Highway Code Uk

Cyclist road safety: tackling the issues

Has cycling ever been more popular in the UK? From the elite level right down to the casual commuter, there’s a feeling we’re entering, or perhaps even in, a golden age of riding.

You don’t have to look too far for evidence; at the elite level, the quality of British riders lining up for the start of this year’s Tour de France – Cavendish, Wiggins, Millar, Thomas and Swift – is unprecedented, and all are capable of taking stage wins. Achievements in any sport at a world level always cascade down to inspire youngsters (and even those not so young) to try that sport, and cycling is no different.

At the recreational level, and despite the recent demise of Cycling England , investment in improving cycling provision as an alternative to motorised transport is as high as it’s ever been in the UK. London’s Barclays Cycle Hire scheme, Cycle to Work incentives and the Sky Ride events have all served to encourage people to use bikes rather than motors. Fuel prices may fluctuate, but in the long-term they’re realistically only heading in one direction. This can only mean one thing: more people taking to bikes for sport, recreation and as a means of getting from A to B.

A report in The Times last month quoted monitoring data from Transport for London which suggested cyclists had started to outnumber motorists on some of the capital’s busiest commuter routes, including Cheapside in The City. The same data showed cyclists accounted for a quarter of all traffic entering central London during morning rush hour and had even started to dictate the speed of traffic. In the first six months of the 'Boris Bikes', over 10 million kilometres – or 13 times to the moon and back – across 2.5 million journeys were clocked up.

Even taking all these statistics into account, there's still one issue which deters more people from getting on bikes: road safety. Volume of traffic, attitude of motorists towards cyclists, poor road surfaces, a lack of/poorly designed bike lanes and not enough protection against HGVs are the big problems. It’s an accumulation of factors, though, that adds up to a general feeling of vulnerability when out on roads and exposed to vehicles which, in a collision, will always leave you on the receiving end.

Underlining how big an issue road safety is, newly-released Department for Transport (DfT) figures showed that cyclist deaths on UK roads have risen for the first time in four years, from 104 in 2009 to 111 last year, with cyclists numbers up 1.2 percent on 2009. Those seriously injured also rose two percent, from 2,606 to 2,660 and shows there is still more that can be done to protect cyclists.

HGVs in UK Highway Code | HGV Ireland

Malcolm Bingham, Head of Road Network Management Policy, said: “There is no doubt that a focus on how to behave around lorries will improve road safety immeasurably and save lives. All road users, whether on two wheels, four or sixteen, have a responsibility to each other to act safely.

“A section devoted to HGVs in the Highway Code will engender greater consideration between road users. We are delighted the Government has committed to these proposals which we have fought for since 2006 when the Code was revised.”

FTA has championed sensible guidance appropriate to all road users to ensure a better understanding of sharing the roads safely.

Bingham concluded: “We will work with Government and its agencies to ensure the right messages are delivered to create clear guidance.

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