Exchanging places

Cyclists, drivers and pedestrians are invited share each others experiences of travelling around the city at a special event on May 7.

‘Exchanging Places’ offers a chance to find out exactly what bus drivers can and can’t see as they negotiate the city centre streets, and how high-vis gear can make a big difference.

The event, run by Brighton & Hove City Council’s road safety team and its partners, will be held on New Road from 10am to 3pm. 

Visitors will have the chance to climb into the bus driver’s seat to experience blind spots, drivers can pick up blind spot mirrors for their cars and , and cyclists will be able to get high-visibility gear and advice. 

General advice and information on Bikeability training sessions in the school holidays will also be available.

Brighton and Hove Bus Company’s risk manager will show CCTV footage of incidents, explain how dangerous for bus passengers emergency stops are while the Council’s road safety team will illustrate effective cycling techniques as well as casualty data and the causes of collisions. 

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service will be highlighting the effective use of high-vis gear.

The event is part of the “Share the Roads, Share the Responsibility,” campaign - aimed at minimising failed to look/see collisions.

Deputy council leader Ian Davey said: “As the number of cyclists in the city increases, we must ensure that we are doing everything we can to help keep them safe and prevent accidents.

“Events like Exchanging places are extremely useful in bringing road users together to see each others point of view and learn to share the roads in a safe and responsible way.“Cycling is great for health but need to ensure cyclists have the information to minimise their risk on our roads.”