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Surrey Police issue safety warning to road cyclists after injury

Say Tour and Olympic successes have increased number of riders on county's roads...

Surrey Police have issued a warning to cyclists to be more safety aware after a rider was injured on the county's roads.

The force says that cyclist numbers are up following the Tour de France and the Olympic road races which took in the famous Box Hill circuit.

Now officers from Surrey Police have launched a campaign to raise awareness among cyclists.

The campaign, called CycleSMART, aims to encourage cyclists and motorists to be aware of each other and to cycle and drive safely.

A cyclist was taken to hospital with leg injuries on July 25th after being hit by a white Vauxhall Ampera just after 7am on the Effingham Road in Copthorne.

Surrey Police Superintendent, Sharon Bush, told the Crawley Observer: “People have been really keen to get out on their bikes thanks to the warmer weather and the excitement generated by the Olympics and the Tour de France.

“With that increase in number comes an increase in the number of collisions being reported.

“We are asking for a little bit of courtesy from drivers and for them to be mindful of other road users.

“Likewise, we are appealing to cyclists to be visible, take care at junctions and take responsibility for their own safety.

“We don’t want to spoil anyone’s fun and want to encourage both motorists and cyclists to share Surrey’s roads in harmony.”

Kay Hammond, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said: “Cycling is a great way to keep fit and enjoy the outdoors but we all need to take care. I’d urge cyclists and drivers to show some respect for each other so we can all share the roads safely, whether you’re on two wheels or four.”

Surrey County Council is also offering bikability courses for residents of all ages who want to learn about cycling on the road.

 

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13 comments

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Bez | 8 years ago
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(I think I added the first bit of that comment after I'd done the rest of it, and forgot what was actually in the article. Oops. This is what happens when you turn 40, is it? *buys ticket to Zurich*)

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Bez | 8 years ago
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wtf

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED YESTERDAY HOW DID I END UP ON AN ARTICLE FROM 2012 TALKING BOLLOCKS OK THE LAST BIT HAPPENS

*sticks head in bucket*

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timbola | 11 years ago
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Gkam and Drheaton - + 1 from me - as a cyclist, driver and pedestrian (baulked when it came to trying a yacht on a road), I aim to be a responsible road user in all guises. I am pleased to see both sides treated equally in the Surrey Police message.

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Bez replied to timbola | 8 years ago
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I should preface this by saying that in this case I personally don't think Surrey Police's comments really warrant an article criticising them, but…

timbola wrote:

I am pleased to see both sides treated equally in the Surrey Police message.

If, say, there was an issue with toddlers being repeatedly injured on a playground slide that was also used by 16-year-olds, would you be pleased to see both sides treated equally? If so, what potential for harm does a 25lb toddler in canvas sandals have that needs equal treatment to that of a 160lb teenager in Doc Martens?

As with all of these bits of road advice, it always ends up as bilateral diplomacy.
https://beyondthekerb.wordpress.com/2014/04/22/risk-a-game-of-diplomacy/

What's the better "balance" in this context? An "equal" balance according to the fact that there are two groups (supposedly), or a more nuanced balance according to the relative potential for harm of each chosen vehicle?

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dave atkinson replied to Bez | 8 years ago
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Bez wrote:

I should preface this by saying that in this case I personally don't think Surrey Police's comments really warrant an article criticising them

criticising them?

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drheaton | 11 years ago
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Have to agree with Gkam, the automatic presumption by most posters that everyone hates cyclists and that all initiatives are aimed at criminalising the act of cycling is getting a bit much.

There has to be compromise, drivers aren't all of sudden going to vanish, neither are cyclists, we all need to work together. There are plenty of terrible cyclists and these are used as a stick to beat down the others and complain about red-light jumpers etc. Likewise I automatically assume that anyone driving a VW Golf is a tool and likely to try and drive me off the road whether I'm on my bike or in a car... stereotypes are easy to make, difficult to break.

Until the worst cyclists improve (or are made to improve) their behaviour they'll still be the reference many people have of cyclists on the road. Nobody remembers the guy cycling along safely causing no trouble and waiting at the lights, they all remember the one cutting up the inside of a bus or causing havoc by not signalling correctly.

Any initiative that is aimed at both drivers and cyclists is welcome.

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WolfieSmith | 11 years ago
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Even saw a well balanced pro cycling piece on The Mail
Online the other day. Amazing.

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mad_scot_rider replied to WolfieSmith | 11 years ago
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MercuryOne wrote:

Even saw a well balanced pro cycling piece on The Mail
Online the other day. Amazing.

'cos even they would struggle to crow about the medals and british success while dissing the sport sp many of the golds

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dave atkinson | 11 years ago
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surrey police wrote:

Cycle SMART
Allow drivers to pass where it is safe to do so
Don’t stop in large groups on the road
Be seen, be safe! Ride where others can see you, dress bright and use lights
Take your time to see other road users around you, especially at junctions
Always wear a helmet

Drive SMART
Allow plenty of room when passing a cyclist
Pass a cyclist at a cautious speed
Take extra care when turning left, you may not be able to see cyclists that are around you
Look out for cyclists especially at junctions

so yes, they're doing both. the website is actually called drivesmart, the cycle advice cyclesmart. it's not really saying anything that isn't in the highway code, but it's a useful reminder. it's pretty even-handed. although of course, if you wanted to discuss whether the advice to wear a helmet is xfcfxcxc vdu %$^£ jvc j v  4

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Gkam84 | 11 years ago
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Where in this are the discouraging cyclists or blaming victims??  39

VERY bored of everyone complaining about drivers getting better treatment at the moment.

They are telling EVERYONE to take care, drivers and cyclists alike.

I read this article first http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-19136500

The headline being "Warning to motorists"  3

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mrmo | 11 years ago
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Blame the victim always the best way. Reminds me of comments that wearing short skirts is asking for it.

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euanlindsay | 11 years ago
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Surely they should be raising aware of cyclists to other road users and not warning/discouraging cyclists?

The campaign should be called DriveSMART

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antonio replied to euanlindsay | 11 years ago
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euanlindsay wrote:

Surely they should be raising aware of cyclists to other road users and not warning/discouraging cyclists?

The campaign should be called DriveSMART

Ditto to that, car drivers should be asked to follow cyclists example, get out of their cars and exercise on a bike. They will learn more about safe driving from a bike.

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