Too many cyclists like Chris Boardman's mother die on the roads. I survived, but I was one of the lucky few

Martin Porter, QC, the so-called 'cycling silk', has called for motorists accused of driving offences, who are tried 'either way', which gives them the option of being tried at a magistrates' court or by a jury, to lose the right to the latter. Why? Because juries are too willing to acquit

Carol Boardman died after a collision with a pickup truck on a roundabout in North Wales while out on her bike (Getty Images)

When I read about the death of the mother of Olympic medal-winning cyclist Chris Boardman, I felt a familiar sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I have no doubt that other victims of cycling accidents felt exactly the same way.

Carol Boardman died after a collision with a pickup truck on a roundabout in North Wales while out on her bike.

She had remained a keen cyclist into her seventies, and had raced competitively in her youth, stopping only after the birth of her two children. Chris, her son, enjoyed a glittering career, which includes a gold medal win for Britain. It helped spark a renaissance in British cycling.

But while others, inspired by Mr Boardman’s achievement, have gone on to win many more medals, and this country has also produced two Tour de France winners, his mother's story is, sadly, a depressingly familiar one.

Britain has encouraged people to get on their bikes, and no wonder. Cycling is tremendous fun. It’s environmentally friendly, it’s good for you. It also puts you at risk of dying every time you take to the roads.

That’s not something I’ll be doing again. My injuries were such that cycling is no longer in my future as a form of exercise, even if I could get past the fear factor and the understandable concern my family would have at the prospect of me cycling again. Cycling-related accidents don’t just affect cyclists; they exact a brutal toll on families, too.

Accidents happen with depressing regularity on Britain’s roads. Motorists constantly moan about cyclists, but as a motorist, I can tell you now it is not cyclists who cause me concern. It is other motorists. I’ve lost count of the number of times I have chosen to wait behind a cyclist rather than whizzing past without being able to leave them enough space while some yahoo sits on my bumper honking their horn and flashing their lights. I’ve also lost count of the number of times I have watched motorists drive with a cavalier disregard for the rules of the road, cutting in and out of traffic, speeding, executing crazy manoeuvres and putting other motorists in grave danger, let alone the poor cyclist operating without the protection of a couple of tonnes of metal around them.

Martin Porter, QC, the so-called “cycling silk”, has called for motorists accused of driving offences, who are tried “either way”, which gives them the option of being tried at a magistrates' court or by a jury, to lose the right to the latter. Why? Because juries are too willing to acquit, because of their thinking, “There but for the grace of God”. Nearly everyone’s a motorist. They have a natural sympathy and fellow feeling with drivers accused of committing offences because lots of them will have done the same sort of things.

Mr Porter, who has also taken the odd pop at the CPS, makes a compelling argument. All too often the law seems tilted against the cyclist.

Kevin O’Sullivan, the lawyer handling my increasingly painful personal injury claim, gave an angry speech at the launch of his new firm, Cycle Legal. He asked me afterwards whether I thought it was too much. Not from where I was standing. Sorry... I mean, not from where I was sitting. I was using my wheelchair at the time. I can’t stand up for very long these days. I can walk a little, but it’s painful, and I use a double crutch. Even with all that I am one of the lucky ones. Carol Boardman was one of the unlucky ones. There are too many like her.

The law needs to change. We don’t know the details of what happened to Ms Boardman, and we won’t for a while, but what I can say with confidence is that the legal system provides far too little protection for cyclists, and puts them through agonies if they seek justice after suffering accidents, aided and abetted by a venal insurance industry.

Perhaps the death of such a high-profile figure may help drive change. Perhaps it will serve as a catalyst, but I’m not all that hopeful.