Trying to promote the use of lights (at UNI)

[thomas]

Over the past few weeks of getting back to UNI I've seen so many people on bikes without lights and it's starting to grate. There's nothing I can do by myself (I can tell people to get lights in different ways but they'll just think I'm some loony).

I think the local police force should come in and possibly fine offenders to make them think twice. I've drafted the following email to my UNI's onsite PCSO (I have had negative dealings with him before and complained about how he handled some bad road experiences I've had) and CCed the UNI's bicycle user group.

Just wondered what people think of the letter/suggestions for changes/improvements? I've tried to make it sensible but with some personal experiences to highlight the seriousness of cycling without lights.

**I've removed the letter as I improved it before sending it.**

 

[mickle]

How do you know there are cyclists riding around at night without lights?

(BTW if you can find someone to provide some dosh I can do you a very good deal on lightsets. Birmingham Uni buy lights from us every year to sell on to students. Or the polis could offer a free set of lights with every £30 fine!)

 

[marinyork]

Even York, which must be the most cycling intolerant place in this corner of the milky way the police give out free cheapo bicycle lights at university. I would advocate a similar policy. There's also the issue of blowback in such a campaign.

It's too long. Leave out the bit about finding it personally annoying, the reputation and RLJing. I'd also leave out the gore, you don't want someone bringing up the h issue.

 

[summerdays]

Some police forces fine them but drop the fine if they then turn up with the lights.

 

[Vikeonabike]

Just a quick thought. How about giving them the opportunity to attend a cycle training day (Bikeability) or take the £30 fine. A little like the training offered to errant motorists.

 

[Cubist]

Thomas

I fully endorse your stance, but if you already have a negative experience of the local PCSO, (or he one of you??)then I would respectfully suggest your letter is a bit overbearing. If you write to him direct in that vein he is likely to dismiss you as a bit of a crank. He will bristle if you tell him that you think the PC you spoke with is higher up the food chain than he is anyway.

Several pieces of advice (as a practitioner) would be to look at the website for you local police force. (Where is your university? If it's UEA I can't find a PCSO Mason on their Safer Neighbourhoods site)

Find out who is the Neighbourhood Policing (sometimes referred to as Safer Neighbourhoods)Inspector for the area that covers the Campus. They should have a contact method, email address or phone number.
Before you contact them however, you need to get in touch with your local council. They should have a website with links into their Highways or Road Safety departments, and find out from them whether they have a dedicated Cycling Officer (many do). If they do, the chances are that they have a budget, or bursary to promote cycling safety under their greener agenda.

Armed now with this knowledge you can contact the local Inspector and offer to act as a key partner in a new initiative to promote cycling safety. Neighbourhood Policing success depends on partnerships looking at all aspects of a problem or issue, not just enforcement.

So , in an ideal scenario YOU represent the student body, link in with the Council and help them promote their Safety Issues. The NPT Inspector will delegate an officer to work with those partnerships. They will also be able to produce statistics showing how much of a problem there is as a scanning exercise, and using that, and YOUR drive, may well be able to obtain funding from a variety of potential pots of money used to promote community safety issues in their Neighbourhood.

PM me if you would like to discuss how to approach them. I do happen to know what works best on most occasions!

 

[Cubist]

Thomas

Have re-checked the University and Eaton Safe Neighbourhoods webpage. Your Inspector is Michelle Lillie, contact details on theis page:

http://www.safernorfolk.co.uk/your-neighbourhood/university-eaton/university-eaton-index

 

[thomas]

Okkayyy..Changed the email so it makes me sound more normal and less nut job . Also made it less about penalising people without them and more about promoting the usage of them.

How do you know there are cyclists riding around at night without lights?

It's just from when I've been out at night (going out or cycling back from work or just back in general) I've noticed it. I don't know what the percentage actually is, but when waiting for a bus the other day about 5 people went past without lights. Coming back from work yesterday and there was someone without a front one, but I checked and he had a rear one. He was still very hard to see though!

Some police forces fine them but drop the fine if they then turn up with the lights.

