A scene from the new Department of the Environment television campaign that for the first time ever focuses solely on the safety of cyclists on the roads.
With the Giro d’Italia start in Belfast now less than three weeks away, the Northern Irish authorities have for the first time ever begun a television advertising campaign aimed at highlighting road safety for cyclists.
The new “Don’t Forget” campaign focuses on the vulnerability of cyclists and the responsibility both drivers and cyclists have towards each other on their respective journeys.
The campaign comes at a time when cyclist safety on the roads of the North has very significantly worsened even though general road safety has improved during the same period.
The number of cyclists seriously injured on the North’s roads has almost doubled over the last decade – from 2002 to 2012. The trend is moving in the opposite direction to the level of all serious road traffic casualties, which fell by 50 per cent during the same period.
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Environment Minister Mark H Durkan said cycling is now “much riskier than either walking or travelling by car” across the North.
“Based on miles travelled, cyclists are 23 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than car users,” he said.
“Unlike the occupants of motor vehicles, cyclists have very little protection when they are hit by a vehicle.
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“This makes cyclists especially susceptible to serious injury if they come off their bike or are struck by a car, truck or bus. Even a relatively low-speed collision can result in death or serious injury.
“The aim of the new campaign is to reduce road deaths and serious injuries involving cyclists by positively influencing the relationship between cyclists and drivers, supported by the message ‘Respect Everyone’s Journey’.
“For many reasons, we have seen an increase in cycling here over the last number of years and the concept of “Sharing the Road” has therefore never been more important.
“If we are to drive down road casualties down further, we must all take personal responsibility for our behaviour on the road, whatever type of road user we are.”
Research on cyclist safety reveals that responsibility for cyclists’ deaths on the North’s roads is 40 per cent attributed to cyclists and 60 per cent to motorists.
For that reason, the new campaign that has begun on UTV highlights the problems both cyclists and drivers experience on the roads.
Department of Environment director of road safety, Ian Greenway said: "There have been cyclists featured in a number of our ads to date, but this is the first time we have done anything on TV specifically around cyclists.
"That's because of these rising trends, but also around half of the collisions involving cyclists that cause casualties are caused by the cyclists and around half are caused by drivers.
"So it's important we get the message to both user groups that, as DoE says, we need to respect everyone's journeys and understand each other's needs and requirements."
The startling statistics
- Between 2008 and 2012, six cyclists died on the North’s roads.
- In 2013, four cyclists died and 42 were seriously injured. This represents an increase of 59 per cent from the 29 cyclists who were killed (2) or seriously injured (27) in 2004.
- The rate of pedal cyclist deaths and serious injuries per 100 million kilometres cycled in 2012, the latest figures available, was 69, an increase of 15 per cent on the 2004-2008 baseline of 60.
- While the total number of collisions on NI’s roads has fallen by 15 per cent (6,783 in 2002 to 5,775 in 2012), the number of collisions involving cyclists has risen by 60 per cent (from 174 in 2002 to 279 in 2012).
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