How Protected are Britain’s Roads?

Public opinion regarding Britain’s roads has never ever been a lot more divided, as this week we have heard that for the first time in our nation’s history there have been no deaths or significant injuries to youngsters walking or cycling to college this year, even though at the very same time half of Brits think that the roads are too dangerous for cyclists. So what does this all imply? With statistics showing that youngsters are now safer on the roads, this ought to imply that cyclists and other road customers are safer too. To comprehend more, we look at each stories in additional detail:

Children on the Roads

Earlier this week, the Division for Transport officially published info stating that no children have been killed or seriously injured while walking to school in the course of 2014, nonetheless that does not mean that children are not nevertheless at danger. It is essential to note that the statistics only cover children walking to and from school and not kids utilizing the roads at other instances. Moreover, back in May the charity Sustrans reported that 41% of parents had mentioned that their kids had skilled a ‘near miss’ whilst on the way to or from school. This is an very higher percentage, especially when you take into consideration the truth that in 2012 thirty 3 young children had been killed and eighteen hundred have been seriously injured even though on their way to college.

Britain’s Cyclists

It is a sad fact that several cyclists are killed or injured every single year, specifically in busy cities such as London where buses and industrial automobiles also use the roads. This is one particular of the motives why a recent BBC poll revealed that half of British adults feel that their nearby roads are too unsafe to cycle on. Discussing the study, a spokesman for the Department for Transport said: “We are committed to making certain much more men and women feel secure enough to use 2 wheels.” Even so, Olympian Chris Boardman said: “It’s clear…people don’t really feel secure when riding their bikes on our roads. In order to rectify this we want a clear commitment from government and nearby authorities to prioritise the safety and demands of cyclists in all future transport schemes.”

Are you Driving Safely?

Motorists have a tendency to forget that the roads do not just belong to them and that young children and cyclists have just as a lot correct to use them and remain secure as they do. As a driver, you should as a result make confident you have adopted great habits such as usually checking your mirrors for cyclists ahead of turning or changing lanes, and reducing your speed in designated school zones. Drivers need to also don’;t forget that they can be caught off guard by cyclists and kids as they are smaller sized than automobiles, meaning they are often hidden in blind spots. Sticking to the speed limit and checking your mirrors on a normal basis are 2 of the greatest ways to guarantee that you are not risking the lives of any person else even though on the road.

Even though Britain’s roads are becoming safer, we still have a long way to go in order to guarantee that no matter whether or not you are an adult or kid, in a auto or on a bike, you will be capable to comprehensive each single journey safely.

Photo by Keith Evans / CC BY-SA 2.

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How Protected are Britain’s Roads?