Fleet safety experts have called for employers to enhance training to protect vulnerable road users after research showed those on two wheels are 63 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured per mile travelled than car drivers.
On average, a cyclist or motorcyclist is killed or seriously injured every hour on British roads.
A new report from road safety charity Brake has been released to coincide with Road Safety Week, which runs from November 19-25.
This year, the campaign urges people, particularly drivers, to be ‘Bike Smart’ to raise awareness about the safety of those on two wheels.
Cyclists and motorcyclists account for nearly 4 in 10 of all deaths and serious injuries on British roads, a total of 9,740 in 2017. There were 101 cyclist deaths and 349 motorcyclist deaths last year.
Joshua Harris, director of campaigns for Brake, the road safety charity, said: “We support the Government’s announcement of a review of the Highway Code to help keep cyclists safe and its stated focus on motorcyclists in the forthcoming road safety action plan.
“Road Safety Week is a vital loudspeaker for individuals, communities and organisations to shout about road safety and raise awareness of the risks on our roads.”
Chief Constable Anthony Bangham, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for roads policing, said: “Raising awareness of the safety of those on two wheels is absolutely crucial and we will be ensuring that forces engage with partners throughout the week to both raise awareness of the dangers and enforce the law.”
Fleet safety research carried out by Brake Professional among 107 fleet operators running more than 1 million vehicles found just 52% of organisations have driver handbooks that include guidance on protecting vulnerable road users including cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians. Only one fifth of organisations (20%) also have specific policies on vulnerable road users.
