I came up with an idea which might just work – it seems so obvious that surely it’s been thought of before...

Make full Bikeability cycle training compulsory before anyone can pass their driving test.

It would need to be current, like the drivers’ theory test, which must be passed up to 3 years before the licence can be granted, so a school playground session aged 7 will not suffice.

The reasons are several:

One – if all drivers have first qualified as cyclists, they will be more aware of cyclists on the road, why they’re positioning themselves assertively, how much room to give etc and roads will be safer for all users.

Two – the age when most children stop cycling (often due to peer pressure) is the mid-teens, and this is also the age when they start wanting to learn to drive. Making cycle training a part of this formative experience will normalise cycling and remind young people just how much they enjoyed it. Planting the seeds of healthy and environmentally-friendly travel at this age can only be a good thing.

Three – once people are trained to ride bikes easily, they will see the attraction of cycling more, they’ll be more confident and are much more likely to use their bikes on a day-to-day basis, rather than taking the car on short journeys, thus reducing traffic and pollution on local streets.

I must submit it to David Cameron’s Big Society consultation. It won’t save any money initially as more cycle trainers will have to be trained and paid, but it could save lives and a lot of money for the NHS by improving general fitness and reducing road accidents.

I’ve also submitted the idea to Mark Thomas for his next Manifesto show on Radio 4 this autumn. Hopefully it will get picked!

Please feel free to pick holes in this idea or give me supporting comments (in case I do get to go on the radio to discuss it!) If anyone knows of any background to this idea being proposed at high levels before, I’d be interested to hear.