The web-portal highlights what infrastructure should look like if it is to be experienced as ‘safe’ by the rider. The portal will act as a point of reference for future developments.
The new portal allows the comparison of 1,700 cycling scenarios and infrastructure solutions. Data is based on an online survey of approximately 22,000 participants and 400,000 reviews.
A cycle path that is experienced as safe by a rider increases the chance of use, and so the goal of the portal is to ensure paths feel safe; safe development will convince more individuals to consider cycling. Of course, the perception of safety is subjective, hence the study method.
The cycle path check aims to visualize this subjective aspect. In the online database, 1,779 different embodiments for bicycle infrastructure have been identified with filter options to choose from. These include, for example, marking, presence of parking, separate bicycle paths, whether car-free, etc.
The German Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Traffic funded the website, which was developed by FixMyCity as part of the national bicycle traffic plan. Visit the new portal here.
An example cycling scenario, rated highly ‘safe’ by cyclists (Source: https://radwege-check.de/)
As of July 1, 2022, new federal laws for the use of e-scooters in Belgium came into place. In the Brussels Capital Region, even stricter measures have been implemented to protect pedestrians. The changes are part of an effort to address concerns over road safety and hindrance linked to the increasing use of e-scooters.
To address the concerns over e-scooter safety new regulation was required. Georges Gilkinet, Federal Minister of Mobility, explained: “The world has changed and so has our mobility. The electric scooter is now part of our daily life. But with the increase in the number of accidents, sometimes with serious consequences, it was necessary to react. New rules will come into effect from 1 July to better protect scooter users and other road users. Let’s strive together for more safety and fewer accidents on our roads. All For Zero”.
The new rules:
The new rules mean that users of e-scooters, or any other micromobility transport method, will be assimilated to cyclists. In effect, riding on sidewalks or in pedestrianized areas is no longer permitted. In situations where permitted, speed must be reduced to 5km/h and pedestrians have right of way.
Additionally, a minimum age requirement of 16 years has been introduced, and riding e-scooters with two or more passengers is prohibited. Alongside these changes, new guidance for e-scooter parking has been introduced, including signage for designated parking destinations, non-parking zones, and laws against obstruction of the sidewalk.
Additional rules in Brussels:
The new rules have also been welcomed in the Brussels-Capital Region. At the same time, the Region has introduced additional rules on the use of e-scooters. Elke Van den Brandt, Brussels Minister of Mobility, added: “Electric scooters are a convenient way to get around, as long as they do not hinder pedestrians and people with reduced mobility. That is too often the case now. Thousands of these shared scooters appeared on our streets and it is high time for stricter regulation. In addition to the federal rules, the Brussels-Capital Region decided to automatically limit the speed of scooters in pedestrian zones and to limit the number of scooters per operator.”
Specifically, e-scooters in pedestrianized zones are now limited to 8km/h, while across the entirety of the region, the top speed is limited to 20km/h. For comparison, the general top speed limitation of e-scooters in Europe is 25km/h.
Bart Dhondt, Mobility Councillor of the City of Brussels, stated: “Parents, their children, and people with mobility problems no longer felt comfortable in the pedestrian zone. By ensuring that the shared-use e-scooters can only travel at a walking pace, the pedestrian zone will once again become a space for everyone.”
Micromobility has the potential to revolutionize city living but brings new challenges. As the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMP) Topic Guide produced by Eltis becomes available in additional languages, its message can reach further and promote ‘Vision Zero’.
“The Topic Guide is part of a compendium of EU guidance documents, complementing the revised second edition of the SUMP Guidelines. It proposes best practices and key recommendations on the integration of micromobility in urban mobility planning, with the goal to support cities in achieving a safer use of micromobility devices in urban areas. It should also support the European Commission in delivering Action 22 of the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy. It focuses on shared electrically powered personal mobility devices such as e-scooters and provides some guidance on how the users of these vehicles interact with the users of bicycles and electric power-assisted cycles (EPACs), as well as pedestrians and other road users.
The Topic Guide also provides recommendations on integrating micromobility into the ‘Vision Zero’ approach to mobility and planning, which aims to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. It highlights the need to urgently integrate e-scooters into cities’ Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs), but also into Vision Zero Safety Plans and other relevant plans such as urban development plans.”
The Topic Guide can be accessed in English, here. Other guides and alternate language editions can be found here.
The Road Safety Investigation Branch (RSIB) has been established to provide insight into incidents occurring on the UK’s roads
A specialized team of inspectors will aid in making the streets safer while advising on how new technologies can be implemented across the road system.
