Free hi-viz vests in cycle safety drive

CYCLISTS are set to receive free high-visibility vests as part of an effort to keep them safe on the roads this winter.

The South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership have made the vests available for collection by adult push bike users from local authority libraries in Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley.

Around 17,000 cyclists are involved in road traffic collisions, with approximately 2,500 being killed or seriously injured, each year in the UK.

According to ROSPA, the most dangerous hours for cyclists are from 8am to 9am and 3pm to 6pm on weekdays.

Research also shows that cycling collisions in the dark are more likely to be fatal.

Supt Eddie Murphy said: “Cycling is a great way of travelling, it is environmentally friendly and very cost effective but cyclists must be aware that they are often more vulnerable than other road users.

“Items such as bike lights, high visibility vests and helmets are all ways that cyclists can make themselves more easily seen.

“The South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership sees this as such an important issue that we thought it was appropriate to take this measure.

Cyclists must take positive action to keep themselves safe.”