll for cyclists on our roads.
The success of GB cyclists was a marvel to behold at London 2012 and the so-called "Wiggins effect" has seen a huge boost for cycling as a clean, sustainable and inherently safe way to travel in the UK.
But it was also during the Olympic Games that a commuting cyclist, 28-year-old Dan Harris, was crushed to death beneath the wheels of a bus outside the Olympic Park; a bitter reminder that much more needs to be done to make the streets safer for cyclists.
Research by The Times newspaper shows that, so far this year, at least 88 people have been killed while cycling on city streets, country lanes and rural roads. The victims include two 8-year-old children and 15 teenagers as well as students, pensioners, a midwife, a firefighter, a retired paramedic and two pupils from same school; the National School in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.
The All-Party Parliamentary Cycling Group, with the backing of The Times and its Cities Fit for Cycling campaign, has launched an inquiry into cycling in Britain. A panel of MPs and peers will hear evidence from expert witnesses including cycling charities, road safety groups, engineers, rail operators, council officials and civil servants from the departments for transport, health and education, as well as the Treasury.
We the undersigned call on you as Prime Minister to use your speech at Conservative Party Conference to make clear that this nation of cyclists can count on your personal leadership in studying the inquiry's findings and promoting the measures needed to get more people cycling in Britain.
We also call on the new Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, to outline in his speech at Conference precisely what measures the Department for Transport will implement not only to encourage more cyclists to take to the roads, but also urgently to make it safer for them to do so.
It is not enough simply to acknowledge that the death toll for cyclists is unacceptable. The economic and social benefits of cycling in improving public health, tackling child obesity and reducing congestion and pollution are being lost due to inaction.
Leadership, commitment and investment across Government in new policies and infrastructure are all that can reverse this trend of innocent lives lost and encourage more people to ride their bikes on Britain's streets.