MORE than 30 cyclists have benefitted from safety advice and high-vis cycling products following a high profile campaign in Evesham.
The ‘Be Safe Be Seen’ scheme was carried out by the Safer Roads Partnership and West Mercia Police, who set up cycle safety stations on Port Street and Bridge Street on January 6 and the High Street on Monday (January 26).
Stations were set up during morning and evening rush hours for officers to chat with commuter cyclists on their way to or from work or school.
Any cyclists in dark clothing or without lights on their bike were stopped by uniformed police officers who offered safety advice about the importance of keeping themselves visible.
Flashing armbands, high-vis rucksack covers and bike lights were also handed out to ensure those on two wheels were safe on the road.
Anna Higgins, Communications Manager at the Safer Roads Partnership said “Our ‘Be Safe Be Seen’ cycle safety sessions are a proactive way of raising awareness about the need for cyclists to make themselves as visible as possible on the roads.
“Although the new year is now upon us, the mornings and evenings are still very dark so it’s as important as ever for all road users to think about their visibility and ensure that they can be seen by others.
“Alongside uniformed police officers, we stopped and spoke to more then 30 cyclists across both sessions who weren’t visible enough on the roads and gave them safety advice and high-vis cycling products to help keep them safe.
“We’ve run a number of similar projects across Warwickshire and West Mercia over the past few months and have engaged with over 350 cyclists.
“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from road users who we’ve engaged with this month. “Unfortunately some of the
cyclists we spoke to just didn’t recognise the dangers involved in not being visible.
“A couple of cyclists we spoke to during the early morning initiative had lights or high-vis gear at home, but didn’t feel that they needed them – even though it was still very dark at that time.
“Schemes like this one give us a good opportunity to promote some very simple awareness messages and make people think about their safety and the consequences of their actions.” she added.
PC Paul Lewis and CSO Mike Finnegan at the Cycle Safety Station. (s)
The Cycle Safety Station on Evesham High Street. (s)
