(L-R) Hawick Pump Track Committee Kevin Brown; Thomas Mitchell and Rod Mitchell, Cycle Law Scotland; Hawick Pump Track’s Kevin Mitchell, Michael Graham and Rachel Megahy; and Police Scotland Community Police Officer, Sergeant Paul Begley Photo Credit : Derick Thomson
Cycle Law Scotland in partnership with Police Scotland and the Hawick Community Pump Track have come together in order to promote road safety for young cyclists in the Hawick area. Free LED cycle lights funded by the Borders based specialist Law firm are being given out to those travelling to and from the Hawick Community Pump track and the lights are now starting to get distributed.
Community Policing Sergeant Paul Begley at Hawick said: “The Hawick Community Pump Track is a great asset to the town and is attended by a large number of children across the area. The track has many benefits including promotion of sport and wellbeing. We have however received a number of complaints relating to children travelling to and from the track in these dark nights without lights on their bikes. This initiative will allow us to provide cycle lights to those who need them and allow them to hopefully be that bit more visible and safe on the roads on their journeys to and from the track.”
Thomas Mitchell, specialist cycling solicitor at Cycle Law Scotland said “We’re delighted to be able to provide bicycle lights to support this initiative given that we see daily the consequences of road traffic collisions between vulnerable road users and vehicles. Anything we can do to help educate all road users and promote the legal requirement to #lightup in order to see and be seen has got to be a good thing.”
Kevin Mitchell Chair of Hawick community pumptrack commented, "We are really happy to see such a large number of people on bikes and scooters making good use of the sponsored track lighting. We tend to forget just how quickly it becomes dark and that on bicycles and scooters, it can be hard to see and be seen. We’re delighted to push this initiative alongside Cycle Law Scotland and Police Scotland and ensure that all our users are more visible out there on the roads. Everyone must remember it's in their best interest to be seen and hopefully these lights will be a first step.”