Zurich Global Corporate has today released ‘Risk Insight: Sharing the Road with Cyclists’, which identifies key points where incidents could occur and offerings  Zurich’s guidance on how companies can combat these challenges to help make roads safer for all users and prevent collisions in the future.

The Risk Insight has been drafted by Zurich’s fleet risk engineering team. This team have many years of experience advising Zurich’s motor fleet clients on the best and most effective ways of mitigating and minimising risk.

In 2012, 6.7% of all fatalities and 14% of all serious injuries on UK roads were cyclists1. In November, 2013, six London cyclists lost their lives in collisions.

The Risk Insight identifies that the main risk for drivers and cyclists occurs when larger vehicles are turning left in urban areas; when the cyclist is not seen by the driver before executing the manoeuvre. 

Other risks explored in the guide include cyclists swerving to avoid on-road obstacles; large vehicles overtaking cyclists and not leaving them enough room or pulling in too soon, and when cyclists are weaving in and out of slow moving traffic.

Companies should consider taking steps to minimise and mitigate the key challenges for drivers; these include:

• Can journeys be rescheduled or rerouted to avoid known cyclist collision ‘black spots’ at peak times?
• Have time pressures on the driver been minimised?
• Are our drivers well rested and following established guidelines for breaks?
• Have we ensured that the operational needs of the business don’t conflict with safe driving requirements?

The guide also sets out key guidelines for drivers to follow and a checklist of additional safety equipment for company vehicles, all of which will help minimise the risk of an incident.

The report’s author, Andy Price, European head of fleet risk engineering, said: “Our cities’ roads are dangerous places for cyclists and any injury or loss of life is tragic. The Risk Insight issued today offers some well-considered guidance for Organisations whose vehicles and drivers share the roads with cyclists.

“I hope that the advice we have put together, for managers and drivers, can help minimise the risk of collision in all road situations.

“A safe driver will try and avoid collisions regardless of who is at fault and many cyclists ride very safely; but for those that choose not to, following the advice in this Risk Insight will help minimise the chance that one of your drivers will be involved in a collision with a cyclist or other vulnerable road user.”