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news
Respect Everyone's Journey.pngNorthern Ireland’s first television cycle safety advert to run until after the Giro
The Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland has launched a cycle safety television advert for the first time.
Designed to run up to and during the Giro d’Italian this May, the film focuses on the vulnerability of cyclists and the responsibility both drivers and cyclists have towards each other.
While serious road traffic casualties have fallen fell by 50% over the ten years to 2012, cyclist injuries have doubled.
Environment Minister Mark H Durkan said: “Cycling is much riskier than either walking or travelling by car. Based on miles travelled, cyclists are 23 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than car users.
“Unlike the occupants of motor vehicles, cyclists have very little protection when they are hit by a vehicle. This makes cyclists especially susceptible to serious injury if they come off their bike or are struck by a car, truck or bus. Even a relatively low-speed collision can result in death or serious injury.
“The aim of the new campaign is to reduce road deaths and serious injuries involving cyclists by positively influencing the relationship between cyclists and drivers, supported by the message ‘Respect Everyone’s Journey.’”
The minister continued: “For many reasons, we have seen an increase in cycling here over the last number of years and the concept of “Sharing the Road” has therefore never been more important. If we are to drive down road casualties down further, we must all take personal responsibility for our behaviour on the road, whatever type of road user we are.”
Other advice from the police in Northern Ireland included always wearing a helmet and exercising common sense and goodwill.
According to the DOE, responsibility for pedal cycle casualties is split fairly evenly, with cyclists responsible for just over 40% and drivers/others responsible for just under 60%, leading them to promote shared responsibility for safety between cyclists and drivers.
The Minister continued: “Cyclists have a right to ride on the road, just as motorists have a right to drive. Drivers must be vigilant of cyclists and respect their right to use the road. Cyclists themselves need to take sensible precautions like wearing conspicuous clothing and using the road safely.
“As road users, we all make choices and we all have influence. If we share the road, we have to share the responsibility. Everyone has the right to travel on the road. Everyone has the right to come home safely to their loved ones. To all road users, I urge you, Respect Everyone’s Journey.”
Transport Minister, Danny Kennedy said: “It is clear that cycling is growing in popularity in Northern Ireland and my aim is to create a safe and accessible cycling infrastructure for everyone in Northern Ireland. ”
Head of Roads Policing, Superintendent Gerry Murray added, “Cyclists should always wear a helmet, reflective or florescent clothing, use lights and reflectors front and rear, keep their bicycle well maintained, obey traffic signs, lights and the Highway Code, but most importantly, pay constant attention to their surroundings.
“Motorists should be patient, slow down and give cyclists plenty of space while overtaking, as they may need room to avoid obstructions like drain gratings, signal when overtaking to indicate the potential danger to other drivers and
if emerging from a junction, look closely to see all traffic, especially cyclists.
“Drivers of large vehicles like HGVs should also take a close look for cyclists who may have stopped beside or in front of them before moving off from traffic lights and take extra care when turning left.
“Unfortunately, many of my colleagues have experience of attending incidents involving cyclists. No matter who is at fault in a collision between a bicycle and a vehicle, it’s always the cyclist who bears the brunt of any impact. Our appeal is very simple, all road users should exercise some common sense, goodwill and respect everyone’s journey,”
The campaign will run on television from 18 April and will continue until after the Giro d’Italia 2014 cycle race in May.
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19 comments
Looks ok to me, anything which can make drivers think about their responsibilities a bit more has got to help. Softer adverts like this should be used in conjunction with harder hitting ones showing the consequences of impatient or inconsiderate driving. Personally, I'd show the effect on the driver as well as the cyclist ie here's the devastated family of the cyclist you've just killed because you couldn't be bothered waiting 10 seconds to pass safely, and here's your devastated family because you're now in jail (however unlikely that might be !). When people get behind the wheel of a car they couldn't give a toss about anything other than getting to their destination as quickly as possible, so we have to show them that this is what driving like a kn ob could do to YOUR life, not just a cyclists.
I know TV advertising is hugely expensive, but I don't understand why there isn't more pressure to have old school public information films on prime time tv from the big cycling pressure groups. There are some drivers who just don't appreciate what their responsibilities are and the effect that they can have on other peoples lives and sometimes the best way to get the message across is in a measured way. Just screaming in peoples faces isn't always the best way
The really crucial thing is to make sure that "you're now in jail" becomes the inevitable outcome, rather than an unlikely occurrence that depends on getting a judge who sees through whatever sob story your lawyer concocts for you.
