Travel

If you’re someone who follows the news and cares about road safety, chances are the Today programme left you frustrated more than once this week.First came a segment revisiting the case of Harry Dunn - the teenager killed by a driver who was not arrested and quickly fled the UK. The story rightly focused on police failures and the lack of justice for his family. But it missed something crucial. Harry’s death, while particularly high-profile, was not an isolated incident. On average, five people die on Britain’s roads every day. Families up and down the country are dealing with similar losses, often without the media attention or political outrage.A quick call to RoadPeace - the charity supporting families bereaved by road violence - would have revealed this. They would have pointed out that young people dying in road collisions is devastatingly common, and that road harm, unlike other public health crises, rarely gets the sustained attention it deserves.

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Headlines fixate on the horror-movie spectacle of e-bike batteries erupting in hallways - and yes, those fires can be deadly and demand regulatory intervention - but the hidden hazard is the policy void that has smouldered for years while ministers posed next to Teslas. Successive governments have left e-bikes in limbo. The combination of no purchase subsidies, muddled regulations and little control of gig-economy rider employers has nurtured a grey market of “Franken-bikes” and public unease. If battery blazes are the sparks; sustained political neglect is the slow-burn crisis undermining one of our cleanest, healthiest ways to travel.

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We Brits are nothing if not weather-obsessed — and the current outlook has given us plenty to talk about. One minute you’re basking in glorious sunshine, the next you’re sheltering from a sudden downpour, wondering if summer has gone on strike. Welcome to June 2025.

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We don’t yet know why a man drove his car into a group of people this weekend, with devastating consequences. But we do know why he didn’t. Police were quick to confirm: this wasn’t terrorism. The suspect, a 53-year-old white man, was arrested at the scene. The prompt release of this information - unusually swift - was made to calm tensions and prevent unrest.

But what about the unrest caused by the act itself? A man drives into a crowd. People are injured. People are afraid. And then… silence.

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If there’s one thing guaranteed to put a dampener on your bikepacking dreams, it’s running out of water miles from the nearest tap. Whether you’re crossing the Cairngorms or pedalling to the pub via a particularly scenic detour, a reliable way to purify water is more than just clever – it’s peace of mind in a bottle.

Enter the Camelbak x LifeStraw collaboration: A 1-litre reusable bottle that filters out bacteria, parasites, and microplastics, while also reducing lead, chlorine, and the other chemical lurkers you’d rather not sip

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