As the popularity of cycling soars, more bicycles are taking to our roads throughout the year. However, cyclists remain one of the most vulnerable road user groups, and there are obvious dangers when bikes share the road with lorries.
The “Safe Urban Driving Course” has been successfully held in Belfast over the last few years through a partnership between the Freight Transport Association (FTA), Sustrans, and the Public Health Agency. This is the first time the course will be made available to HGV drivers in Newry.
The one-day (7 hours) CPC-accredited course includes both practical and theoretical elements. Half of the day consists of theory training in a classroom with an FTA trainer, while the other half involves drivers getting on bikes to gain a cyclist’s perspective on sharing busy urban roads with commercial vehicles, alongside two Sustrans trainers.
The Newry & Mourne Road Safety Committee has been established to promote road safety awareness in the local area. We plan to run a series of events and programmes each year focusing on vulnerable road users and major road safety issues.
The course will take place on Wednesday, 28th September. The price is £70 plus VAT (with an additional charge of £8.75 for DCPC upload to DVA, if required, per delegate). The price includes tuition, materials, refreshments, bike hire, helmet, and Hi-Viz jacket.
As places are limited, we request that drivers book onto the course by Friday, 26th August 2016. To request more information or obtain a booking form, please email info@newryandmourneroadsafetycommittee.org.uk.
