Safe Cycle campaign

Interesting media release from Victoria Police.

http://tinyurl.com/bzsba

Shows stats of 30% of cyclist casualties occur when a driver crosses
the path of an oncoming cyclist

great chance to win a water bottle - relearn those hand signals...


text:
Safe Cycle celebrates 22 years
Tue 4 October 2005

Victoria Police is encouraging cyclists to get on track in October and
help celebrate 22 years of safe cycling in Victoria.
The Victoria Police Safe Cycle campaign celebrates its 22nd anniversary
in October, making it one of the longest running initiatives on the
Victorian road safety calendar.

The month-long Safe Cycle campaign aims to increase safety and reduce
the number of bicycle related collisions and injuries on Victorian
roads.

Each year, there are about 30,000 bicycle collisions across the state.

As part of the Safe Cycle month police will reward cyclists doing the
right thing on the roads and demonstrating safe riding.

During the campaign, police will nominate safe cyclists and place them
in a draw to win prizes including cycling products and water bottles.

Last year police spoke to more than 29,000 cyclists during the Safe
Cycle initiative.

Victoria Police state bicycle co-ordinator Sergeant Brett Harman said
many collision involving cyclists could be prevented if people were
more aware of their safety and other road users.

He said more than half of casualty victims of cycling collisions were
aged under 15.

Statistics show about 30 per cent of cyclist casualties occur when a
driver crosses the path of an oncoming cyclist. Figures show up to 24
per cent of casualties occur when a cyclist rides onto the road from a
footpath or driveway and is hit by a car.

Five cyclists have been killed on the state’s roads this year compared
with eight for 2004.

“Many of these collisions could be avoided. Police play a role but so
do all road users. People need to be more aware and better educated
about how the road can be shared safely,” Sergeant Harman said.

“It’s important that every road user remains vigilant about safety at
all times. Every death on the road is a tragedy and we must work as a
whole community to save lives.”

Safe Cycle month is an annual road safety initiative conducted by
Victoria Police and supported by Vic Roads, Kidsafe and other
government and community organisations.


--
sinus

great, now I'll have cops pulling me over for doing the 'right thing'!?

For no reason other than instinct (and growing up watching too many cops =
bad guys movies), I'll be scooting for the nearest ally or side street if I
have rollers on my tail..


cheers,
GPL
:100 miles and ridin!:

GPLama Wrote:
great, now I'll have cops pulling me over for doing the 'right thing'!?

For no reason other than instinct (and growing up watching too many
cops =
bad guys movies), I'll be scooting for the nearest ally or side street
if I
have rollers on my tail..


I wouldn't worry, I've got a lovely collection somewhere of Bike Month
stickers garnered from coppers in cars. In retrospect I reckon they
were bored & trying to chat me up....


--
cfsmtb

cfsmtb Wrote:
I wouldn't worry, I've got a lovely collection somewhere of Bike Month
stickers garnered from coppers in cars. In retrospect I reckon they
were bored & trying to chat me up....

Mwarharhar.. they probably were checking you out.
I wouldnt mind some of the melb cbd cops pulling me over as a few are
quite tasty. I reckon they trot out the young and good looking ones to
patrol town. No one wants to see the middle aged moustachioed copper
stretching lycra to new limits on a pushy handing out anything.


--
coowoowoo

coowoowoo Wrote:
Mwarharhar.. they probably were checking you out.
I wouldnt mind some of the melb cbd cops pulling me over as a few are
quite tasty. I reckon they trot out the young and good looking ones to
patrol town. No one wants to see the middle aged moustachioed copper
stretching lycra to new limits on a pushy handing out anything.

I've been led to believe there's quite a waiting list to get on to the
bike patrol. It's considered to be quite a plum job.


--
EuanB

"cfsmtb" wrote in message ...

I wouldn't worry, I've got a lovely collection somewhere of Bike Month
stickers garnered from coppers in cars. In retrospect I reckon they
were bored & trying to chat me up....


crikey... that'd make me ride even faster... queue the Blue Oyster music
people!

a daa da dar da da da daraaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!

cheers,
GPL
:not that there is anything wrong with that:

I recall a policeman pulled me up for this a few years ago while I was
riding through Rosanna on my way to work. He stopped me just outside the
Rosanna Primary School and parked his car on the no stopping line next to
the children's crossing as kids were arriving to school. "I'd like to take
your name down for our Safe Cycling Campaign" says he. Thank god for safe
CYCLISTS. Eeeediot!

--
Bean

Remove "yourfinger" before replying
"coowoowoo" wrote in
message ...

cfsmtb Wrote:
I wouldn't worry, I've got a lovely collection somewhere of Bike Month
stickers garnered from coppers in cars. In retrospect I reckon they
were bored & trying to chat me up....

Mwarharhar.. they probably were checking you out.
I wouldnt mind some of the melb cbd cops pulling me over as a few are
quite tasty. I reckon they trot out the young and good looking ones to
patrol town. No one wants to see the middle aged moustachioed copper
stretching lycra to new limits on a pushy handing out anything.


--
coowoowoo

In article , sinus wrote:

Interesting media release from Victoria Police.

http://tinyurl.com/bzsba

Shows stats of 30% of cyclist casualties occur when a driver crosses
the path of an oncoming cyclist
text:
Safe Cycle celebrates 22 years
Tue 4 October 2005
... [big snippage] ...
Statistics show about 30 per cent of cyclist casualties occur when a
driver crosses the path of an oncoming cyclist. Figures show up to 24
per cent of casualties occur when a cyclist rides onto the road from a
footpath or driveway and is hit by a car.
...

So, if cyclists did not ride onto the road from a footpath or driveway,
would we remove up to 24% of casualties?
Could be a good statistic to quote when defending on-road cycling vs
cycle-path-with-lots-of-road-crossings cycling.

What do they mean 'up to 24%'? Where did that number come from & why is
it rubbery? Do they also mean 'more than 1%', 'more than 10%', 'more
than 20%', etc?

--
K.A. Moylan
Ski Club http://www.cccsc.asn.au

Ummmm, Am i reading this wrong or is this an initiative (bad choice of
word!) to try and 'correct' the victim, not the 'hitter'.

Those percentages seem rather lame too. What's the total sample size?
less than 20?? (assumption on my part that 'casualties' means
fatalities).

The 25% involving pulling out of drivewas, etc sounds like a load of
the porverbial too.
Amazing how these stats only thinkthat a 'collision' only involved a
bike!!!
Just what 'collided with' the bike? (reference to news/media/police
referals to statements such as "A cyclist collided with a car".
translation. A car failed to giveway and ran over cyclist.
grrrrrrrrrrrrrr )

Why the hell does this whole article blame the
victim????????????????????


--
flyingdutch