The RSIB will monitor all electric and self-driving vehicles, as well as the safety trends of e-scooters. From here, UK ministers and police will obtain independent safety recommendations that may influence the future of road safety policy.
Roads minister Baroness Vere shared, “The UK may have some of the safest roads in the world, but tragedies still happen and any injury or death on our road network is one too many. That’s why we’re establishing the road safety investigation branch, so we can boost safety for road-users even further and also bring safety measures in line with other modes of transport and the future of travel.”
Until now, the UK road network has lacked such an independent body; air, rail, and maritime networks all have long had established investigative branches. The Department for Transport plans to include the launch of the RSIB in the upcoming Transport Bill, which will also create a new vehicle category for electric scooters, paving the way for the legalization of private-use e-scooters on public roads.
Comments Off on Dutch Government introduces speed cameras on bicycle paths – Van Raam
Before the end of 2022, the Dutch government will install speed cameras on bicycle paths. This is to reduce the speed on the bicycle paths. LEVA-EU member Van Raam has a solution with which you no longer have to worry about your speed and possible traffic fines. Read more about this innovative and unique solution here that you can try out on the Van Raam bike test track from the first Friday of the second quarter.
A Van Raam cyclist on the Easy Sport tricycle tests the invention on the test track at Van Raam
Reduce speed on bicycle paths It is getting busier on the bike paths. More people have electric bicycles and accidents often happen because people cycle too fast. The government, therefore, wants to reduce speed on bicycle paths by installing speed cameras before the end of the year; there will be various bicycle zones where a maximum of 10, 15 or 25 km/h may be cycled. Do you have a (Van Raam) bicycle? Then you will soon have to be careful that you are not caught out and fined.
Watch Van Raam’s speed-limiting invention as a solution for the speed cameras on bicycle paths in this YouTube video.
Speed-limiting invention via app Van Raam has an innovative solution for your electric Van Raam bicycle that will help you with this. Thanks to this speed-limiting invention, you will be informed via the Van Raam E-Bike App about the permitted speed and possible speed cameras in advance, your bike will automatically adjust to the maximum permitted speed.
“We can have the bicycle react in such a way that it takes over the maximum speed of the area in which it is cycling at that moment.” – Maikel Fraikin (Information Manager)
How exactly does it work? The current Van Raam Smart E-Bike App can communicate with your bicycle. Thanks to push notifications, you know, for example, when you need to charge your battery. The newly developed feature will inform you via the app about the permitted speed and possible speed cameras. In addition, Van Raam can adjust the speed of your bicycle as soon as you enter a speed camera zone. Thanks to Van Raam’s smart technology, your bicycle automatically takes over the maximum speed of the area where you are currently cycling.
Benefits • Riders will be informed about the allowed speed • Riders will be informed about bicycle speed cameras • Van Raam bikes comply with the speed limit
Test phase at Van Raam bicycle test track Van Raam are now working on the first trials. These tests take place on the test track at the company’s bicycle factory in Varsseveld. A flash installation has been set up to be able to test representatively. The first results are looking good and Van Raam hopes to launch the updated app this summer.
“I don’t have to worry about speeding and associated fines. That’s what everyone wants, right?” – a satisfied Van Raam cyclist
Try it yourself? Want to try out this speed-limiting invention for yourself? This is possible during a free test drive at Van Raam! During a test ride, one of our technical advisors will tell you everything about our special needs bicycles and associated options. You then test the bike on the test track and make sure that you are not being flashed with the help of the E-Bike App. A test drive is possible by appointment and can be scheduled yourself via www.vanraam.com.
Maikel Fraikin (Information Manager) talks about the speed-limiting invention
European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) member, PACTS, has set out recommendations for private e-scooter use in the UK if the vehicles are to become legal. This includes mandatory helmet use and a minimum rider age of 16. Recommendations were based on a nine-month research project.
At present, e-scooter use in the UK is limited to city-specific rental schemes. Private usage is restricted to private land, despite this over a million such vehicles have entered the UK in recent years and it is not uncommon to see them in a public setting. Many users are either ignorant of or ignore the ban on public use and face fines or confiscation.