Its not just that cyclists aren't protected as motorists are - there is more to the imbalance than that, as it also applies the other way - cyclists can't inflict the same damage that motorists do. A car is a dangerous item.
The 60/40 split referred to rather elides the fact that its the presence of the car that creates 100% of the danger (maybe 99% if you allow for the occasional cyclist hitting a pedestrian), regardless of who makes the fatal error.
Lamenting the lack of common sense of drivers will not solve the issue. If this ad is part of a well thought through long term ad campaign in conjunction with sustained improvements in cycling infrastructure, including access for cyclists to public transport, then the motorist mind frame can be altered. Too many ifs and buts in the previous sentence? It can be done, make it happen!
40/60 isn't evenly split.
How depressing that they're going on about fluorescent clothing.
I shall exercise my common sense as I understand that a helmet does nothing to prolong my life should I be hit at anything above around 15mph. Because the force that my head could hit anything, a piece of compressed polystyrene isn't going to do anything at all apart from save some skin.
More ignorant tosh based on eff-all evidence.
"A tiny proportion of accidents involving cyclists are caused by riders jumping red lights or stop signs, or failing to wear high-visibility clothing and use lights, a government-commissioned study has discovered.
The study, carried out for the Department for Transport, found that in 2% of cases where cyclists were seriously injured in collisions with other road users police said that the rider disobeying a stop sign or traffic light was a likely contributing factor. Wearing dark clothing at night was seen as a potential cause in about 2.5% of cases, and failure to use lights was mentioned 2% of the time."
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/dec/15/cycling-bike-acciden...
Do they also write to Santa at Christmas?
Expecting common sense and goodwill from over-entitled motorists is just pie in the sky.
Thus road safety advert needs to be run in the UK aswell.
My friend recently astounded me with the comments that cyclist should not be allowed on the road, her rational was that they don't pay road tax. When pressed about the point, the real reason turned out that cyclist impede her speed going to work!
This came from a woman I thought had alot of common sense, just shows what an uphill struggle to convince normal(ish) drivers to give cyclists space. Given her ignorant position, it will one day end in a collision for some poor cyclist. I shall persist in trying to educate her that all road users should be tolerant of each other.
This is actually pretty good. Much better than the 'Be Nice' effort rolled out in Scotland. The DOE could have gone the way they normally do with road safety films which to be honest are pretty brutal. This I hope will encourage a better mutual respect between all.
"Designed to run up to and during the Giro d’Italian"
Giro d'Italian ?
That will be Norn Iron speak
Ho hum. More of the same woolly, watered down safety messages designed to be balanced to motorists and cyclists.
How about a genuine hard hitting campaign such as with drink driving showing the injuries and damage that a recklessly driven motor vehicle causes?
But whatever you do, don't offend motorists - the magic voters that politicians pander to. I'm yet to hear a politician speak out about the complacent, selfish, reckless driving that causes death on our roads. In fact they can't make a single bloody comment about cycling and driving without seeking some kind of ridiculous moral equivalency - as if driving two tonnes of metal at speed inches from an unprotected person is the same as skipping a red light.
I'm fed up with this shit. I ride well and I drive well. There are dickheads who do neither but only one group is killing people.
Have a look at the DoE NI road safety campaigns on Google or their own website. They're brutal and in your face. I do not believe this works. People watch these and think 'this will never happen to me'. Northern Ireland continues to have the worst road safety in the UK despite these safety films. Compare these to the recent Belgium flm on texting or the French one on listening to your own funeral. Even the Southampton film on seat belts spoke more than the ones showing somebody being catapulted through a windscreen.
* Google should read You Tube.
I agree with what you say but balls to 'campaigns', lets start with a mandatory prison sentence and work up. People slow down when speed cameras are about not because they give a shit about running anybody down but because they don't want a fine. The same principle needs to be applied.....drive like a nob, go to prison (if serious enough) or have a £100 fine.....end of. Drivers will get the message very very quickly and take more care.
"Don't forget - it's dangerous to pass vehicles on the inside" so stop painting lanes telling everyone to do exactly that!
The Minister continued: “Cyclists have a right to ride on the road, just as motorists have a right to drive"
WRONG, cyclists have a right to the road. Motorists are on the road under licence. It would be nice if people would remind motorist of that. And how about reminding motors to obey speed limits, traffic signs, lights and the Highway Code.
They could use this one as well
http://youtu.be/dBC-nnvixHc