How to share the road with cyclists – videos from RSA Ireland

How to share the road with cyclists – videos from RSA Ireland

by | Dec 7, 2023 | News & Blog

In many parts of the world, governments are pushing for more pedestrians and more cyclists. It not only helps with congestion, the environment and health but reduces the amount of vehicles on the road too. However, pedestrians and cyclists are vulnerable road users and are at a higher risk of being seriously injured in a crash with a vehicle. The Road Safety Authority have published these videos to guide cyclists and motorists on sharing the road. Find out more.

You can view the videos here or in the right column.

Ireland’s Road Safety Authority (RSA) has produced a short video giving drivers advice on how to share the road safely with cyclists. There are some valuable reminders to motorists in there, such as checking their mirrors for cyclists before getting out of their car and giving bike riders plenty of space while overtaking, although there’s perhaps a missed opportunity to warn of the dangers of driver distraction.

The RSA says: “Cyclists are entitled to road space as much as cars, vans, goods vehicles or indeed any other vehicle on the road. This commercial aims to educate drivers on sharing the roads safely with cyclists, and motorists’ responsibility to cyclists as vulnerable road users.


“Ultimately, we are asking motorists to be respectful of cyclists and mindful of how they use the road. We all share the road, and if we’re considerate of each other, we’ll see fewer needless accidents and deaths. – RSA Ireland

”Previous RSA videos include one reminding cyclists of their obligations under the Rules of the Road – Ireland’s equivalent of the Highway Code –another looking at cycling equipment, and ones looking at riding on the road and sharing space with motor vehicles. The videos all have the same introduction.

The United National Environment Programme has been advocating for the sharing the road globally.

Share the Road calls for more balanced investments in road infrastructure so that an integrated, multi-modal urban transport system can be built instead of a highly costly car-centric system.  In order to shift the decision-making in major investments, Share the Road works with governments and donor agencies (multilateral and bilateral banks and agencies) to develop policy that systematically allocates a portion of project funds to infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, e.g. a set proportion of funds could be dedicated. 

Such investments are key to establishing sustainable transport systems which are central to a Green Economy and to achieving the goals of the UN Decade of Action on Road Safety (2011-2020), as well as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).  (Read UNEP’s Global Report Share the Road: Investment in Walking and Cycling Road Infrastructure or start with the Executive Summary).

View the videos from the Road Safety Authority Ireland about how to share the road with cyclists on the right column. These videos call for sharing the road in developed countries where laws, infrastructure enforcement is more developed. Of course, these laws pertain to Ireland and show an example of sharing the road practise.

Join WHO on Twitter for a live #RoadSafetyChat tomorrow!

Join WHO on Twitter for a live #RoadSafetyChat tomorrow!

by | Dec 7, 2023 | News & Blog

After the launch of the Global Status Report on Road Safety, the World Health Organization are running an exclusive Twitter chat with Dr Tami Toroyan focusing on the key findings of the report and answering questions from people all around the world via tweets. You can take part tomorrow (26th March 2013 – 14.00 – 15.00 GMT).

The Global Status Report for Road Safety was published on 14th March 2013

The Global Status Report on Road Safety is the most comprehensive report covering 182 countries around the world and accounting for almost 99% of the world population. Conducted by the World Health Organization, the report provides the low down on global statistics related to road safety alongside individual country profiles documenting mortality rates, road safety laws and other facets of road safety. The document will be used all across the world as a baseline of research and statistics relating to road safety.

In an increasingly engaging movement, the findings of this report becomes even more accessible via the World Health Organization’s live Twitter chat tomorrow.

Dr Tami Toroyan of VIP will answer questions on Twitter on the Global status report on road safety 2013 on Tuesday, 26 March 2013, 15.00-16.00 CET Geneva time (14.00-15.00 UTC/GMT).

Join the live chat using the hashtag #roadsafetychat.

A Twitter chat is simple, if you are a regular Tweeter, that is, posting status updates, news, views, opinions and links in 140 characters or less, then you will be well accustomed to take part in tomorrow’s Twitter chat.

Topics to be discussed

  • Key findings from the Global status report on road safety 2013
  • Global status report on road safety 2013 and Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020
  • The way forward: report recommendations


How to participate
Send your questions as tweets to @UNRSC using the hashtag #roadsafetychat.

