Two-wheel campaign launched as border reopens

As Welshpool continues to awaken from its Covid-19-induced slumber, a campaign has been launched to reduce the amount of two-wheel deaths on our local roads.

Shops reopen today in town along with close contact services like beauty as the numbers of those suffering from Covid-19 continue to slide.

The English border will also reopen, and despite the awful weather, we can expect the return of our friends from across the border who will bring a much needed economic boost to the area.

But it will also bring an increase in motorbikes, and with the warmer weather just around the corner we can also anticipate growing numbers of cyclists on our roads with record numbers of sales reported throughout lockdown.

Sadly, during 2019, 598 motorcyclists and 412 cyclists were killed or injured in collisions on Welsh roads, but until April 18, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the National Roads Policing Operations Intelligence & Investigation (NRPOII) are coordinating a two-wheel operation road safety campaign to improve road safety for motorcycles and cyclists.

Teresa Ciano, GoSafe Partnership Manager and Chair of Road Safety Wales said: "We all have the right to use the roads safely and confidently. If we all play our part and share the road responsibly by reacting responsibly and safely when sharing the road we can make every journey a safe journey for all road users, be they travelling on four wheels or two.

“Let’s take care of each other on the roads and bring the level of two-wheel casualties on the roads of Wales down.”

One of the biggest threats to a cyclist’s safety is close passing, according to Cycling UK to the police, contributing to a staggering 25% of serious collisions between cyclists and large vehicles. 

Motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable groups of road users, and they are at a higher risk of injury and collision than other road users, with 7% of all Wales resident casualties on the roads of Wales in 2019 involving motorcyclists.

The campaign aims to raise awareness among general motorists as well as riders about how to improve driver/rider behaviour to improve road safety, as well as educating both drivers and riders about the dangers of not having the correct skills, knowledge and personal protective equipment to ride safely.

Alongside enforcement and engagement activities, safety messages and tips will be promoted. 

We’re working with the local campaign to raise awareness of the following:

• Cyclists can be difficult to see, especially at junctions, have a tendency to wobble, and are easily affected by side wind when being overtaken. They’re particularly vulnerable at roundabouts as they cannot move off very quickly.
• Motorcyclists can be difficult to see, especially at junctions; are often moving quicker than you might think. They can be affected by side wind, when being overtaken and are often injured when cars pull out of junctions.