Staying Safe On The Road This Winter

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Hey guys, Adam here. I’m writing this post in conjunction with Jefferies Solicitors who are currently running a campaign to raise greater awareness of the dangers that we face on the roads this Winter. Although the topic isn’t directly related to food or fitness, many of you will use the roads as your main form of transport so I thought it was important I wrote a few words about the topic itself. 

I hope that you find it useful and feel free to get in touch with your own comments and ideas on the campaign. 

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First of all I should point out that from my own perspective, my main form of transport is a vehicle, however I have in the past used my bike to get from A to B and both forms of transport are incredibly different.

They offer very different levels of exposure to the commuters around them. I always felt slightly vulnerable whilst riding my bike, with no outside protection like you’d get from a vehicle, especially in the darkness first thing in the morning. This Winter will be no different for those that do use this form of transport.

I think the main elements of safety that I’d certainly encourage would be the following:-

• Helmet Use – always always wear a helmet. It seems like such obvious advice but not everyone does. Even if the journey is short, it could easily mean the difference between life and death

• Take Your Time – yes you may be late one morning and need to cycle as fast as you possibly can but remember that on the roads there are plenty of people that may not be giving the road their full attention. Being in this more vulnerable position, it’s paramount that you do. 

• Reflective Gear & Lights – having suitable cycle gear such as proper bike lights that you check are still working before setting off, as well as wearing your own clothing that will help you become more visible on the roads could easily mean the difference between somebody seeing you or not. 

Remember, it only takes a split second for an accident to occur and although it’s sometimes out of our hands we can still increase the odds of it not happening if we follow the rules of the road.

The last thing that I want to say is to have respect for one another. Cars and Bikes share the road and whichever category of driver we fall into, we need to look out and respect one another. At the end of the day we’re all cold first thing in the morning and we probably don’t want to be commuting after having just woken up. Let’s at least make the journey a safe and secure one for each other whilst we enjoy the festive season.

Jeffries Solicitors put together their own infographic from this campaign which I’ve included below. It’s incredibly informative and well-worth giving a read, even if you only have time to look at the category in which you yourself fall into.

 

Disclaimer – this is a collaboration post in which a commission was received for writing and publishing it, however all opinions expressed are honest and my own.