By ANEEKA SIMONIS
THE only Australian to win the prestigious Tour de France has joined the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), urging all Victorian road users to embrace a new era of road safety.
Cadel Evans, who stood atop the winner’s podium in Paris in 2011, returned to his hometown of Barwon Heads on Thursday to oversee schoolchildren learning the basics of riding safely on two wheels, just days out from his exciting, inaugural event.
The TAC has partnered with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race to raise awareness of the need for all road users to share the road considerately and reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured.
Evans, who was joined by TAC chief executive officer Janet Dore, said everyone had the right to use our roads safely.
“Let’s share the roads and show each other a bit of respect. After all, we’re all in this together,” Cadel Evans said.
TAC chief executive officer Janet Dore said with thousands of cycling enthusiasts in the region for the event, it was a timely opportunity to remind the community about how vulnerable cyclists were out on the road.
“Like pedestrians, cyclists have very little protection and are always going to come off second-best in a collision with a motor vehicle,“ Ms Dore said.
“Just like cyclists need to understand the need to be visible, vigilant and predictable, motorists need to understand that cyclists have the same entitlement to occupy a lane of traffic as they do.
“If you see a cyclist ahead, slow down and be prepared to travel behind them until the road is clear of oncoming traffic and you can pass safely.“
Nine cyclists lost their lives on Victorian roads last year, up from six in 2013, the most since 2008.
There were 195 cyclists hospitalised from crashes in the first six months of 2014. Of those, 21 required hospital stays of more than two weeks.
Ms Dore encouraged local councils to make use of the TAC’s Local Government Grants Program, where more than $1 million has been allocated to encourage councils to invest in infrastructure to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
The TAC also runs a Community Road Safety Grants Program which provides grants of up to $25,000 for community-based projects conducted by not-for-profit groups, local councils and schools that address a specific local road safety issue.
One of the projects funded was the bike education trailer on display at Barwon Heads Primary School that includes up to 20 bikes and helmets, along with a road safety course comprising traffic lights and obstacles that helps prepare young students for riding on the road.
For more information on TAC’s local government and community road safety grants visit www.tac.vic.gov.au/about-the-tac/grants-and-partnerships.
