Gloucestershire’s Road Safety Partnership has organised the courses at three locations.  The courses take place over 3 days between 10am and 12 noon from 26^th to 28^th July at Minchinhampton School and from 2^nd to 4^th August at Cheltenham and Gloucester fire stations.

The cost of the course is £6 each and anyone over 9 years old and with a roadworthy bicycle can take part.  Bookings must be made in advance.

Councillor Stan Waddington, Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “It is so important to have cycling skills and road awareness before riding on the road. 

“Many families will be out cycling together over the summer holidays and we want them to be able to cycle confidently and safely.”

Riders will be taken out on the roads in groups of 3 and will be matched up on abilities beforehand. If parents want their children to come, they can book on too and will be taught how best to ride as a family.

The cycling scheme’s aim is to enable riders to:

• Know how to identify faults on their bike that affect their safety, and understand the need for the bike to be well maintained.
• Be able to ride their bike under full control when looking behind, manoeuvring, starting, stopping and signaling.
• Be aware of other road users and learn how to cycle on road in a variety of traffic situations.
• Be able to recognise potential hazards and to take action to avoid them.
• Understand the benefits of lights, reflectors, high-visibility clothing and helmets.

To book a place on the summer cycling course, or for more information call the Road Safety Partnership on 01452 425600 

They also discuss how motorcycling has changed over the years, with the differences in clothing, bike size and power, and how track days and training can help riders to keep their skills up to date, and hopefully, out of trouble. See the film on YouTube.

Pete Bungard, a keen and regular cyclist will be receiving some adult cycle training from the Partnership’s Cycling Coordinator, Don Muir. Joining Pete and Don will be less experienced cyclist, Sheila Corkett, head of the Road Safety Partnership.

Don has seven rules for safer cycling, these are:

1. Be responsible for your own safety
2. Use a good road position
3. Be aware of what is happening all around you
4. Communicate effectively with other road users
5. Think before you filter
6. Follow the laws that apply to you
7. Cover your brakes.

The Road Safety Partnership offers adult cycle training on a one-to-one basis. Other providers are available. Contact us for more information.

Inspector Keith Fagan said; “The consequences of being caught drink driving can be severe, as each of the drivers we charge with drink driving during the campaign will soon find out. We would advise anyone planning on driving not to drink any alcohol at all, as research shows that even one drink can impair your driving – motorists just shouldn’t take the risk.

“If you are going out for a drink this summer then plan ahead to make sure you can get home safely and without having to drive yourself. Take simple steps such as booking a taxi, having a designated driver in your group of friends, or arranging overnight accommodation. I would also urge the public not to get into a vehicle if you think the driver has been drinking.”

The event was hosted by Gloucester South Police Safer Community Team, and road safety officers Rosemary Bailey and Sarah Laming who attended the two day event said, “we were able to speak with over 250 pupils about the issue they currently face and the issues they will face as they become the drivers of the future. It was a very worthwhile event.”

Although Megan had been working at the college for over a year, she was just two weeks into her new job and studying for a Masters degree when she was involved in a major collision. She was exiting from Hartpury College onto the A417 when she collided with another car coming from Gloucester and had to be cut from her vehicle.  Megan didn’t realise how seriously she was injured until she was being carried to the air ambulance to be taken to Frenchay Hospital.

She suffered extensive leg injuries and at one point, it was a possibility that she would have to have it amputated. She had to have pins in her knee, her leg in traction to help her shattered pelvis and a further seven pins and two plates to hold her 25 fractures together.

As a result of her injuries, Megan could not continue with her Masters as it involves working with horses and she is no longer able to ride.  She will be on medication for the rest of her life and may need further surgery in the future.

Gloucestershire’s Road Safety Partnership has worked with a local driving instructor , Andrew Jones, to produce a poster that will be put up in the local area this week to raise awareness of the ‘blind spot’ on the junction and to appeal to motorists to take their time, stop and look to the right properly before manoeuvring.

 Gloucestershire Highways will also be putting out temporary signs warning of the casualty figures and giving road safety advice. Megan said, “My advice to anyone using that junction is to take your time, sit and wait and double check that everything is clear. It seems a pain to sit there, especially when there are cars behind you, but those few extra seconds are nothing in reality. My life changed forever in that split second.”

Sheila Corkett, the Partnership Manager said: “Motorists and horse riders both have a right to use the road, especially in a rural county like ours, so it is all road users’ responsibility to keep safe. Mutual courtesy and care between motorists and riders is important to prevent confrontation and improve safety.”

Horse sense for motorists:

• Look out for horses being led or ridden on the road
• At left hand bends and on narrow country roads take extra care and keep our speed down
• When you see a horse rider on the road – slow down
• When approaching from behind a horse rider give them plenty of room and be ready to stop
• When overtaking, pass wide and slow. Do not sound your horn, rev your engine or accelerate rapidly once you have passed them as horses are easily scared by noise and may panic around fast moving vehicles
• Look out for horses turning right. Riders keep to the left even when turning right as it would not be safe to position their horse in the centre of the road
• Beware of horses on roundabouts. Riders will signal right at exits they do not intend to take and signal left at the exit they want
• Horse riders are often children, so take extra care and remember riders may ride in double file when escorting a young or inexperienced horse or rider

Riders should always wear the correct protective headgear and fluorescent/reflective accessories so that they can been seen at all times.

For more information, see our Fact Sheet

During the morning the soldiers were given presentations by Tracey Wilson from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue, PC Simon Ross from Gloucestershire Constabulary and Garry Handley from the Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership. Using the theme of Christmas past, present and future they conveyed the importance of the drink drive campaign’s key message, ‘none for the road’, by discussing their personal experiences of working at the scene of a road traffic collision caused by drink driving, the effect this has on them and the impact on those involved and their friends and families.

Garry said; “When we arranged to visit the regiment we discovered something rather poignant that emphasised the importance of the drink drive campaign’s message to the soldiers and everyone involved. We discovered that 29 Regiment consists of just over 400 people, which is almost identical to the number of people that were killed in drink drive road collisions last year. It was shocking to look at such a large group of people and think that the size of the group replicated that of all the lives lost. This really highlighted the important role that we all play in keeping the county’s roads safe by driving responsibly and this is why we are urging the whole community to take heed of the ‘none for the road’ message in this year’s Christmas drink drive campaign.”