Whilst I agree with Andy Pagin (‘Lack of training is to blame’, Opinion, June 25) that providing cycle training is essential and, as a cyclist, I too deplore cyclists breaking the Highway Code, Mr Pagin’s perception of the causes of accidents is not correct.

According to figures collected by Transport for London (TfL), just four per cent of cycling collisions are attributed to cyclists jumping red lights, or other illegal activity. In addition, according to police statistics for cyclist-motorist collisions in central London, 68 per cent were the fault of the motorist, 20 per cent the fault of the cyclist and 12 per cent had shared blame.

Given these figures, while training for cyclists is a good thing, it will not be the solution to the accidents Mr Pagin describes. There does need to be better provision for cyclists, safer design of HGVs (responsible for proportionately greater number of cyclists’ deaths) and an improvement generally in the behaviour and attitude of all road users, including cyclists.

To be fair to Enfield Borough Council, they do provide cycle training both for adults and schoolchildren through the Bikeability scheme. My own personal view is that all young people should take some sort of cycling qualification before they leave school as they do in Holland.

Not only is riding a bike an excellent way to develop road sense before learning to drive, it also means that we will reach the position where all road users will have had experience of cycling and will be more sympathetic to those on two wheels.

Roger Kingsnorth

Second Avenue, Enfield