If you are unable to join the live chat, leave questions on the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 Facebook page or email them to vesicj@who.int.

After the chat, a summary of the discussion will be available on Storify.

YOURS will be taking part in the chat and we encougare our network to do so too!

This event has now taken place and you can view the tweets and the see the conversation here on Storify.

A tragic loss of young life at the hands of a drunk driver

A tragic loss of young life at the hands of a drunk driver

by | Dec 7, 2023 | News & Blog

A teenage girl aged 14 died in the UK at the hands of her friend’s father who was twice the legal alcohol limit while driving. Moments before the car crashed, Kayleigh Lawrie posted a message on Facebook saying, ‘I think I’m going to die’, seeing the impending danger from the back seat of the drunk man’s car. It is testament to all for need to protect our young people and promote a zero tolerance alcohol and driving limit.

A terrified teenage girl predicted her own death on Facebook just minutes before she lost her life at the hands of a drunken driver, a court heard today. Kayleigh Lawrie, 14, pleaded to be allowed to get out of the car being driven by her father’s friend because she was so scared by his ‘Formula One’ style driving.

Moments later the driver Steven Hayter – who was twice over the drink-drive limit – lost control of his Renault Clio on a country road near Kayleigh’s home in Willoughby, Lincolnshire. He was attempting to retrieve a cigarette he had dropped in the foot well.

The car skewed across the road into a ditch and then flew 60ft through the air before crashing down. Kayleigh, who was on the back seat, died instantly. A 13-year-old boy in the car suffered a fractured skull and facial injuries. Then, during the early hours he had a large glass of wine before downing a second large glass half an hour before setting off with Scott Lawrie, 37, and the two teenagers.

Hayter twice almost went off the road within minutes of setting off and then forced an oncoming pick-up onto the verge when he took a bend on the wrong side of the road.

Mr Scott said ‘At Alford the car stopped. The teenagers remained inside. Kayleigh posted a message on her Facebook page saying ‘I think I’m going to die. xx. luv you all’.

‘Kayleigh told him (Hayter) at the time she posted the message because she was scared.’

In the United States, Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD) promote a zero tolerance policy to drink driving.

Hayter then called at a filling station and clipped the central pump island before reversing back and almost hitting another vehicle. He tried to fill up with diesel instead of petrol. Mr Scott said ‘While the defendant paid for his petrol the boy and Kayleigh told Scott Lawrie they wanted to get out of the car because they were so frightened. Scott Lawrie told them not to be so stupid.‘The defendant returned to his car. When he drove away from the petrol station he accelerated away at a speed so great that his wheels span.’

‘He started driving like a Formula One driver cutting up all the corners. The 13-year-old boy’s attention was focused on the speedometer which he read as 65 mph. As the vehicle reached the ditch there were screams and then the impact.’

Hayter himself suffered injuries and was taken to hospital. Tests taken more than four hours after the collision showed he was almost twice over the limit with a reading of 147 mgs of alcohol per 100 mls of blood.

Hayter, a professional HGV driver, of Grimsby, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, admitted causing death by careless driving while over the limit. He was jailed for six years and disqualified from driving for two years.Recorder Timothy Spencer QC told him ‘Kayleigh lost her life because of your appalling driving. This was a wholly avoidable and wholly unnecessary tragedy.

‘The only explanation for what happened must be drink. Your alcohol level must have been extremely high indeed. I am not convinced about the necessity for the journey at all. ‘Chillingly Kayleigh realised just how bad your driving was and before you left the petrol station had already sent a Facebook message which foretold of the tragedy to come.’

In many parts of the world, drink driving remains a serious cause of road crashes and is resposible for many of the deaths of our youth.

Lincoln Crown Court was told that Hayter had been on a seven-hour drinking session the previous night and then after a few hours sleep drank wine before setting out on his journey to visit a bank in the resort of Skegness. Andrew Scott, prosecuting, said that on the night before Hayter drank four pints of lager in his village local before driving to the nearby town of Alford where he had another four pints and several double vodkas and coke.

David Eager, defending, said Hayter had been left full of remorse. ‘He accepts he was solely responsible for Kayleigh’s death. That will lie heavily on his conscience for the rest of his life.’

