Road users in Edinburgh are being asked to consider how safe they are as part of an initiative by road policing officers in the city.
Police Scotland is working with a number of partners, including Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Lothian Buses, Road Safety Scotland, Edinburgh City Council and David Philp Commercials, to encourage everyone to be more aware.
There will be a number of vehicles on Castle Street on Friday, 19 July, 2024 between 8.30am and 1pm demonstrating blind spots for cyclists and pedestrians.
As part of ongoing operational work, it is aimed at helping all road users, including cyclists and pedestrians, and is focused on thinking about distances, blind spots and visibility.
Sergeant Grant Hastie of Police Scotland’s Road Policing Team in Edinburgh, said: “We are encouraging everyone to think about how visible and safe they are. I believe that many people are unaware just how much the driver of a large vehicle, such as a lorry or a bus, cannot see because of blind spots. Even a small vehicle has blind spots.”
“Visibility is very important in terms of making our roads safer and I would like everyone, including pedestrians, to think about how they are seen, especially if a street is poorly lit after dark. From the cab of a lorry visibility is very different to that of a bus, car, motorbike or cycle.
“I cannot emphasise enough the need for all road users to look out for each other and give each other space. Unfortunately, when a collision happens it is often a pedestrian, cyclist or motorcyclist who come off worse.”
Willie Hamilton, Operations Director, Lothian Buses, said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Police Scotland and other key stakeholders to help raise awareness around cyclist visibility and potential blind spots on our roads. With a network of over 70 routes across Edinburgh and the Lothians, we invest heavily in our driver training programme which covers all aspects of road safety including awareness of cyclists, pedestrians and other road users.”
Scottish Fire & Rescue Service Watch Commander Finn van Barneveld, said: “The Scottish Fire & Rescue Service welcomes the opportunity to support this initiative and work with partners to improve the safety of all road users in the Edinburgh area. By working to improve awareness and encouraging everyone to think about safe distances, blind spots, visibility when on or around our roads we can make our roads safer for everyone
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John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
