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.
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.