|
Media Release from The Hon Anthony Albanese MP, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport,
Regional Development and Local Government: A Metre Matters In Road Safety (23 November 2009)
A team of 27 cyclists have set off from Parliament House to ride the 830 kilometres to Melbourne, along the way raising money and awareness for
a new road safety campaign being spearheaded by the Amy Gillett Foundation.
Today I joined with the Foundation's CEO, Tony Fox, Tour de France star, Stephen Hodge, elite cyclists including Amber
Halliday, Jessie MacLean and Carla Ryan, and the 'Riders on the Hill' Parliamentary Cycling Group to farewell the group, wishing them a safe
and successful journey.
The six day ride marks the start of the
Amy Gillett Foundation's 'A Metre Matters' campaign which aims to
reduce accidents between motorists and cyclists by promoting shared
respect amongst all road users.
Airing on television and in
cinemas shortly, this public education campaign urges motorists to
provide more space on the road for cyclists, particularly when
overtaking.
This commonsense message is both important and
timely, with around 35 cyclists killed and more than 4,500 seriously
injured each year on the nation's roads.
I plead with motorists
to heed the safety message, watch out for cyclists and allow at least a
metre of space when overtaking them.
Equally, I urge all cyclists to
ride smart by wearing protective gear and high visibility clothing as
well as using a light at night.
As well as supporting the
Foundation's road safety message, the Rudd Labor Government is
partnering with local councils as well as state and territory
governments to build more dedicated bike paths.
This $80 million
investment will provide more Australians with a safer, greener and
healthier way of getting to and from school, work or their weekend
activities.
There are about 1.9 million recreational cyclists in Australia, with more bikes than cars sold in each of the last six years.
The
Amy Gillett Foundation was formed in response to the tragic road crash
in Germany in 2005 that took the life of Amy Gillett and seriously
injured five other members of the Australian Institute of Sport's road
cycling team.
Riders
for at least part of the journey include Foundation board members Simon
Gillett, Duncan Murray, Stephen Hodge and Matt Pringle; a range of
business and community leaders; well known cyclists including Matt
White, Dave McKenzie and Matt Tilley; cycling great Phil Anderson; and
three Amy Gillett Scholarship recipients. |
CPF News 