Mentioned this in my email


@ Cubist: BIG thanks! Your post really helped shape my new email. I've decided not to email the on site PCSO. The only reason I was going to deal with him was because it was the only contact address I had for someone. The experience was that I was unhappy with the reasons for his outcome and I'm not sure he's a massive fan of cyclists.

Anyway, found an email address of someone at the council on a page about cycling. Hopefully that's the right person. I've copied in the UEA cycle group too. I've sent an email just outlining my interest that the usage of lights within Norwich (and UEA) is promoted and to see what they can help do and to find out anything they're doing at the moment.

I'll let you know when I hear back from the Council.

 

[Will1985]

Have you copied it to Norwich Cycling Campaign too? They have more influence with the authorities than UEABUG.

 

[thomas]

Have you copied it to Norwich Cycling Campaign too? They have more influence with the authorities than UEABUG.

WHoops, forgot about them! I'll start copying them in with any responses I get as then I can make the chap at the council aware that they might be handy. Have emailed them in the past though and never heard back.

You are right though, the UEA bug is very small - they even admitted that when I spoke to them in the past and they recommended the NCC.

 

[Arch]

Probably good to have a promotion for a period of time (a week? a month?) with lots of posters up, emails to students and staff (I dunno about UEA, but we get Departmental or SU emails all the time about stuff) reminding people to get lights, and if someone can arrange it, a giveaway or very cheap sale event.

After that, no one has any excuse, and the clamping down can start, and perhaps be more efficient, dealing with the hard core, not just the dippy ones who didn't really think...

 

[thomas]

Probably good to have a promotion for a period of time (a week? a month?) with lots of posters up, emails to students and staff (I dunno about UEA, but we get Departmental or SU emails all the time about stuff) reminding people to get lights, and if someone can arrange it, a giveaway or very cheap sale event.

After that, no one has any excuse, and the clamping down can start, and perhaps be more efficient, dealing with the hard core, not just the dippy ones who didn't really think...

We get so many emails to the student address you ignore the ones unless they catch your eye . I'll wait and see what the council says. I think people are just a little ignorant about the need to have lights and with some promotion they might be educated and buy a set. Lights are so cheap really but it's still a few drinks in the Union bar

 

[thomas]

Got an email back from the council's cycling officer. Nice response, but shame they can't do much....wish they wouldn't spend their money on bloody cycle lanes though B). Might suggest they just paint bikes on the ground, but don't restrict cyclists with lines (if they have to use paint ).

Thanks for your message. I am interested to learn of the Police initiatives
elsewhere.
As I'm sure you are aware, riding without lights after dark is an offence and it is
the Police who have responsibility for enforcement. Although the Council has no
powers to act in this area, we are involved in promoting cycling. We have been
getting a small amount of funding each year from the Highway Authority (Norfolk
County Council) to do this. However, it is not clear whether this funding will
continue, as strictly speaking the funding is intended for construction of new
cycling facilities. We are therefore not in a position to offer any funding for
similar initiatives at present.
We occasionally run articles in the Council's Citizen magazine (which goes to all
households) advising cyclists how to ride safely. I would suggest that the
University is best placed to provide similar advice to its' students. You may want
to contact UEA's Green Travel Officer Dawn Dewar to discuss this?
I hope that this helps.

Kind regards

Tim

I have sent the email to UEA's travel officer and copied in the UEA bug and norwich cycle campaign too! Hopefully they'll be interested in doing something within the Uni. Though I've seen people around Norwich without lights (some who obviously weren't students), I think the high number of people I see are.

 

[John the Monkey]

Thomas, our local Crime and Disorder partnership (using to be called the community policing team) did an initiative where they offered bike security marking and gave away light sets as they did it.

I'd suggest having a look at Cab's posts about the way the law relating to lights is enforced in Cambridge, and his ideas for a more constructive approach.

 

[Will1985]

I'll give you University of Birmingham/West Midlands Police initiative: both organisations jointly subsidise the cost of lights, locks and hi-viz tops on production of a student ID card.
Lights cost £15, locks £5, hi-viz £3/£4.

This has been fairly effective within the home student population - I find that foreign students are far more likely to ride ninja (and on the pavement) around here. I've had a word with a few and usually their response is that they weren't sure where to get some.