[R2U.announce] Canberra Ride of Silence May 24th

[Simon Dwyer]

Kudos to Lyndsey for getting this up and running in Canberra for the first
time.

 

2008 Canberra Ride of Silence

 

www.rideofsilence.org

 

Saturday May 24th

9.30 am

Regatta Place

 

The Ride of Silence is held yearly in cities across the world. For the first
time in Canberra, join other cyclists in a silent ride at a slow pace to
promote safer roads for all road users. Riders are encouraged to wear
armbands: black for everyone, or red for those who have been injured by
motorists.

 

The 2008 Canberra Ride of Silence aims to:

- remember those killed or injured whilst cycling on roads.

- raise awareness of the need for all road users to respect one another and
to use roads in a considerate manner.

- promote the importance for cyclists and motorists to obey the road rules.

- remind the community that cyclists are ordinary people who have a right to
safety on our roads.

 

Where: Start and finish at Regatta Place, north of Commonwealth Avenue
bridge.

When: Arrive at 9am for a 9.30 start.

The ride: Approx. 6 km in length at a slow pace (max. 20 km/h) in a loop
that includes part of the Parliamentary Triangle. The Ride of Silence will
take place on open roads and participants will be expected to ride safely
and considerately and obey all traffic laws.

 

The 2008 Canberra Ride of Silence is endorsed by:

Pedal Power ACT

Females in Training

ACT Veterans Cycling Club

Canberra Cycling Club

Vikings Cycling Club ACT

 

Those that take part in the Ride of Silence must be aware that they do so at
their own risk. All welcome; all you need is a bike and a helmet.

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Please distribute the flier widely to your networks, websites, friends and
email lists. Small versions can be put up on bike paths; but if you do this
PLEASE ENSURE you remove them after the event in respect of our environment.
The flier is attached and can also be seen at:
http://www.vikingscycling.org.au/cms/uploads/news/rosilenceflyer.pdf

 

Please feel free to upload it to your own websites.

 

Some Cycling Accident Statistics:

 

Source and more details:
http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/2006/pdf/death_cyclists_road.pdf

 

. 665 cyclists killed on the Australian roads (1991-2005)

. < 4% of cyclist deaths occur off-road or in non-traffic situations 

. > 95% of deaths occur on the road 

. 86% of cyclists killed in road crashes involved motor vehicles 

. 13 cyclists have been killed on ACT roads (since 1989)

 

The most common type of crash in which cyclists were killed was the cyclist
being hit from behind by a motor vehicle travelling in the same lane in the
same direction.  Of accidents deemed the cyclist at fault, most involved
cyclists either moving through intersections or moving from footpaths onto
intersections.

 

The most frequently assigned major factor in fatal road crashes involving
cyclists was the failure of cyclists and other road users to observe each
other on the road. For cyclists, visibility remains a key safety issue.

 

The largest proportion of deaths occurs in speed zones of 60km/hr or less,
while around 1/5th of deaths occur in 100km/hr zones.

 

Around 1/3 of cyclists killed on the road were not wearing a helmet. Most of
these were males. In recent years, 1/3 of cyclists wearing helmets died of
head injuries compared to of 1/2 of those not wearing a helmet.

 

ON THE DAY:

We are also looking to have some short speeches afterwards to increase
awareness of the issues. If you would like to speak or know someone else who
would, or if you are able to help with increasing media exposure or in other
ways, please email lyndsey.vivian at anu.edu.au

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