We’ve seen an increase in bicycles being used on pavements and being ridden in an erratic or unsafe manner. Please remember:
Road users in Edinburgh are being asked to consider distance, blind spots and visibility as part of an initiative by road policing officers in the city.
Police Scotland is working with partners including Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Lothian Buses, Edinburgh City Council and David Philp Commercials, to encourage everyone to be more aware.
A number of vehicles were on Castle Street yesterday (Thursday, 28 August), demonstrating blind spots for cyclists and pedestrians.
PC Stewart Sinclair from Police Scotland’s Road Policing Unit in Edinburgh, said: “We are encouraging everyone to think about how visible and safe they are. Many of us are unaware how much or little a driver can see because of blind spots. This event will give awareness to more vulnerable road users how to keep themselves safe on the road network.
“Visibility is very important in terms of making our roads safer and I would like everyone, including pedestrians, to think about how they are seen, especially if a street is poorly lit after dark. Visibility is very different to that of a bus, car, lorry, motorbike or bike.
“I must emphasise the need for all road users to look out for each other and give each other space. Unfortunately, when a crash happens it is often a pedestrian, cyclist or motorcyclist injured.
Willie Hamilton, Operations Director, Lothian Buses, said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Police Scotland and other key stakeholders to help raise awareness around cyclist visibility and potential blind spots on our roads.
“With a network of over 70 routes across Edinburgh and the Lothians, we invest heavily in our driver training programme which covers all aspects of road safety including awareness of cyclists, pedestrians and other road users.”
Scottish Fire & Rescue Service Crew Commander David Main, said: “The Scottish Fire & Rescue Service welcomes the opportunity to support this initiative and work with partners to improve the safety of all road users in the Edinburgh area.
“By working to improve awareness and encouraging everyone to think about safe distances, blind spots, visibility when on or around our roads we can make our roads safer for everyone”
TODAY IS NATIONAL POTHOLE DAY – BUT THEN, EVERY DAY IS POTHOLE DAY!
Cyclists are being warned about the worsening condition of roads across the UK – with data showing 21% of cyclists are involved in an accident because of a pothole.*
Experts from leading bicycle insurance comparison site Quotezone.co.uk warn that this figure will only increase unless the government tackles the worsening condition of UK roads.
With a long winter of bad weather ahead, cyclists will run an increased risk of accident and injury by riding over potholes if UK roads are not properly maintained.
Damaged road surfaces represent a disproportionate risk to cyclists due to the lack of protection and the proximity of motor vehicles.
Credit: Shutterstock
Spending on road maintenance has almost halved since the financial crisis just over a decade ago, and the recent cost-of-living crisis has pushed potholes further down the priority list for governments and local councils.
Even temporary pothole fixes – which involve filling the hole with a form of asphalt treatment – have decreased by almost half in some counties.
There are also claims from members of the public that councils are not properly inspecting potholes that have been reported online.
Several county councils have admitted that filling in potholes is no longer a priority as a result of the rising cost of living, with less funding for UK highways.
With the Met Office issuing weather warnings for the coming weeks, the number of potholes on UK roads is set to increase.
A combination of bad weather and lack of funding has left the UK network at crisis point with experts predicting the pothole problem may soon get out of hand.
Quotezone.co.uk are calling for councils and the government to urgently act on what is a UK-wide problem for the benefit of all road users but particularly cyclists as they are the most affected by damaged road surfaces.
Data shows that the worst pothole-affected area in the UK by far is Northumberland, with over 180,000 potholes reported over four years, followed by Cornwall and Kirklees in West Yorkshire.
Newcastle, Liverpool and Suffolk also have some of the worst potholed roads in the UK as well as Fife and Glasgow in Scotland, and Newry, Mourne & Down joined by Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon in Northern Ireland.
Lee Evans , bicycle insurance comparison expert at Quotezone.co.uk said: “Many of us who cycle in the UK have been shocked at the growing danger caused by roads strewn with potholes, and unfortunately the problem does not seem to be going away.
“21% of cyclists experiencing pothole-related accidents is a worrying number because any accident for a cyclist, can be very serious.
“With a winter of extreme weather predicted in the coming weeks and with spending on road maintenance on the decline, we could expect to see an increase in pothole-related cycling injuries. We’d encourage local authorities and the government to act now on fixing the UK’s pothole problem to help keep cyclists and all other road users safe.”
Quotezone.co.uk helps thousands of road users each year find savings on everyday household bills and essentials plus niche items such as cycling insurance, bicycle insurance, and road bike insurance
The former transport secretary, Grant Shapps, recently proposed a Whitehall review of how cyclists who break the law should be tracked and prosecuted.
