“Cyclists who break the law are much more likely to be killed or seriously injured”
Bicycle Victoria’s Report into Cycle Deaths in Victoria (2002).
In
fact Bicycle Network Victoria has blamed the unsafe
cycling behaviour problem on the increase in cycling participation and
inadequate cycling infrastructure.
"The fact so many new riders were taking to the roads meant
there were a big group of "newbie" cyclists who had yet to learn the
best way to conduct themselves on the roads,”
"the fact infrastructure in Melbourne had not kept up with
the huge increase in cycling numbers was a factor in tensions between cyclists
and motorists."
Gary Brennan
Bicycle Network Victoria
Herald
Sun February 13, 2013
Why then ought the “Victorian
Government Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and
Resources seek to “make it easier for people to take up riding” or focus on
encouraging/ increasing cycling “participation” without first addressing
cyclists’ behaviour modification, without providing citizens with an informed choice as to the risks involved in cycling and risk reduction behaviour and without providing adequate cycling infrastructure?
I argue that the Victorian Government
Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources policy
of “making it easier for people to take up riding” or its focus on encouraging/
increasing cycling “participation” without first addressing cyclists’ behaviour
modification and inadequate cycling infrastructure“may be found to be negligent where a failure to take reasonable care results in some injury or loss.”
Cycling behaviour modification is best addressed off road before people take up cycling.
If cycling is to be a serious form of transport and I argue cycling should be a serious form of transport then the Victorian Government Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, the Victorian Cycling Community and Victoria’s Cycling Strategy must take Cyclists’ responsibilities seriously.
Pete Dowe
Road Safety Advocate
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Ride by the rules
I AM disappointed by the lowest common denominator raison d'etre of Bicycle Victoria, "getting more people cycling more often" (Harry Barber, Letters, 16/10). "Getting more people law-abiding riding, more often" would be a much more responsible purpose.
Bicycle Victoria itself has said on its website: "Our review of cycling deaths shows that cyclists who break the law are much more likely to be killed or seriously injured".
The $500,000 in charitable funds raised by Bicycle Victoria from last year's Around the Bay in a Day could have been well spent on bike education.
Pete Dowe, road safety advocate, Mentone
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http://www.melbournecyclist.com/forum/topics/atb-50k?xg_source=activity
ReplyDeleteThis is an event for everyone, and so are the roads.... for everyone who can accept the responsibility that comes with being a road user. Education starts in the road user's head, no amount of bludgening by so called "advocates" or bullying by small minds will change that...all road users must accept their responsibilities, from pedestrians to B-Triple drivers, its not the vehicle that matters its the head behind control of the vehicle or road user....
I agree with Rooman. Daily on my 56km round-trip commute, I see road users on ALL types of vehicles (motorised or other) committing minor or major infractions of the road laws. The real issue here is the people, not the vehicle, so focussing on one group's infractions and turning a blind eye to all others is a bit short-sighted.
ReplyDeleteRooman (is that your real name?) states “Education starts in the road user’s head”
ReplyDeleteI agree. You must be fit to ride, before you ride for health and fitness
But Victoria Police advise in relation to traffic infringements that education does not work without enforcement.
Yet the Cycling community believe in education alone. That rogue cyclists will somehow self-regulate.
This has this never worked.
Behaviour Change, ‘cycling participation’ programs (what a misnomer) such as Around the Bay in a Day and Ride2Work create inexperienced, careless and reckless rogue cycling.
Behaviour Change actually means simply ‘changing’ from one mode of transport to another i.e. stepping out of a car straight on to a bicycle and ‘participating’ in cycling.
Participation in cyclist road usage is not a worthwhile goal and ‘sets the bar too low’
Behaviour modification is best addressed off-road, before people take up cycling.
We would not have the cyclists behaviour problem on Beach Road or elsewhere in Victoria, if the emphasis on cycling promotion was on being law abiding, on having responsibilities, rather than 'participation' in road usage being the goal and the law being seen as optional.
To reiterate, Victoria Police advise in relation to traffic infringements that education does not work without enforcement.
Rooman also states: “the roads are for everyone who can accept the responsibility of being a road user.”
And what about those who don’t?
One road user group, the current Victorian Cycling community, has continually opposed law enforcement of cyclists, and law enforcement capability/ cyclists’ identification, as a disincentive to unsafe, illegitimate cycling.
So it should be!
Even with littering the www.litter.vic.gov.au website states: “Enforcement and education play a primary role in improving these behaviours.”
http://www.litter.vic.gov.au/www/html/3289-behaviours.asp
Is reckless cycling less of a problem for the community than littering?
Is reckless cycling unworthy of law enforcement and education?
While at the same time the current Victorian Cycling community has called for increased penalties and enforcement upon every other road user group.
The issue is the people and the bicycle vehicle.
Opposing law enforcement, and law enforcement capability for cyclists, brings resentment and illegitimacy upon cyclists as a whole.
Furthermore it is a no brainer.
“Cyclists who want motorists to share the road have got to do the same themselves.
It really annoys us to see cyclists breaking the law as they are endangering themselves and others but also giving cyclists a bad name...”
Bicycle Victoria as previously stated on its website
Law enforcement is a cycling safety measure.
The fact is law-breaking cyclists mainly hurt themselves.
"Our review of cycling deaths shows that cyclists who break the law are much more likely to be killed or seriously injured". Bicycle Victoria (2002)
"In over 60 per cent of (fatal) crashes, the cyclist was deemed to be ‘responsible’ for the
action that precipitated the fatal crash.” ATSB 2006
The erroneous common assumption that all cyclist deaths and serious injury are caused by motorist wrongdoing feeds a cyclist victim mentality.
Rather cyclists are victims of ‘cycling participation’/’behaviour change’ promotion.
Bicycle Victoria claims (based on a Danish mortality study*) that:
“The health benefits of cycling such as a more active lifestyle and better fitness far outweigh the risks of death or injury from crashes.” Bicycle Victoria’s Report into Cycle Deaths in Victoria (2002)
Bicycle Victoria’s ‘behaviour change’ ‘cycling participation’ advocacy, assumes a cavalier attitude to risk of death or injury.
I also believe this kind of “she’ll be right” cycling promotion is not only misleading but irresponsible and could have public liability issues as well.
Pete Dowe
Road Safety Advocate
Re Bike Rego aka Cyclists’ Identification
ReplyDeleteand any costs that may be associated:
Cycling Australia advertises its own Fee for Bike Rego scheme
on its website called mybikerego.
http://www.mybikerego.com/
Cycling Australia obviously thinks that bike rego
is not only important
but that it's also important that cyclists pay for it!
“You can’t expect not to be subject to the law
if you want to be treated equally”
Klaus Mueller, President, CycleSport Victoria
Mordialloc Chelsea Leader May 18th 2009
http://mordialloc-chelsea-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/road-law-breakers-risk-going-to-jail/
“It’s only fair that all vehicle users are treated equally”
Gary Brennan, Bicycle Victoria
Mordialloc Chelsea Leader May 18th 2009
http://mordialloc-chelsea-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/road-law-breakers-risk-going-to-jail/
Pete Dowe
Road Safety Advocate