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Cycle safety - staying safe on the road

Here are some more tips to keep yourself and your bike safe on the roads:

• Be seen – wear visible clothing, use good quality lights on the front and back of your bike and don’t cycle too close to cars – they may not see you.
• Always wear a cycle helmet when cycling. As many as 9 out of 10 cyclists who are involved in road accidents suffer head injuries.
• Take a cycle proficiency test / National Standards for Cycle Training course – see the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) website for details (link below).
• Make sure your bike is working well. If you don’t feel confident enough to service your own bike, you can get a ‘bike service’ from any local bike shop – a bike service involves checking and fixing brakes, gears, etc.
• Follow the highway code and don’t go through red lights.
  Indicate when you’re going to turn a corner or make a manoeuvre.
• Use cycle routes wherever available.
  Cycling on the pavement causes accidents too. The Police can caution you if you are caught cycling in any pedestrian area.
• Don’t ride your bike if you’ve drank any alcohol. Alcohol will impede your judgement and make you a danger to your self and to other on the road. Drinking and riding is a criminal offence.

• And, lock your bike – don’t lose it!

Some important laws about safe cycling:

• You must ensure that your brakes are efficient;
  Always stop when required to do so by traffic warden or police officer;
• You must not ride dangerously;
• Do not leave your bike on the roads or pavements where it may be a danger to others;
• You must not carry a passenger on a bike designed only for one rider;

• You must ensure that your front and rear lights are lit at night and that your bike has an effective red reflector.

Cycling isn’t just about getting from A to B – cycling as a sport has never been more popular – or successful – in Wales. It’s been raining gold medals, world records and world championships in Welsh cycling for a while now!! Check out the Frank and Honest Sport Cycling page for more info on how to get involved in your area – click here.

Links and Contact details

Name: Arrive Alive – Road Safety Campaign for children
Web: www.hedgehogs.gov.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info: Website for children aimed at raising awareness about road safety issues, not just for them but wildlife too! Includes a link to hedgehogs.gov.uk for games and downloads.

Name: Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust
Web: www.bhit.org
Email:
Tel: 0118 975 2994
Info: The Bicycle Helmet Initiative trust (BHIT) aims to promote the wearing of bicycle helmets by the under 16 age group on a national scale. The Trust is committed to work in partnership to develop a proven community programme with other Health Care Districts, police, schools and road safety units to the benefit of young pedal cyclists living within their community.

Name: Cycle Sense
Web: www.cyclesense.net/fset.htm
Email: publicity@dft.gsi.gov.uk
Tel:
Info: In 2001 nearly 3000 cyclists between 12 – 16 were killed or injured on the roads. If you want to protect yourself you must take cycle safety seriously. The Cycle Sense website gives you essential tips for staying out of harm’s way. Get street wise now by checking them out.

Name: Cyclists Touring Club
Web: www.ctc.org.uk
Email: cycling@ctc.org.uk
Tel: 0870 873 0060
Info: The Cyclists Touring Club (CTC) is the national body campaigning for cyclists’ rights, facilities, routes and representation in local, national government and other agencies.

Name: Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)
Web: www.rospa.com/index.htm
Email: help@rospa.co.uk
Tel: 0121 248 2000
Info: RoSPA is an independent organisation which works to prevent accidents on the roads, in the home, at work, at leisure and in the water. RoSPA’s Water and Leisure department covers not only leisure pursuits in or near water, but also accident prevention around canals, rivers, the sea or lakes. Call for more information about the RoSPA and Environment Agency pack entitled Water Safety and Risk Perception for Young People.

Name: Think Road Safety
Web: www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info: The THINK! campaign is about people. It is about all of us using our roads safely, whether we are driving, walking, cycling or using public transport. Unlike previous campaigns, which concentrated on a particular road safety issue, THINK! is a year round road safety banner for all campaigns, aiming to create a greater public awareness of all road safety issues.

Name: Sustrans Information Service
Web: www.sustrans.org.uk
Email: info@sustrans.org.uk
Tel: 0117 929 0888
Info: The National Cycle Network is 5000 miles of safe, signed, attractive cycle routes. It is made up of traffic-free sections and traffic-calmed road and minor roads, running right through urban centres and reaching all parts of the UK.
Sustrans is the charity coordinating the project and will continue to work with local authorities to expand the Network to a target of 10,000 miles by 2005.

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