Initial ideas put forward to facilitate this include insurance cover for riders and registration plates for bikes, and it appears from the latest research by Venson Automotive Solutions that the UK public are in favour.
62% of those surveyed by Venson agreed that riders of bicycles, e-bikes and e-scooters should have insurance cover and nearly half (49%) believe these modes of transport should carry registration plates.
Cyclists who jump red lights – which is an illegal act for all road users – are creating dangerous situations on the road for themselves and other road users, but unlike motorists, the odds of escaping prosecution are high. However, if caught jumping lights, cyclists will be issued with a standard Fixed Penalty Notice of £30 opposed to a potential maximum fine of £1000 for motorists and points on their licence.
Currently, under the Highway Code and Road Traffic Act speeding limits only apply to motor vehicles and their drivers, exempting cyclists and scooter riders of this vital safeguard.
The survey found that 94% of respondents support the introduction of penalty points and fines for riders of bicycles, e-bikes and e-scooters breaking speed limits and greater penalties for those red light jumping.
One in four also believe that before riders of a bicycle, e-bike and e-scooter take to the road, they should obtain a rider’s licence which includes taking a theory and road test.
Alison Bell, Operations Director at Venson Automotive Solutions says, “A lot of private motorists and businesses operating fleets are looking for greener transport options for themselves and their employees, including bicycles and e-bikes which can be offered under a salary sacrifice scheme by employers.
“With Government setting a target for half of all short trips to be walked or cycled by 2030 in England, this type of ‘micro-transport’ could provide a viable transport alternative and support that ambition.
“However, the reality is just 9.1% of people cycled at least once a week for any purpose between November 2020 and November 2021. The latest figures from the Department for Transport also showed that this is down 11.6% compared to the same period the year before.
“Clearly, to meet the Government’s transport green goals, more needs to be done to encourage people and businesses to change their transport habits, especially for shorter trips.
“Nevertheless, changes to legislation that impose stricter rules for cyclists and scooter riders could significantly deter people from making a switch. Striking a balance will be crucial to successfully growing this micro-transport, whilst protecting all road-users fairly.”
A new call from Baroness McIntosh of Pickering has highlighted a loophole where cyclists can still legally use mobiles while in the saddle – even though motorists cannot.
The former MP wants a law change so cyclists are prosecuted for the offence of using a phone – the same as car drivers. Presently there is no specific offence for a cyclist using a phone, but a minister pointed out cyclists can be prosecuted for careless or dangerous cycling with fines of up to £2,500.
The peer says she has recent personal experience of being in danger from a cyclist using a mobile. She claims a cyclist was on the wrong side of the road using their mobile phone with one hand, while she was attempting to cross over to the Houses of Parliament.
The Baroness’ plea follows Highway Code changes in January that introduced a ‘hierarchy of road users’ ranking the most vulnerable to harm, such as cyclists and pedestrians, and placing the greatest responsibility on car drivers for the safety of other road users – giving cyclists greater priority over vehicles at zebra crossings and junctions.
Lady McIntosh also asks why the code’s Rule 149 to ‘exercise proper control of your vehicle at all times’ bans mobile phone use yet does not apply to cyclists and e-scooter users. A further law banning handheld mobile use for car drivers came into effect on 25 March.
A leading cycling and motoring insurance comparison website, Quotezone.co.uk, hopes the new law on using mobile phones will come into effect equally across all road users.
Greg Wilson, Founder of Quotezone.co.uk comments: “It makes sense to review mobile phone use for all road users given the zero tolerance approach to motorists brought into effect at the end of March. We should embrace any and all efforts to make our roads safer and using a phone while cycling can be particularly dangerous.
“If the phone is there to act as a bike computer it should be attached safely with a hands-free product such as a quad lock or bike-specific phone case but even then, with the rise in the volume of potholes over the course of the pandemic, cyclists need their full attention to cope with the unexpected
“Cyclist and bicycle insurance can help protect the bike riders and other road users by safeguarding their finances from claims, covering medical expenses, personal liability, theft and damage to property but it can’t keep people out of harm’s way. We need to respect the new changes to the highway code and look out for more vulnerable road users, this new law should help take that further.
“Bicycle insurance isn’t a legal requirement at present like car insurance is, but it should be something every cyclist has before hitting the saddle and it isn’t expensive, especially when using a comparison site to compare providers. For those with a bicycle under £1,000 it can even be added to their home insurance as a specified item.”
Quotezone.co.uk launched the UK’s first bicycle insurance comparison website with bespoke bicycle and cyclist insurance providers covering a wide range of products such as road bike insurance, electric bike insurance and courier bike insurance.
