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Sunday 9 April 2017

Soapbox Rant - Cyclists Lives Matter

The recent death of world renowned endurance / global touring cyclist, Mike Hall, has highlighted just how dangerous riding in Australia is considered to be by cyclists from abroad, if blog & forum sites are anything to go by!

Whilst most local cyclists have acknowledged the risks involved and accept them as an inherent risk in doing something they love, they're often unaware of the behaviour that motorists abroad, and particularly in Europe, have towards other road users....

What's particularly worrying however when incidents such as this occur, is the deafening silence, coming from organisations such as:

  • Amy Gillett Foundation - "Making Bike Riding in Australia Safe"
  • Bicycle Network - "More People Cycling More Often" 
  • Cycling Australia - "To be the World's Leading Cycling Nation"

The implication seemingly being a tacit acceptance that the government / statutory authorities have got the rules right, that the issue of changing motoring behaviour is too big / hard to change or that the death of an average of 37* cyclists nationally and the injury or hospitalisation of how many others, annually, is an acceptable number. 

With a cyclist being killed nearly every week and sure some death's resulting in a protest ride being organised, by friends of the deceased, event organisers or occasionally by one the above groups, themselves, garnering all of five seconds of media coverage, it's time for change. Whilst I don't know what the solution is, surely:

These cycling organisations realise

That unless there is change, riding a bike is still going to be considered a dangerous activity by many in the community, which in turn inhibits the sport's ability to grow to it's full potential and that ultimately they're not living up to their own mission statements.

The State & Federal Governments realise

There's an economic impact as well as a human / societal one. 

  • Lost productivity within the work place; 
  • Further cost pressures on the medical system both in dealing with the victims of road accidents, and from an obesity crisis that continues to swell, as a potential exercise route, is "closed" to some who have weight control issues;
  • The adventure tourism sector being unable to grow to it's full potential because of the real / perceived risks involved in taking to Australian roads, by an international clientele 

Now whilst I'd like to think that there was likely at some point in the near future for there to be a change in attitudes, such that cyclists & motorists had more respect for one another (I acknowledge it is a two-way street), that motorists realised that the odds and therefore the onus is more heavily weighted on them to ensure that we all get home to our families / friends safe & well, and that government's realised that it was up to them to push this message through, I can't see it changing anytime soon. 

As a result it's just another thing that adds to the impetus for my looking at the idea of moving abroad. Cycling has become such an integral part of my life, I need to feel that I can do so safely without the constant fear of not knowing whether I'll make it to my destination or not.....



3 comments:

  1. Its ironic that after this blog post 3 very prominent sports people died whilst riding in Italy. Being Michele Scarponi, Nicky Hayden & Julia Viellehner. It looks like a big problem elsewhere at the moment also.

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    1. Whilst it is sad that these three "known" identities should all die within close proximity to one another in terms of time & location, the bigger issue is how safe it is to ride in a specific country and what that subsequently says about it's cycling culture / heritage, driver education program & licencing rules, road infrastructure and the general give & take between road users alike.

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    2. Be grateful Chris that you also live in a State of Australia which has "A Metre Matters" legislation, irrespective of how well it can be or is enforced. Here in Victoria, the government is still insisting that a driver education program will fix the problem!

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