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news
Links Road trial sign (credit - Cycling Scotland)Number of dangerous close passes nearly halved during pilot scheme encouraging drivers to ‘give cyclists space’
A trial of new road signs in East Lothian, advising motorists that they should leave a minimum gap of 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists, has led to a significant reduction in the number of ‘dangerous’ close passes since the scheme was introduced.
The pilot project, developed and led by Cycling Scotland, saw road signs installed last year on the Links Road near Longniddry, instructing drivers to “give cyclists space”. The recent updates to the Highway Code recommend that drivers leave a minimum passing distance of 1.5 metres when overtaking a cyclist at up to 30mph, and to leave a greater distance when travelling at higher speeds.
As part of the trial, cameras were set up to record the distance between overtaking vehicles and cyclists before and after the signs were installed.
According to Cycling Scotland’s results, the proportion of what the organisation termed ‘dangerous’ close passes on the Links Road was reduced from over 50 percent of all overtakes to 29 percent after the signs were put in place, with 56 of the 196 overtakes recorded during the trial deemed to be dangerous.
The number of close passes considered to be ‘extremely dangerous’ also dropped from one percent (six of the 856 overtakes recorded before the signs were introduced) to zero.
Following these results, Cycling Scotland confirmed that the pilot scheme will be extended to other roads before potentially being rolled out across Scotland.
Duncan Dollimore, head of campaigns at Cycling UK, claimed that the success of the scheme in East Lothian proves that “driving behaviour can change”.
“We know from the results of countless surveys that the perception the roads aren’t safe enough puts many people off cycling, and being overtaken too close whilst cycling is particularly intimidating,” Dollimore said.
"But this pilot shows that when drivers are reminded of the need to leave more space, their driving behaviour can change."
Cycling Scotland’s Chief executive Keith Irving told the Scotsman: “The results of this initial road signage pilot project are really positive and we look forward to extending the pilot to several more roads to analyse the results and expand the evidence base on where signage can help road safety.
“With more people taking up cycling, especially in the last two years, it’s more crucial than ever that we improve safety on our roads.
“Every week in Scotland, at least four people are seriously injured while cycling and too many people are intimidated by close-passing vehicles. For Scotland to achieve net zero emissions, we need more journeys by bike, so we have to tackle safety concerns that are the major barrier.”
Scotland’s active nation commissioner Lee Craigie, who also took part in the project, said: “It has always felt uncomfortable for me to extol the personal health and environmental benefits a person on a bicycle might achieve without also acknowledging many of our roads feel too dangerous to share with motor vehicles.
“While we await a network of safe, segregated cycling infrastructure across Scotland, there is a lot we can be busying ourselves with to help more people understand how their actions might cause their fellow road users to feel.
“The significant findings of this project suggests education on safe passing distances might help establish a more mutually-trusting and caring culture between road users.”
After obtaining a PhD, lecturing, and hosting a history podcast at Queen’s University Belfast, Ryan joined road.cc in December 2021 and since then has kept the site’s readers and listeners informed and enthralled (well at least occasionally) on news, the live blog, and the road.cc Podcast. After boarding a wrong bus at the world championships and ruining a good pair of jeans at the cyclocross, he now serves as road.cc’s senior news writer. Before his foray into cycling journalism, he wallowed in the equally pitiless world of academia, where he wrote a book about Victorian politics and droned on about cycling and bikes to classes of bored students (while taking every chance he could get to talk about cycling in print or on the radio). He can be found riding his bike very slowly around the narrow, scenic country lanes of Co. Down.
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21 comments
If a sign helps, great!
But if you need a sign to help, there's a problem.
The number of close passes considered to be ‘extremely dangerous’ also dropped from one percent (six of the 856 overtakes recorded before the signs were introduced) to zero.
That roughly tallies with my theory of one in a hunrded drivers is a problem, based on the number of incidents I see in a day.
It roughly proves my theory that one hundred out of one hundred drivers is a problem as they need a sign to remind them. On balance I probably like your theory more
It would be interesting to see a study conducted over a longer period as well - perhaps the signs only work when they are novel?
They could compare to a similar set of road where the police follow up every video of a dangerous overtake and see which one has the greater fall in close passes.
perhaps the signs only work when they are novel?