Police Scotland is reminding road users of changes to the Highway Code that come into effect on January 29:
Cyclists have priority over cars when cars turning
Pedestrians have priority over cars at junctions
Changes to cyclist positioning to ensure better visibility
It is the responsibility of individual road users to be familiar with the Highway Code.
Find it here 
http://ow.ly/7Tzj50HpGBc
Advice if you are out walking during winter:
Advice to consider if you are cycling during winter:
Advice for drivers during winter:
A new City of Edinburgh Council campaign has been launched encouraging people to be mindful of others when using Edinburgh’s shared paths.
With more people choosing to walk, cycle, jog or wheel, the city’s network of off-road paths is busier than ever, so we’re sharing top tips to help people exercise and travel safely.
Through social media, digital and citywide advertising, the ‘Summer’s Here’ campaign asks everyone to look out for one another and follow guidance for using the paths, such as:
Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “Being able to get out and about and exercise on our fantastic network of off-road paths has been a saving grace of the pandemic, and we want to make sure people can continue to do that safely and comfortably.
“It’s no surprise these are busy, popular routes, where everyone can walk, jog, cycle or wheel, so we just need to be mindful of one another when we make use of them. Through the Summer’s Here campaign, we’re sharing handy tips and advice to help everyone to enjoy and benefit from these shared-use spaces.”
The city council is reminding residents and visitors to take extra care in areas where people walking, wheeling and cycling share the same space. Advice for different groups includes:
Cyclists
Walkers and runners
Dog walkers
Find out more on the Paths for Everyone website.
You can also find guidance from Sustrans and from Scottish Cycling for walking and cycling safely as lockdown measures start to ease on their websites.
Figures released by the Department for Transport have revealed that UK traffic collisions in the 12 months up to June 2020 are down 16 per cent and road deaths have reduced by 14 per cent compared to the equivalent period in the preceding year.
The research indicated that there were 131,220 casualties of all severities (compared to 156,034 previously) and 1,580 road deaths (down from 1,827 the previous year), representing significant reductions.
The decline in UK road deaths and casualties is directly linked to the reduction in traffic as a result of national lockdown restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020, for example, during the first lockdown which commenced on 23rd March, casualties fell by 67 per cent as road traffic reduced by 49 per cent.
Neil Greig, Director of Policy & Research at the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, said: “Despite fears that speeding has increased substantially during the first lockdown it does now look as if the number of casualties has gone down in line with falling traffic numbers. This is certainly good news as it shows that the vast majority of car, van and lorry stuck drivers to the rules.
“However, the only way to confirm these trends and measure the true impact of local traffic closures and temporary cycle lanes is for the government to publish more details on what has happened throughout the rest of 2020.
“IAM RoadSmart thinks that it is unacceptable that we may have to wait until June 2021 to get the full picture for UK road safety during the pandemic. Other countries seem to be able to produce crash statistics much more quickly, allowing planners to deal with safety issues as they emerge and not after the event.”
While the reduction in overall casualties is good news for road safety generally, the reduction in casualties for cyclists were however less impressive, with the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured down just four per cent in the period covered by the DfT’s report, compared with 26 per cent of car users and 25 per cent for all other road users in the same period.
Neil concluded: “While motor traffic reduced as a result of national lockdowns, cycling traffic increased and there has unfortunately not been the same positive impact on cycling casualties when compared with other road users.
“We therefore urge all road users to continue to be extra vigilant for cyclists as more people take to their bikes during lockdown.”
The full report from DfT can be found here.
The council has installed new advanced green lights for cyclists in the city centre to help improve cycle safety around tram tracks.
The lights, which have been introduced at a number of locations around Princes Street, St Andrew Square and the West End, give cyclists more space and time at key junctions.
This is the latest in a series of measures to improve safety for people cycling near the city centre tram route over recent years. These include red-surfaced cycle lanes at key points to make it easier to cross the tram tracks, more advance stop boxes and additional warning signs for drivers and cyclists.
Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “Cycle safety is of utmost importance to us, and in recent years we have worked to introduce several changes to help protect cyclists travelling near the tram tracks.
“By introducing early release green lights for cyclists we are giving anyone travelling by bike more space at a number of busy junctions around the city centre.”
Drivers are being advised to look out for the early release green lights for cyclists. Drivers must wait for their own green light and are encouraged to give people cycling a lot of extra space around tram tracks.
The council has recently introduced several measures to create safer spaces for walking and cycling in the city centre as part of the Spaces for People programme.
Amongst these are temporary segregated cycle lanes between Forrest Road and the Mound, the closure of Waverley Bridge to motor traffic at the junction with Princes Street and widened pavements on East Princes Street and South St David Street.
Advanced green lights for people cycling have been installed on specific approach arms at the following junctions:
Find out more about tram safety on the Council website.
