Plymouth City Council is to allow motorcyclists to use bus lanes on a permanent basis, after a successful 18-month trial.
The council introduced an experimental order in October 2007, following a sharp rise in the number of collisions involving motorbikes, despite a significant drop in the number of road accidents generally. It hoped the trial would make bikers more visible to car drivers and reduce ‘weaving’ in and out of traffic.
After monitoring accident statistics and traffic flow before and after the trial, the number of motorcyclists killed or seriously injured across the city fell from 22 in 2006 to 14 in 2008.
Before and after studies on bus lane corridors in Exeter Street and Tavistock Road showed there had been fewer motorbike casualties during the trial, and they were reduced in severity.
On Exeter Street the number of motorbike casualties fell from eight in 2006 to two in 2008, and on Tavistock Road the number of serious injuries fell from two to none.
Road safety officer Tom Jenkins said: ‘Since the introduction of the bus lane trial, motorcyclists have not been weaving in and out of traffic as much, and this is probably the main reason why the number of accidents has fallen.
‘Bikers have been heeding our advice about not using the bus lanes as “fast tracks” to beat traffic queues, and have been driving considerately and sensibly.’
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