POLICE are asking drivers and cyclists to look out for each other on Warwickshire’s roads.
Road users are being asked to stay alert especially at junctions, as more cyclists take to the roads in the warmer weather.
Sgt Shaun Bridle said: “We need to look after each other on the roads and share the space sensibly. This includes drivers taking extra care when overtaking cyclists and to leave plenty of space – at least 1.5m or a car’s width when overtaking a cyclist – as they may have to move out into the road to avoid hazards like drains, potholes or debris.”
Warwickshire Police is also reminding residents that cyclists do not have the same protection as a driver sitting in a vehicle – and even relatively minor contact can cause serious injury.
Nationally, 75 per cent of collisions involving cyclists happen at a junction with the most common reason being drivers failing to look properly. However this is also a common mistake made by cyclists and contributes to 42 per cent of bike collisions.
Members of the public can also help improve road safety in Warwickshire by reporting and submitting digital footage showing potential traffic offences as part of Operation Snap. This can include driving dangerously or carelessly, overtaking on solid white lines, using a mobile phone, ignoring traffic lights or dangerous driving around other road users such as horse riders and cyclists.
Visit www.warwickshire.police.uk/operationsnap for more information.
Cycling UK has produced a Too Close for Comfort video to show drivers what it is like to be close-passed from a cyclist’s perspective. =
