Helping Everybody to ‘Share The Road’

As people across Europe adapt to the “new normal”, many are embracing new ways of getting around to maintain safe social distancing on their journeys while heeding advice to avoid public transport. 

However, the European Commission revealed last week that vulnerable road users – cyclists, pedestrians and those using powered two-wheelers such as e-scooters – accounted for 70 per cent of road accident deaths in urban areas last year.

When we launched our ‘Share The Road’ safety and awareness campaign two years ago we focused on fostering greater understanding between cyclists and motorists. Now we are expanding ‘Share The Road’ to reflect more of the different ways people are now getting around. 

To help reassure everyone who may now be getting back on the road, we’ve created this timely advice:

We’ve also produced a new booklet which brings together all of our experience of building respect and understanding between road users:

Around Europe, bicycle and scooter sharing schemes are booming. Ford-owned Spin has now launched its first European scooter sharing service in three German cities. The e-scooters are an affordable, reliable and enjoyable way to travel short distances in cities while helping to reduce pollution and support safe social distancing.

With that in mind, we’ve also put together the Share the Road Guide to Cleaning Your Ride, to help ensure any transportation you take – even shared bicycles or scooters – is as germ-free as it can be.

Earlier this year, we developed a prototype Emoji Jacket to show how smart design – and cute graphics – could significantly improve communication and reduce tensions between cyclists and drivers. And our award-winning virtual reality experience WheelSwap encourages empathy between drivers and cyclists by highlighting the potentially fatal consequences of inconsiderate riding or driving.

Emmanuel Lubrani, ‘Share The Road’, Ford of Europe:

“By expanding our awareness campaign to include emerging types of transport, such as e-scooters, we hope to help many more people ‘Share The Road’ safely – whichever way they choose to travel.”

More Share The Road stories.

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