Kayleigh’s mother Charlotte Buxton, in a tribute to her daughter, said ‘Kayleigh was a bright, happy, bubbly and loving 14-year-old, who lived life to the full. She loved animals, which included her rag doll cat, Sapphire, and her dog, Luna. ‘Kayleigh was strong-willed and knew what she wanted out of life. Kayleigh loved fashion and wasn’t afraid to experiment with her looks, although it often got her into trouble with school. She was good at French and loved cooking, especially cup cakes.

‘Kayleigh will be missed and loved always by all who knew her.’ Read the original story here.

A Zero Tolerance Policy for Drink Driving
This story is testament to the vulnerable position of young people in traffic. While Kayleigh did call out and protest against the drink driver who was driving her car, her fate was at the hands of the drunk driver. The trafic loss of life that followed was, as the prosecuting judge stated, ‘was wholly avoidable’.

Read about drink driving and how to take action against it in the Youth and Road Safety Action Kit

Drink driving is a major cause of road crashes around the world and many young people are also implicated in these tragedies by themselves drinking and driving after a night out. It is clear that the life of those around us is at risk when one drives drunk. Not only the passengers of the car are at risk but also other road users who share the road with the drunk driver. We urge young people to take a stance against drink driving, promote a zero tolerance policy and never ever drink and drive.

Pledge to be a safe road user and commit to these principles.

Life and death on the world’s most dangerous roads – The Guardian

Life and death on the world’s most dangerous roads – The Guardian

by | Dec 7, 2023 | News & Blog

The Road Safety Fund, in partnership with the Guardian, publish articles focusing on global road safety as a development issue. Since the the publishing of the Global Staus Report on Road Safety 2013 last week, the Guardian have created an acessible and easy to navigate interactive map highlighting key statistics around the world from the data compiled in the report. Read more here.

More than 1.2 million people are killed on the roads every year and three-quarters of all road deaths are among young men. Where are the worst places for road deaths and injuries? What is being done to improve the highways for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers? Explore data from the WHO’s latest report on road safety, and experience a ride on one of the world’s most dangerous roads.

This makes road crashes the eighth leading cause of death globally – comparable in impact to communicable diseases such as malaria – and the WHO estimates it could rise to fifth in the rankings by 2030 unless action is taken.

Dr Magaret Chan, Director General of the World health Health Organization said,

“Road traffic injuries take an enormous toll on individuals and communities as well as on national economies. Middle-income countries, which are motorising rapidly, are the hardest hit”.

Three-quarters of all road deaths are among young men – and road accidents are the leading cause of death for 15- to 29-year-olds.

The WHO’s Global Status Report on Road Safety 2013 found that 27% of global traffic deaths are among pedestrians and cyclists – vulnerable road users who have been neglected in transport and planning policies. In low- and middle-income countries the figure is closer to 33%; in some, it is as high as 75%.

Margaret Chan, director general of the WHO, said the number of road deaths was “unacceptably high”, while injuries “take an enormous toll on individuals and communities as well as on national economies”. Low-income families are hardest hit by medical costs and lost wages.

The Guardian Development have translated the data from the Global Status Report into an interactive and comparable table looking at the statistics from the report. It can be viewed here: 

Dealing with deaths and injuries on roads costs billions of dollars each year (pdf), taking an estimated toll on low- and middle-income countries of 1-2% of economic output – a total across those countries of more than $100bn a year. Middle-income countries, particularly in Africa, where car use is rising, have been disproportionately affected, said the WHO.

The global road traffic death rate is 18 per 100,000 people. Middle-income countries have the highest rate – 20.1 – while high-income countries have the lowest, at 8.7. Regionally, the lowest rate is in Europe (10.3 per 100,000) and the highest in Africa (24.1 per 100,000).

“Road traffic injuries are increasing, notably in low- and middle-income countries, where rates are twice those in high-income countries. This is partly attributable to the rapid rate of motorisation in many developing countries without a concomitant investment in road safety strategies and land use planning,” said the report.

The WHO named six countries that have steadily reduced road deaths – Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK. It said 88 countries reduced deaths on the road between 2007 and 2010 (42 high-income, 41 middle-income and five low-income countries), while 87 experienced increases. The WHO refused to name the countries where rates had increased.

