LOCAL police are supporting the ‘Drive Less, Live More’ campaign by launching a ‘Be Safe Be Seen’ cycle safety initiative and encouraging cyclists to be as visible as possible on the roads.
Organised by the national road safety charity Brake, this year’s Road Safety Week is encouraging everyone to ‘Drive Less, Live More’ by considering how they use the roads and whether they can replace driving with walking, cycling or using public transport where possible.
With national research indicating that four in 10 car journeys are less than two miles, motorists are being encouraged to think about alternative transport options which are better for the environment, better for the wallet and improve health and fitness.
Anna Higgins, from the Safer Roads Partnership said: “With the increasing popularity of cycling and the move towards more sustainable and affordable transport options, there are a lot more cyclists on the road.
“The Safer Roads Partnership, Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police continue to work towards improving the safety of cyclists on the road and our ‘Be Safe Be Seen’ initiative is one example of this.
“Working alongside police officers, we’ll be stopping any cyclists who aren’t visible on the roads – e.g. have no lights on their bike or are wearing dark clothing – and providing them with high-vis cycling products to help keep them safe on the roads. Our initiatives start this week and will be running throughout the autumn and winter months.
“This initiative isn’t about singling cyclists out, it’s simply to proactively raise awareness of the importance of being visible on the roads – particularly during the darker autumn and winter months.
“We are also promoting messages to motorists about the importance of taking extra care to look out for other road users, and the importance of avoiding distractions in the car. Last year, over 450 cyclists benefitted from safety advice and free high-vis cycling products at initiatives across the four counties and it was very encouraging to see many others already clearly visible on the roads.”
