Being Cycle Aware a half-day workshop for <your audience> <Your location> <Your date>

Workshop purpose The purpose of the workshop is to bring together <target audience> and cyclists to make <target audience> more aware of road safety issues for bicycle users, and to make cyclists more aware of pressures that influence <target audience>

Introduction Welcome! Introduction Thank-you’s Agenda

Icebreaker Each member of <Target audience> should pair up with a cyclist, and in about 5 minutes, they will be asked to introduce each other. The introduction should include the following information: (Written on flip chart) Person’s name How much experience do they have of cycling – years, type of cycling etc Something about them that no-one in their peer group here today already knows.

Why cycle? Why ride? Fitness/health Convenience (no parking problems, door to door) Fun! Low environmental impact Save money Human interaction

Cyclists need… Good surfaces, space to ride and considerate behaviour by other road users

Recreational cyclists need… Pleasant & scenic routes with low traffic volumes/speeds and few hazards

Commuters need… Confident: direct routes with minimal impediments. Less confident: similar routes to recreational riders

Tourists need… Pleasant and scenic routes linking areas of interest

Children’s needs vary… Needs vary depending on age and experience

Sporting cyclists need… Good road shoulders, minimum impediments

Utility cyclists need… Needs vary depending on trip purpose, and age & experience of rider

Cycling hazards

Being passed too close What is a safe passing distance for cyclists? Note that this is situation dependent – child needs more space than adult, higher speeds require more space than slower etc.

Being “doored” This can be drivers or passengers.

Car parked in cycle lane

Harassment by other road users

Turning vehicles See next slide.

Turning vehicles Turning vehicles Kerb Car turns across cyclist’s path

Difficult junctions

Difficult junctions Kerb Car turns across cyclist path Junctions like this are difficult for cyclists to manage safely.

Difficult junctions Kerb Cyclist in middle of carriageway, vehicle should follow bike through the intersection Taking the lane makes it easier for cyclist to negotiate through.

Other hazards Reversing vehicles (especially from driveways, and especially dangerous to children) Being rear-ended Weather conditions (gusts of wind can affect cyclists, who are sometimes classified as “high sided vehicles”) The surface of the road is much more apparent to a cyclist than drivers of motorised vehicles. The cyclist may need to avoid pot-holes, gratings, raised access covers etc, which the driver does not even notice.

Cycle safety requirements What does a bike need, what do you need? Legal requirements: working brakes, rear red reflector, pedal reflector (or ankle reflectors). At night you also need working lights (rear may be blinking). Cyclist needs a helmet (maybe ankle relectors). A bicycle is a vehicle, and is subject to same laws as every other vehicle. One requirement of all vehicles is that they stay left as far is practicable. What does this mean in practice for cyclists?

Take the lane How to be safe when cycling – road position (“taking the lane”), other considerations.

Ride briefing It’s a ride, not a race! Don’t go further outside your comfort zone than you want to Travel in single file - this will give you a better feel of the “real” road conditions Travel with your group. If it gets split by red lights etc, those ahead must wait for the others to catch up Each group will be stopping periodically for discussion/observation

<Map of your route 1>

<Map of your route 2>