DRIVERS and cyclists have been urged to ‘look out for each other’ after the police launched a new awareness campaign.

Research has shown pedal cyclists to be one of the most vulnerable road users who account for 6.5 per cent of all casualties and 10.2 per cent of those killed and seriously injured on Lancashire’s roads.

This year, 97 cyclists were killed or seriously injured on Lancashire’s roads up until September, compared to 64 in the same period last year.

As part of the campaign, police will post daily diary entries on Facebook featuring key safety messages from a driver, a cyclist and a police officer, giving clear guidance on what the Highway Code states, with a view to increasing the understanding of the different views cyclists and other road users may have.

Chief Insp Debbie Howard, from road policing, said: “Despite falling trends in the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads, the proportion of casualties which cyclists account for is an increasing one.

“There is no doubt cycling has grown in popularity but many collisions still occur because a driver doesn’t take the time to look out for a cyclist and, equally, cyclists do not always pay enough attention to their surroundings.

“Figures show there is a 50/50 split in who is responsible for collisions and we want to highlight the common ground between cyclists and drivers, recognising that 80 per cent of cyclists also hold a driving licence.”