The report found that the number of annual deaths on the world’s roads was more or less stable, at 1.24 million, but said that – given the number of registered vehicles has risen 15% since its last report in 2009 – more people would have died without the action already taken to reduce risk in five key areas.

World governments declared 2011-20 a decade of action for road safety and the WHO has been urging countries to tighten legislation on speed, drink-driving, use of helmets, seatbelts and child restraints.

“Although the aim of reducing the annual burden of road traffic deaths has yet to be realised, the lack of increase suggests interventions to improve global road safety may have mitigated deaths that would otherwise have occurred,” the report said. 

The road safety study found that only 28 countries, covering 7% of the world’s population, have adequate laws in place – and this number remains unchanged from the last report. Over the past five years, 35 countries have passed new laws or changed existing laws – but even where laws do exist, their enforcement is inadequate, the report found.

The report also calls for standardised data collection on road safety, injuries and deaths – and highlights the need to improve post-crash care.

“Real progress has been made towards improving road safety and saving lives, but what this report shows is that faster and more concerted action is needed to prevent many more lives being needlessly lost on the world’s roads,” the authors said.

Global Status Report on Road Safety 2013 launched today

Global Status Report on Road Safety 2013 launched today

by | Dec 7, 2023 | News & Blog

The Global Status Report on Road Safety is the most comprehensive report covering 182 countries around the world and accounting for almost 99% of the world population. Conducted by the World Health Organization, the report provides the low down on global statistics related to road safety alongside individual country profiles documenting mortality rates, road safety laws and other facets of road safety. The document will be used all across the world as a baseline of research and statistics relating to road safety, but what does it mean for young people?

Today (14th March 2013) global leaders in the field of road safety have gathered at the World Heatlh Organization HQ in Geneva, Switzerland to launch the The Global status report on road safety 2013.

The report presents information on road safety from 182 countries, accounting for almost 99% of the world’s population.

The report indicates that worldwide the total number of road traffic deaths remains unacceptably high at 1.24 million per year.

Only 28 countries, covering 7% of the world’s population, have comprehensive road safety laws on five key risk factors: drinking and driving, speeding, and failing to use motorcycle helmets, seat-belts, and child restraints. This report serves as a baseline for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, declared by the UN General Assembly. Made possible through funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies, this is the second in a series of Global status reports.

The report also presents data in an accessible and innovative infograpics which highlight its key findings and global trends in global road safety;

The report shows that road traffic crashes are still the biggest killer of young people globally and males are still most affected in road crashes.

These statistics show that youth and road safety action remains high on the agenda and more action is needed. It illustrates the vulnerable position of young people in traffic and that more efforts are necessary to involve young people in road safety, from advocacy to education to the implementation of robust road safety national plans covering road safety laws, enforcement, infrastructure, safer vehicles and awareness.

Road crashes remain disproportionately high in low and middle income countries even though middle income countries have a only half amount of the worlds vehicles. While high income countries have a great proportion of vehicles, crashes in high income countries are lower. 

So what does this mean? It suggests that high income countries, while have nearly half of all the world’s vehicles, have enacted road safety measures; systems, strategies policies, laws and so forth which reduced the amount of people killed in those countires. It suggests that the economy of a country is related to the amount of road crashes in that country. For low income and middle income countries, the amount of road crashes is unacceptably high. These countries are those in Africa, South America, South East Asia and Eastern Europe. More action is needed.

Launch of the Global Road Safety Report – World Health Organiazation HQ, Gevena, Switzerland
As you read this, global leaders have gathered at the World Health Organization headquarters in Switzerland to launch this report. The launch has been endorsed by world leaders who have said; 

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This report is a milestone in the international road safety field. It gives us a full description of the situation around the world in almost every country at the start of this Decade of Action for Road Safety. The world is rapidly motorizing, and as this report shows, more concerted action is needed, and it is needed now. Without this, we can expect a rise in the number of deaths and injuries on our roads.– Dr Margaret Chan, Director General, World Health Organization

