Road users urged to take care during the winter months

With a national campaign starting today focusing on vulnerable road users, West Mercia Police are urging everyone to do all they can to stay safe on the roads this winter.  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 9^th – 22^nd November 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.  When looking at casualty rate per billion miles travelled, motorcycles, cyclists and pedestrians are involved in more collisions than any other group.

 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.

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 get darker and to wear high visibility clothing and reflective material, to ensure they can be seen. Pedestrians are reminded to always use pedestrian crossings where possible, especially those taking 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, stop checks to give out free lights and high vis material to road users and ensuring key routes are covered with Operation Snap, the initiative where members of the public can submit footage of dangerous driving.

Superintendent Mel Crowther for West Mercia Police comments: ““With the arrival of darker nights and worsening weather conditions it’s more important than ever for all road users to think about their presence on the roads.  We’re urging all motorists to take extra care and be more aware of our more vulnerable road users, make that extra check at junctions and when overtaking cyclists, horses or motorbikes make sure you keep your speed down and leave enough space. We’re encouraging other road users, such as 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”