Dame Sarah Storey to campaign for safer roads for cyclists on behalf of British Cycling

Dame Sarah Storey is to take on a new role as British Cycling’s policy advocate. Great Britain’s most decorated female Paralympian will work alongside the organisation’s policy adviser, Chris Boardman, campaigning for safer roads for cyclists.

Storey said: “I’ve spent the last decade of my life as an elite cyclist, representing my country at events around the world but, fundamentally, I just enjoy riding my bike, whether that is training hard for a major event or just heading out into the country lanes.

“I know that this is a passion I share with millions of other people across this country, and ensuring that people who wish to cycle have adequate convenient, safe opportunities to do so is a vision that I share with British Cycling.

“In order to encourage more people to get on their bikes, it is crucial that politicians and decision makers take on board safety concerns, and ensure that our roads are appealing, safe shared spaces which can be used conveniently by all road users, and I am looking forward to working alongside Chris Boardman and British Cycling to make this a reality.”

British Cycling’s campaigns manager, Martin Key, said he was delighted to have Storey on board. “Her outstanding record as one of this country’s greatest ever athletes means she is very much a role model, and therefore she knows more than most the importance of encouraging people to take advantage of the physical, psychological and social benefits regular exercise can bring.”

Key said that the UK remains a long way short of some European nations in terms of providing opportunities for people to get out and ride, and added: “We are committed to pushing for greater political investment and stronger leadership around cycling infrastructure and Sarah’s voice will only help us in doing that.”

British Cycling has recently been campaigning for the introduction of a universal rule for vehicles to give way when turning at junctions, arguing that this would help address an issue where many cycle lanes are currently less convenient to use than the road.

The Turning the Corner campaign has so far attracted over 27,000 signatories to a petition asking the Department for Transport to make a change to the Highway Code. Over 5,000 have also followed that up by asking their local MP to highlight the issue in parliament.