In Lancashire they don't work at all because the drivers know the police don't take them seriously, and the signs are perceived as a challenge. Just to the left of where the orange e-bike is below, Lancashire Constabulary previously installed their much-vaunted and equally ineffectual MMT- the large illuminated Mobile Messaging Trailer which alternated 3 messages: Look out for cyclists, 30mph and Dangerous Bridge (or something- I've forgotten) and the same day it was installed a big Mercedes came past me closely at high speed and crossing the unbroken white line, breaking all 3 warnings at once. There was no response to that report, or any of the others about offences right next to the MMT.
The recent updates to the Highway Code recommend that drivers leave a minimum passing distance of 1.5 metres when overtaking a cyclist at up to 30mph, and to leave a greater distance when travelling at higher speeds
Not very amusing! This is Fabia PO66 WHN at 50-60mph on the A6. Note the self portrait!
It appears that many drivers do not know what 1.5m separation looks like, and interpret the HC guidance to 'leave as much space as you would for another motor vehicle' to mean go as close by as you would to another motor vehicle. I believe that guidance intended for leaving as much space as for the other motor vehicle, which is very different...
A simple cheap visual aid for those unable to tell the 1.5m is available in most hardware stores: 1.5m of plastic pipe 15 or 20mm width, preferably in white. Simply fit that below your seat post at 90 degrees to the top tube. That provides a clear indication of the minimum separation visible to motorists approaching from behind.
Because it is near to the centre of gravity and not rigid, there is no risk to the riders control. It is however important to remember that it is there, and not to pass obstacles close.
Yes, people will ask you why, so be prepared to tell them.
No, probably not suitable if you ride in a group, unless you are willing to explain why.
Yes, I have tried using a camera, but the cost, effort to report, and uncertain outcome makes risk avoidance the best approach.
Ride safe.
1.5m of plastic pipe 15 or 20mm width, preferably in white. Simply fit that below your seat post at 90 degrees
Certainly wouldn't work in Lancashire, where drivers would just use the pipe as a target. The most important single cause of a hostile road environment for cyclists is Lancashire Constabulary
this pilot shows that when drivers are reminded of the need to leave more space, their driving behaviour can change
Bollocks to that! These are the three newly installed Lancashire-expletive deleted-Constabulary 'Pass Safely' notices that drivers know they're not expected to take seriously
And this is what happens 10 yards up the road. This is Kia Sportage PY61 CAA
"56 of the 196 overtakes recorded during the trial deemed to be dangerous."
Given that these dangerous overtakes were recorded on an official camera, presumably giving good quality images, how many were prosecuted?
How many of the 6 extremely dangerous overtakes were prosecuted?
I bet I can guess the answer.
This is all very well but even with it still left 29% of passes were too close. A good start but still a lot of work to do
If that photo is typical of the road in question then giving 1.5m is not a big ask of a motorist - you'd have to go out of your way not to give enough room (which, paradoxically, makes the results all the more concerning). I'd like to see the effectiveness of the messaging on a typical busy commuter A road, the sort where a 4x4 only just about fits in the lane.
you're right, it is a fairly wide road, and I don't believe it will be overly busy with through traffic as it isn't far from the A1 dual carriageway so this should only have relatively local traffic on it where the drivers are fairly near one end of thier journey. All of which makes the findings rather worrying indeed
That photo isn't representative of the road, so gives a false impression. It's a fairly twisty road of variable width and blind bends, and quite busy particularly at weekends with people going to the beach and golf. It's also popular with cyclists, so a good location for the test signage.
Sadly, my experience on the road tallies with the statistics of the study.
Thanks Stuart, I am only a little familiar with the road and will bow to more local knowledge
Some public service TV ads might also help spread the word.
I can still remember the Reginald Molehusband (the safest parker in town) ad from the sixties, left a big impression that did. Then you had Tufty Fluffytail followed by David Prowse, the Green Cross Code man. All good PSTV stuff, shame we don't see any of that today.
Yes that is a good idea, I can still remember the 'Public information films' in particular the Joe and Petunia characters who's films I know were 'water safety' related but they still left an impression on me and I still remember them after all these years.
I remember the pizza hitting the windscreen in the klunk-click ads. That, and someone jumping from 10m up through a conservatory roof.
Adverts, what were they? We had the Tufty Club, with magazine and a badge! That stupid weasel was always getting run over.
I thought that was a stoat?