Mary Safe: Cyclists just want to feel safe on roads

CYCLISTS just want to feel safe on Adelaide roads. If this takes more infrastructure and rules, then so be it, writes Mary Safe, the mother of Olympic cyclist Amy Gillett.

I HAVE a passion for “safe cycling” given that my daughter Amy Gillett, a member of the Australian Road Cycling Team, was killed in Germany in 2005 by an 18-year-old driver. Speed, distraction and ignorance were all contributing factors in Amy’s death.

There are thousands of families like mine, horribly affected by road tragedies which have resulted in deaths and shocking permanent injuries. All of us understand perfectly the meaning of the two phrases “fragility of life “and “finality of death”.

Put quite simply, we understand at the deepest level that “death is forever”. That’s why we are driven to try to fix things for other road users whether they be motorists, cyclists or pedestrians.

First of all we need to address the ignorance out there regarding cyclists and the law.

Bikes, by law, are classed as vehicles, with the same rights and responsibilities as motorists. They are not just nuisances to be tolerated by drivers when they feel like it!

Yes, some drivers may at times need to slow down to accommodate cyclists.

Far better to drive respectfully than to be responsible for killing a cyclist and have to live with that knowledge the rest of your days.

Mary Safe with a picture of her late daughter Amy Gillett.

Second, we need to make sure all road users understand the “safe” passing distance laws around cyclists. This involves leaving one metre between the cyclist and vehicle at 60km/h as well as 1.5m over 60km/h. The Amy Gillett Foundation, along with other road safety organisations around Australia, has been a driving force behind this law change.

All Australian states have now adopted this law with the exception of Victoria. Third, the State Government needs to provide significant infrastructure to enable cyclists to feel safe.

People will ride if the infrastructure is there to help keep them safe. Separated bike lanes are a way of doing this, as well as education programs for both adults and children.

More needs to be done than just painting white lines on the road. Also there are many of us in SA who would like to see the completion of the Amy Gillett Bikeway up to Mt Pleasant, as promised by the Rann government in 2005.

This is such a safe place to ride and enjoy our beautiful Adelaide Hills with obvious flow on economic benefits to SA. All of the above needs to go hand-in-hand with positive attitudinal change, awareness and respect as we strive to share our roads.

As adults we always instruct our children to learn to share as they prepare to go through life.

Now is our chance to be role models, as both drivers and cyclists for our young people, ensuring safer roads for all.

MARY SAFE IS A CO-FOUNDER OF THE AMY GILLETT FOUNDATION