Following its research, PACTS has published a comprehensive report looking at many aspects of e-scooter design and use which took into account research and experience from across the rest of Europe, where e-scooters are legal in most countries. This is seen by PACTS as the ideal legal scenario in which to launch private e-scooter ownership in the UK. Recommendations are as follows:
Maximum possible top speed of between 10mph-12.5mph (16-20km/h)
Maximum continuous rated motor power 250 W
Anti-tampering mechanisms should be included in the construction. Tampering should be prohibited by law
A maximum unladen weight of 20kg
A minimum front wheel size of 12 inches (30.5cm) and minimum rear wheel size of 10 inches (25.5cm)
Two independently controlled braking devices
Lighting to be mandatory at all times
An audible warning device to be mandatory
Helmet wearing to be mandatory
Rider age limit of at least 16 years
Riding on the pavement to be prohibited
Carrying of a passenger to be prohibited
Drink driving, dangerous or careless riding, and mobile phone use to be prohibited
In-person rider training recommended
e-scooters should be regulated as motor vehicles
Public liability insurance for riders recommended
The rider should inform the police if there is a collision involving an injury
Belgian start-up Taito aims to combat the safety issues of e-scooter use in city traffic, developing a three-wheel e-scooter with floating deck and propriety suspension.
As the popularity of e-scooters has risen, so have the associated injury and accident statistics. The Belgium Institute for Road Safety has determined the main causes of such incidents to be instability and uneven roads. Alongside providing a comfortable and fun ride, LEVA-EU member Taito aims to tackle these safety issues directly.
Taito co-founder François Desmet shares, “We started with a three-wheeled design to increase stability. Then we developed a suspension system that allows users to tilt and turn the front wheels while also dampening road vibrations. The wooden deck is isolated from the frame with rubber studs which gives it a floating appearance. To further improve safety at night we integrated indicator lights and a rider light, which illuminates the back of the rider in bright red, to be visible from all angles.”
Finally, by partnering with Accelerated Systems Inc. (ASI) as a motor controller supplier, Taito can precisely program their scooters using the BACDoor Engineering Software. This allows for an extra smooth ride and unique rider profiles.
The booklet presents methods that could transform urban areas in regard to safety, covering key areas including city street design, traffic engineering, speed management, and improved mobility options. The booklet reflects policy makers’ new focus on converting typically motor-vehicle focused areas into liveable and safe spaces for residents.
9 measures are presented, each having proven to reduce traffic related deaths or serious injury. Case studies within each measure explore both the cost and the effectiveness of each method, allowing consideration for their application in comparable roads and cities. The booklet offers a truly global perspective into city road safety, and acts as a valuable new resource for transportation policy makers in urban areas.
Deaths of (e)cyclists in the EU have fallen eight times more slowly than deaths of motor vehicle occupants since 2010, according to the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), authors of a new report. (1) ETSC is calling for urgent action to ensure that sustainable modes of transport such as walking and cycling, are made much safer.
The latest figures show that there were at least 51,300 pedestrians and 19,450 (e)cyclists killed on EU roads between 2010 and 2018. The researchers found that while deaths among motorised vehicle occupants fell by, on average, 3.1% a year over the period, deaths among cyclists averaged only a 0.4% annual reduction – eight times slower.
The slow decline in (e)cyclist deaths reflects both an increase in levels of cycling in several EU countries, but also the failure by the EU, many governments, local authorities and motor vehicle manufacturers to invest more heavily in measures to protect vulnerable road users.
Deaths among pedestrians and (e)cyclists, the most vulnerable road users, accounted for 29% of all recorded road deaths across the EU in 2018. (2)
99% of pedestrian deaths, and 83% of (e)cyclist deaths recorded are as a consequence of an impact with a motor vehicle. (3) These groups are, by far, the least likely to harm other road users.
The research revealed that half of all (e)cyclists and pedestrians that die on EU roads are over the age of 65. Older people are more fragile and less able to recover from serious injuries. However, Europe’s aging population needs to stay active and mobile for reasons of health and wellbeing. ETSC says the challenge is how to improve safety while walking or cycling, particularly for high-risk groups such as the elderly and children.
The report recommends applying a hierarchy for urban planning that prioritises walking, (e)cycling and public transport over private car use, as well as 30 km/h limits supported by traffic calming infrastructure and by enforcement in areas with high levels of walking and cycling.
The authors are also calling on the EU to channel funds into road safety improvements such as the infrastructure modifications needed to support safer city streets and to come forward with a strategy on safe active mobility.
ETSC also wants to see improved data collection because many deaths and serious injuries of cyclists and pedestrians still go unrecorded, as well as Key Performance Indicators to track progress across the EU on improving safety for these groups.
21% of road deaths are pedestrians, 8% are (e)cyclists, reflecting the much higher numbers of people walking
When a person walking falls down and dies, it is not considered as a road death. A cyclist that crashes into an obstacle and dies may also not be counted as a road death, particularly if the police are not called to the scene.
