FedEx-funded guide highlights Dutch and Danish best practice in making cycling safer

Delivery firm FedEx Express has teamed up with the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) and the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety to produce a new technical guide highlighting best practice in promoting safer cycling, drawing on lessons from Denmark and the Netherlands.

The Safer Cycling Advocacy Programme Best Practice Guide, which can be downloaded here, is funded by FedEx Express and provides an open-source resource aimed at both community and non-government organisations (NGOs) campaigning for safer cycling in Europe’s cities.

Running to 28 pages and covering issues including road user behaviour, infrastructure and safe vehicles, it has been compiled by the ECF working alongside the Dutch Cyclists’ Union (Fietsersbond) and the Danish Cyclists’ Federation (Cyklistforbundet).

The guide aims to provide “a comprehensive overview of the behaviours, infrastructure, education, legal framework and enforcement in place in the Netherlands and Denmark” that have helped both Denmark and the Netherlands establish cycling as an everyday means of travel.

ECF policy officer Ceri Woolsgrove commented: “The Netherlands and Denmark have each spent decades developing policies and infrastructure focused on keeping cyclists safe.”

He said that due to the involvement of the Danish and Dutch campaign groups, both iof which are ECF members, the guide “collates the expertise of both countries in an accessible format for the first time.

“Policy makers must now have the confidence to implement the measures described, in order to move toward a safer and more sustainable transport system,” he added.

Lotte Brondum, Executive Director of the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety, said that the guide would prove an essential point of reference for people campaigning for safer conditions in their own communities.

“How safe people feel is an important factor in the mode of transport that they choose,” she said.

“This guide will be useful for the people on the ground — the road safety NGOs in their work for safer streets.

“They know the realities of their cities’ streets and they are well-placed to help governments put citizens at the heart of mobility interventions.

“This guide will give them the evidence base and guidance they need to advocate for measures that will help save lives.”

Publication of the guide has been hailed as a “major milestone” in the two-year Safer Cycling Advocacy Program funded by FedEx Express Europe through the company’s charitable giving platform, FedEx Cares.

Rock Sherman, Vice President Road Network Europe at FedEx Express, commented “One of the most striking links found between cycling and safety, is the potential for safer cycling measures to positively and directly influence the safety of our roads for all users.

“This document will guide any organisation looking to use the examples of Amsterdam and Copenhagen to promote safe cycling and improve road safety for everyone.”