Road safety issue in British

In the United Kingdom, there are close to half of the population owns or have access to a bicycle. In additional, approximately 750,000 use a cycle to go to work or even to the subway station. The distanced cycled in the UK has also increased over the years from 4 billion KMs in 1998 to 5 billion KMs in 2011. Cycle use has mainly increased in the city are for instance London, cycling on main roads in 2010 was 150% higher than in 2000.

On the other hand, according to the UK government, UK has one of the best road safety records in the world. This proves that they are very concern about road safety and are doing quiet well in educating their people.

In the advertisement, there are a few obvious scenes that the actress are cycling dangerously. I understand that the scene might be shot in a studio, but the way is presented and those little things seems to be forgotten by the adverting agency. A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said: " Unfortunately, advertisers do forget sometimes to make sure they are showing safe and legal behavior when someone is using the road in an advert."

Mistakes in the advertisement:
- riding at night without lights or reflectors
- riding without helmet

Below are the laws in the UK against dangerous cycling.

After sunset:
- At least one front light, which is white or yellow.
(RVLR r. 18(1);Sch 1 table 3; Sch 2 pt. 1 paras. 1, 7)

-At least one rear light, which is red.
(RVLR r. 18(1); Sch 1 table 3;Sch 10 pt. 1 paras. 1, 7)

- Lights can be flashing.
(RVLR rr. 13(1), (2)(g, h), 18(1); Sch 1 table 3; Sch 2 pt. 1 para. 12(c); Sch 10 pt. 1 para. 12(b))

- Compulsory lights. (i.e. the one front and one rear light you're required to have) need to bear the relevant British Standard mark, which depends on when the bike was manufactured. Any optional extra lights do not need a BS mark.(RVLR rr. 18(1), 20; Sch 1 table 3; Sch 2 pt. 1 paras. 5, 13; Sch 2 pt. 2 para. 3; Sch 10 pt. 1 paras. 5, 13; Sch 10 pt. 2)

- Rear reflector, which is red.
(RVLR r. 18(1); Sch 1 table 3; Sch 18 pt. 1 paras. 1(b), 7)

- two pedal reflectors one each pedal - one facing the front and one facing the rear, which have to be 'amber'

As a conclusion, this advertisement will not be this bad if they have put more attention to little details about the road safety as British concern about this topic a lot.

By Wai Ee