The Visitor Safety Project
The Forestry Commission is working on a two-year project to raise visitor safety standards across the entire national forest estate in Britain.  Due to the huge rise in the popularity of mountain biking, the Commission has identified it as a key area for action.
The Commission is keen to reduce unnecessary risks in mountain biking but still keep the fun factor and challenges of trail riding top of the agenda. Lifelong mountain biker John Ireland has taken up the role of heading up the two-year visitor safety project. John regularly speaks with mountain bikers whilst carrying out his job and he’s had many enquiries about his work. Here are some of the more frequent questions answered:How are you tackling the project?
The main task to start with is to evaluate all the current standards that are in place for mountain bike facilities across the national forest estate. This includes trail construction, signage, interpretation and how we manage biking venues. Why is the project necessary?
There has been a massive rise in people taking to the saddle. This is great news, but it does mean we have to take a fresh view on how we manage the biking facilities that are on offer. Did you start the project because of more accidents?
Like any other adventure sport that carries a risk, if more people are mountain biking then you are bound to see an increase in accidents. Since we have seen a big rise in visitor numbers to the whole national forest estate the time is right to undertake a thorough review of safety. We’ve been planning the review for a couple of years now so it isn’t a knee jerk reaction. So what will change?
Well, the biking will stay as challenging as before and we’ll keep building trails that people want to ride. I can see the main changes in the future being better standards of trail construction – including jump spots and timber trails – and also better information so that riders know exactly what they are getting into. We want to reduce silly risks but keep the challenge. Will trails get sanitised?
No – our plan is to reduce risks but keep the trails a great ride. Examples of how we can improve safety without spoiling the ride are: using grip surfaces instead of chicken wire, providing chicken runs around tricky sections, giving better signage at trailheads or warning signs at very tricky sections. Also, simply building better and more sustainable trails that don’t fall apart after heavy use instantly makes a trail safer. Are you visiting sites or doing it all from the desk?
You couldn’t do the job from a desk – I’m very much out and about visiting sites all the time. It is the only way to see what is happening all over Britain. I’ve already visited many sites and expect to be constantly on the move. For example the sites I’ve visited include Haldon Trails in the south of England to see family and freeride trails, CwmCarn’s downhill venue in Wales and the Fire Tower Trail near Lochgilphead in West Argyll. Will you be shutting down trails that don’t make the grade?
My job is to help develop biking rather than hinder it. We’ve always worked hard to make sure our trails are already of a high standard and our trails are fully risk assessed before opening, so closures should never happen. However, if we did find unsafe trails that were built without any consultation with the Commission we would need to take action. Are you just looking at extreme mountain bike trails?
My plan is to look at the whole area of mountain biking, whether it be easy family trails, intermediate routes, north shore riding, jump parks or even skills loops. Riders might think that accidents only occur on extreme trails but that isn’t the case at all. Will your guidance be available to others outside the Forestry Commission?
Yes – definitely. I expect that our guidance will be used by many other external groups and sporting bodies at home and abroad. So what guidance are you planning to produce and when will it be ready?
By the end of the two year project I plan to have trail building advice and best practice on four main areas: - General safety guidelines on Forestry Commission policy for mountain biking, advice on signage, information points, trail grading and the use of warning signs;
- Project management of contour trails, dirt jumps, use of materials, gradients, drainage systems;
- How to build technical features out of rock and timber;
- How best to get our safety messages across using different types of interpretation; and
- Making the most of trail furniture, e.g. seating, shelters and bike stands.
If you wish to contact John then email him at john.ireland@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
|