At the weekend I saw the strangest sight. It was after dark on a badly lit road, luckily in a quiet part of Oxford, Old Marston. What I saw took my breath away, I saw two young children, on their own, cycling, yes cycling and on the road.

They couldn’t have been more than nine years old and all credit to the parents they were kitted out with high-visibility vests, decent lights and the all-important piece of kit for children – a helmet.

Did I forget to mention they looked like they were on well-chosen bicycles, contrary to the usual terrible choice of cash-strapped parents? They were riding proper bikes not some supermarket purchased, bike shaped object.

Now kids like to ride side by side, chatting, not paying attention to anything let alone the approaching juggernaut that is about to ruin their future confidence on a bike.

However these kids were riding one in front, the other neatly tucked behind. They confidently negotiated the single vehicle approach lane to which they had priority and they looked like they were concentrating better than I do when cycling.

Golly gosh it was a sight to behold and if I don’t say it myself it felt like a real turning point in our civilisation. I assume they had probably done their bike ability test or what we used to call it in the olden days your cycle proficiency test.

I expect they had memorised their route albeit with parental guidance to begin with. Actually I reckon there is a big chance if I had stopped and questioned the youngsters they would probably have told tales of their parent’s emigration from Holland or the like, or perhaps the magical cycle touring holidays of their yesteryear.

Okay I make many assumptions but I have so many questions. But why do I have so many questions? It is because I cannot believe that these parents exist, parents confident enough to let their two cherished babes out onto our horrific roads and piecemeal cycle routes.

Okay Old Marston is slightly better for cycling than the rest of the city, but it is still without segregated cycle routes that would make the urban bike ride a lot more cultured and enjoyable.

I believe it is our duty to provide these to not only the regular fully grown cyclists making conscious decisions to cycle but to the young and the old whose right it should be to get some fresh air and exercise without getting killed by car fumes or worse an accident. You wonder why Holland has such great cycling lanes? It’s because of the children.

In 1971 3,000 people were killed by cars, 450 of them were children and the social movement “stop the child murder” was formed and changed the way the Dutch government and urban planner envisioned the future. God forbid we have to experience casualties before minds are changed.

I want to see more children on their bikes, feeling safe and cycling freely. More cycle lanes please the British Government and please make them segregated and child friendly.