UK
A major safety scheme to protect cyclists and pedestrians from lorries in the city launches today.
All contractors working for Cambridge University are being asked to make safety improvements to their vehicles and to provide additional staff training.
The initiative will run on a voluntary basis for one year and will become compulsory in new contracts from the second, with penalties set to be levied for non-compliance.
Transport for London plans to cut the number of lorries during peak hours and to test equipment on buses to help drivers spot cyclists and pedestrians.
TfL is aiming to cut by 40% the number of people killed or seriously injured on roads by 2020.
Last year 132 people, included 65 pedestrians and 14 cyclists, were killed on London roads. Read article
Britain would need ten times the £77m of investment promised to raise it from its near bottom place of bike usage in the EU; read article
No better here?
Professor Julia Verne, Director of the South West Public Health Observatory, said:
“While we realise there are some people who cannot engage fully in physical activity, the tool is useful in highlighting the scale of the impact of physical activity on health. Small increases in activity, even for those who can’t be fully active would still deliver big health benefits. Continue reading Inactive lifestyles kill an estimated 36,815 people each year
Mayor’s new plans for cycling in the capital could re-shape the way Londoners transport themselves for decades to come
Make no mistake, this is significant.
No sooner do I lament the lack of political vision over cycling in Britain, as seen at the inquiry set up by the all-party parliamentary cycling group, when someone else altogether steps in with something truly bold.
Press release (from the UK): 20’s Plenty for Us welcomes new DfT guidance on Setting Local Speed Limits
On 18th January Stephen Hammond in a written statement to the house said that the new guidance “incorporates recent changes that create more flexibility for authorities to implement 20mph limits and zones.” Continue reading “20’s Plenty for Us” (UK) welcomes new DfT guidance on Setting Local Speed Limits
Video clip; good example of very poor “cycle lanes”
Does the programme – War on Britain’s Roads – present an unbalanced and sensationalist view of conditions on the road network? If you think so, complain to the BBC setting out the ways in which you feel it has misrepresented the situation.
YouTube version of BBC programme
Cyclist.ie says: “The helmet-cam footage shows how most of the problems faced by cyclists on roads and streets happen at junctions (including roundabouts) and within the bus and cycle lane system simply because drivers won’t acknowledge that cyclists are entitled to be there and that our roads are a shared public space. Many drivers just don’t understand that they are not permitted to encroach into a cycle lane. The ‘dangerous overtaking’ traffic regulation is just not being detected or enforced by police services in these Islands. Drivers should not be overtaking cyclists unless they can give a space of about 1.5 metres. If traffic and road conditions don’t permit this clearance then don’t overtake; hold-back until it’s safe to overtake the rider.
Cyclists: NEVER “undertake” an HGV – i.e. go up the inside of one – it’s one of the single biggest causes of fatal accidents. Cyclist.ie also wants ALL HGV’s to have appropriate mirrors and for drivers to be appropriately trained – most of these types of accidents are preventable. See ~46 minutes into YouTube video.
