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Mercia road safety campaign highlights danger to cyclists from distracted drivers

Councils in West Midlands and neighbouring counties team up for initiative backed by CTC

A new road safety campaign has been launched in the West Midlands and neighbouring counties that urges motorists to avoid distractions and concentrate on the road to help increase the safety of cyclists.

The campaign, called What Matters Most? and launched by Road Safety GB Mercia with the backing of national cyclists’ charity CTC, includes the deployment of advertising trucks, a website, Facebook page and downloadable posters (available from the Get Involved page of the site), and is aimed at reducing the number of cyclists killed or injured on the region’s roads.

The campaign is being co-ordinated by Stephen Rumble, road safety officer at Warwickshire County Council and himself a cyclist, who says: ”Our initial focus is on educating drivers to appreciate the needs and vulnerability of all cyclists on the road.

“Although we have other ideas for later campaigns, we will start by highlighting how easily people allow themselves to be distracted by things that are much less important than the safety of others.

“Many modern vehicles now have satellite navigation, air conditioning, electronically adjustable settings for everything and an entertainment system as sophisticated as anything at home.

“Add to this a mobile phone, drinks, snacks and other daily paraphernalia in the vehicle and it is hardly surprising that many people are not paying attention to what matters most.

“Drivers are often at fault when involved in a collision with a cyclist and a frequent problem is - simply - a failure to look properly and to plan ahead.  Given the relatively greater risk of serious injuries to a cyclist, it is their safety that leads this campaign.”
                                                                                                                                                                                              
Road Safety GB Mercia, which covers a dozen local authority areas - Warwickshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Staffordshire, plus, in the West Midlands conurbation, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Coventry – is targeting locations and times when it believes cyclists are most at risk.

It says that according to road casualty statistics, those are more likely to take place “on main arterial routes, with 30mph speed limits, in urban environments. They are also more frequent in rush hour traffic, but particularly between 4pm and 8pm on week days.”

As a result, the initiative “will incorporate ad van posters travelling on key routes at busy times, so as to be seen by the maximum number of road users.”

Mr Rumble added: “The website is intended as an information resource and has been created by both cyclists and drivers.

“On the page entitled ‘What cyclists want drivers to know’. . , our aim is to take drivers out of their comfort zone and place them in the saddle . . . just for a moment. Hopefully, this will give a greater appreciation of cycling issues, as well as explaining some of our habits, actions and obligations as fellow road users.

“To ensure that visitors to the website can see a balanced approach to road safety, it will also feature information from drivers for cyclists. More than anything, we just want to highlight that every road user is a person and we are all just trying to get from A to B.”

Professor David Cox, who is Chair of CTC Council and who also chairs the South Birmingham Primary Care Trust, commented: “With an increasing number of cyclists on our roads, it is crucial that drivers see them early, take extra care when passing and remain particularly vigilant at junctions.

“CTC is delighted to be associated with the What Matters Most campaign and hope it will nurture better understanding, highlight cycling issues and ultimately, save lives.”
 

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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5 comments

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Myriadgreen | 11 years ago
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It's amazing how this photo captures almost exactly the same accident that happened to me yesterday! Numpty pulled out of a side road straight in to my path, and over the bonnet I went. I'm going to ask for this campaign to be brought to Bristol! (Bet the tit won't be charged with Driving Without Due Care and Attention!)

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rich22222 | 11 years ago
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Dear Selfish motorist. Please take a few minutes to look at this website and learn about how to drive safely around cyclists. Thank you.
Oh of course, I remember now, you don't have 2 seconds to spare which is why you just skimmed my handlebars at 50mph rather than wait until there was space on the road for both of us.

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a.jumper | 11 years ago
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Why are these campaigns local or regional? It should be national!

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notfastenough | 11 years ago
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Just make sure those van drivers are watching out for cyclists or the PR will be almost as painful as the crash...

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racyrich | 11 years ago
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No irony at all in distracting drivers from the task in hand to look at an ad on the side of a van!

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