Improving road safety is key message from police

With a national campaign starting next week focusing on vulnerable road users, West Mercia Police are urging everyone to do all they can to stay safe on the roads. The campaign is being run across the UK and co-ordinated by NPCC, the National Police Chiefs’ Council, to improve road safety for those most vulnerable groups.

The campaign is being run from September 13-19 and will focus on various road users on the basis that everyone has the right to use the roads safely whether choosing to do this via cycle, motorbike, horse or foot. The campaign will also be supporting Project EDWARD, the national initiative promoting Every Day Without A Road Death. When looking at casualty rate per billion miles travelled, motorcycles, cyclists and pedestrians are involved in more collisions than any other group.

Superintendent Gareth Morgan for West Mercia Police said: "Motorists are being urged to look carefully for other road users, unfortunately collisions have occurred where vehicles have either passed too closely to a cyclist, horse rider or motorcyclist or vehicles have failed to see the presence of another road user when undertaking manoeuvres.

"Cyclists, pedestrians motorcyclists and horse riders are also being encouraged to think about how visible they are to other road users, especially as the nights start to get darker and to wear high visibility clothing and reflective material, to ensure they can be seen easily. Pedestrians are reminded to always use pedestrian crossings where possible, especially those taking new journeys to and from school. Cyclists should ensure their bike is in good working order and carries front and rear lights.

Along with raising awareness, officers will be covering a variety of operational activities including Operation Close Pass, monitoring how close motorists are overtaking cyclists and Operation Snap, the initiative where members of the public can submit footage of dangerous driving to be processed by a Police Officer.

“With more people starting to return to the roads after lockdown and a greater number of people embracing new forms of transport, like cycling, it’s more important than ever for all road users to think about their presence on the roads and the impact they have. We’re urging all motorists to be aware of our more vulnerable road users, take extra care and make that extra check at junctions and when overtaking cyclists, horses or motorbikes make sure you keep your speed down and leave enough space. It’s all of our responsibility to ensure that our roads are shared responsibly and that we are respectful of all road users. We’re encouraging cyclists and pedestrians to think about how visible they are and reminding cyclists that it is a legal requirement for bikes to have both front and rear lights,”