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We all know what works: increasing seat-belt and helmet wearing; enforcing speed limits; reducing drinking and driving; shifting to sustainable transport modes such as bus rapid transit; creating pedestrian space and protected bike lanes. What’s needed is a global commitment by both the public and the private sectors to implement these strategies. Mr Micheal Bloomberg, Mayor of the City of New York (Bloomberg Philanthropies)

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The Global status report on road safety 2013 will be such an important tool, as it will allow progress to be measured throughout the Decade. This progress is so desperately needed, in order to avert the tragedies and great sadness that come as a result of losing a loved one in a road traffic crash. It is my hope that the Decade will indeed achieve its goal of saving millions of lives. We all have a role in making the Decade a success. Ms Michelle Yeoh, Global Ambassador to Make Roads Safe and Internationally renowned actress (BAFTA Nominee)

On the panel of distinguished delegates to discuss the report is director of YOURS Mr Floor Lieshout. He joins a panel with Dr Kelly Henning, Director, International Health Programmes, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Mr David Ward, Director General, FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society, Mr Pieter Venter, Chief Executive Officer, GRSP: Global Road Safety Partnership, Professor Adnan Hyder, Director, International Injury Research Unit, Johns Hopkins University Mr Jose Luis Irigoyen, Director, Transport, Water, Information and Communication Technologies.

Mr Lieshout said,

Road Traffic Injuries are still the leading killer of young people aged 15-29. It’s an unacceptable price to for youth to pay for mobility!

Download the report in the right banner and view video statements for the launch of the report in the links. We strive to use this report as evidence that youth need to be part of the solution of road safety, let’s work together & reduce leading cause of death in young people.

See the person behind the helmet – a UK campaign from THINK!

See the person behind the helmet – a UK campaign from THINK!

by | Dec 7, 2023 | News & Blog

Person centered road safety campaigns have evoked some meaningful messages. These types of campaigns focus on the people in the road safety messages because after all, it is people’s lives that we are trying save. A new campaign launched in the UK focuses on ‘seeing the person behind the helmet’ and calls for drivers to take extra care for motorcyclists who are particularly vulnerable on the road.

The campaign includes an advert that promotes the message that drivers should see the people behind the helmet.

Drivers are being urged to “see the person behind the helmet” and take longer to look for motorcyclists in the latest THINK! motorcycle safety campaign, launched today (11 March) in the United Kingdom by Stephen Hammond, road safety minister for Great Britain.

The £1.3m campaign, timed to coincide with the time of year when motorcycling increases, the summer and it encourages drivers to take longer to look for bikers and to think about the biker; not just the bike as is the focus of seeing Dave the new dad (pictured above). The campaign will run from March to May with messages delivered through radio advertising and in petrol stations. Wider awareness will be generated through TV video on demand advertising, targeting younger drivers in particular.

More can be found at Road Safety GB’s website and the THINK! Site

Stephen Hammond said: “Motorcyclists account for just 1% of traffic but 19% of deaths on Britain’s roads, and 30 bikers are killed or injured in accidents at junctions every day. I am determined to reduce this terrible toll.

“That is why we are funding this THINK! campaign to remind drivers to look out for motorcyclists – particularly at junctions – and to see the person behind the helmet, not just a motorbike.”

The campaign was informed by statistics which show that motorists failing to look properly is a factor in half of all accidents where motorcyclists are killed or seriously injured at a junction; and wider research showing that drivers are more likely to notice motorcyclists on the roads if they know a biker themselves.

Neil Greig, from the Institue of Advanced Motorists in the UK director of policy and research, said: “There are far too many SMIDSY (sorry mate, I didn’t see you) accidents on our roads today, so we welcome the new THINK! awareness campaign for motorcyclist. “‘Failed to look’ is the top reason for serious crashes and research shows that drivers often miss smaller vehicles when they scan the road before a turn. A few extra moments spent checking for motorcyclists means everyone gets home safely.”

Download this poster to use free as part of the Sureal Poster Series released by YOURS in 2011.

Globally, motorcyclists and other two wheel users are recognised as particularly vulnerable drivers. The injury rate in low and middle income countries are signficantly higher than high income countries. In developing nations, two wheel transport is much more prevalent and the lack of helmet use and the subsequent head injuries are a massive cause for deaths of rider in motorcycle crashes.

Read more about the Global Helmet Vaccine here.