BBC 6 minute English-Road safety for cyclists

Transcript of the podcast

NB: This is not a word-for-word transcript

Jennifer: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com. My name is Jennifer and I’m joined in the studio by Neil

Neil: Hello. In this programme, we look at a story in the news and teach you some new vocabulary and expressions along the way

Jennifer: In this episode, we’re going to be talking about cycling and how to keep safe on the road. Do you cycle, Neil

Neil: Yes I do. I use my bike to commute, or travel to work. It’s quite a long journey, but it’s much cheaper than taking the Tube or the train. What about you, Jen

Jennifer: Well I’ve just bought a folding bike – that’s a bike that you can take apart, fold up and carry if you don’t want to ride it. For me, it’s a good way to get fit

Neil: A folding bike is very handy. But they are very expensive

Jennifer: You can hire bicycles for short journeys in London. It leads me on to today’s question

Neil: OK, what is it

Jennifer: A record number of bikes were hired on one day during the London Olympic Games in 2012. But how many times were bikes borrowed on this day? Was it

a) 15,000

b) 31,000

c) 47,000

Neil: Well, those are all very high numbers, but I’m going to guess c) 47,000

Jennifer: We’ll find out if you’re right at the end of the programme. So, let’s go back to our story about cycling. We’ve said that the advantages are that it is a good way to get fit and a cheap way to travel. But, are there any disadvantages

Neil: I suppose that it can be a dangerous way to travel if you’re cycling in a city centre, especially in heavy traffic. Heavy traffic means lots of cars or other vehicles on the road

Jennifer: Many cyclists now wear helmet cameras – a device attached to their cycling helmet – so that they can film people who drive dangerously

Neil: Listen to this clip of London cyclist Ben Porter. Why did he start using a helmet camera

Ben Porter, cyclist

I first got the camera because I’d had trouble convincing friends and family of what actually happened on the roads, and I’d thought that having a camera and footage would be a good way of explaining what it’s like to be a cyclist on the road. I always saw it as some form of insurance and it did feel like, as a cyclist, I didn’t have as much behind me as, say, a car driver with an insurance company

Jennifer: So, that was cyclist Ben Porter. He said he thought that having a camera and footage would be a good way to explain what it’s like to be a cyclist on the road

Neil: Footage is what a video camera records. When the camera is attached to your head, the footage shows the journey from your point of view

Jennifer: Ben Porter gave another reason why he started to use the camera. Did you hear what it was

Neil: He said it was a form of insurance. That means it gives the cyclist a form of protection

Jennifer: Let’s hear that clip of Ben again. Listen this time for the words ‘footage’ and insurance

Ben Porter, cyclist

I first got the camera because I’d had trouble convincing friends and family of what actually happened on the roads, and I’d thought that having a camera and footage would be a good way of explaining what it’s like to be a cyclist on the road. I always saw it as some form of insurance and it did feel like, as a cyclist, I didn’t have as much behind me as, say, a car driver with an insurance company

Neil: So, Ben got the camera so that he could show what it’s like to be a cyclist on the road, and also to protect himself from blame if there was an accident

Jennifer: Having a camera can give you peace of mind – it can make you feel safer in terms of the law – but it can’t stop you from being hit by a car. How do you think cyclists could be safer, Neil

Neil: I think that both cyclists and drivers need to pay attention to The Highway Code. The Highway Code is a list of rules that drivers and cyclists must obey – or do. How do you think cyclists could be safer

Jennifer: I think it’s important to be visible – for other road users to know you’re there. Many people wear fluorescent clothing which is very bright and reflective

Neil: And don’t forget – a helmet could save your life

Jennifer: Time now to get the answer to the quiz. I asked how many bicycles were borrowed on one day in London during the 2012 Olympics. Was it

a) 15,000

b) 31,000

c) 47,000

Neil: And I guessed c) 47,000

Jennifer: And you were right

Neil: Aha

Jennifer: On that day alone, bikes were hired 47,105 times

Neil: Well, that is a lot of cycling. There must have been lots of tired people in London that day

Jennifer: I’m sure! Do join us again for another edition of 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. Bye

Neil: Bye