Moray motorist makes plea for safety awareness after encounter with cyclist on Pluscarden to Rafford road

A MORAY motorist has made a plea for safety awareness after encountering a cyclist at night on the Pluscarden to Rafford road.

James McNie was returning from a shopping trip in Elgin on November 13 at around 5pm when he passed a cyclist on the road.

Dashcam footage from Mr McNie's car shows the poor visibility at the time of the incident and also appears to show the cyclist with no lights, no high visibility clothing on and with their back to oncoming traffic.

Mr McNie says that he stopped a large van a few hundred yards away that was approaching from behind the cyclist to warn them.

The Moray resident says cyclists should be aware of the shorter days and should prepare accordingly, warning that failing to do so puts them at risk of being seriously injured.

Mr McNie said: "We all need to be conscious that in any cyclist/car encounter, it is the cyclist who is most likely to be seriously injured and the motorist charged.

"As the dashcam footage reveals, the cyclist would be near invisible to any vehicle approaching from behind the cyclist."

The Highway Code stipulates that cyclists must have white front and red rear lights lit when cycling at night.

Bicycles should also be fitted with a red rear reflector.

But Mr McNie thinks cyclists should also wear high visibility clothing to make cycling during night time even safer.

Mr McNie added: "As a minimum, the law requires cyclists to have lights front and rear, and just for self-preservation high-viz clothing would reduce the risk of fatalities."

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.