Road safety event held after 56 deaths in 2024

There were a total of 600 injury collisions across Devon and Cornwall, which included 56 fatal incidents

An informative event has been held by Devon and Cornwall Police at Haldon Forest, near Exeter, to promote road safety.

The event, held on 16 April, comes after there were a total of 600 injury collisions across Devon and Cornwall, which included 56 fatal incidents.

A 2m (6.5ft) close pass mat was used as a visual aid to help visitors to the park understand how much room should be left when drivers pass a horse or bicycle.

Sgt Owen Messenger said: "These type of events give us an opportunity to offer advice and show the public the distance needed to safely pass by a horse or cyclist."

'Anticipate cyclists'

He added: "Cyclists or horse riders may feel vulnerable when vehicles get too close, so we would ask drivers to please give them space and be patient."

He also said drivers should concentrate on their driving and should not be on their mobile phones or allowing themselves to be distracted by loud music.

"They need to anticipate that cyclists may need to move out in the road to avoid potholes/drains or to be seen by oncoming traffic or vehicles waiting at junctions," said Sgt Messenger.

"Even if there is a cycle path or cycle lane, sometimes cyclists need to be on another part of the road to make a turn or to make themselves visible."

The Highway Code recommended 1.5m (5ft) as a safe distance for overtaking at speeds below 30mph and to give cyclists even more space when overtaking at high speeds.