HELP IMPROVE ROAD SAFETY BY TAKING PART IN THE COMMUNITY SURVEY ABOUT SHARING THE ROADS IN THE ALPINE SHIRE AREA
Recently, the Amy Gillett Foundation launched the Live Drive Ride Like A Local campaign, featuring the stories of eleven local community leaders who ride in the Alpine Shire region in Victoria. This awareness-raising campaign seeks to re-humanise cyclists, a particularly vulnerable and sometimes marginalised group of road users, by asking road users to take the pledge to keep each other safe by taking a little extra care on the road.
Based on research evidence from more than 500 survey respondents who live, drive, ride and who visit the Alpine region, the campaign addresses top safety concerns among both drivers and cyclists.
Key research findings:
- 86% of respondents identified as someone who both drives and cycle regularly
- 403 of the more than 500 respondents identified being able to pass safely as their top concern when sharing the road safely with cyclists
- The average time that respondents are willing to wait to pass a cyclist is 4 mins 6 secs
- 86% of respondents underestimated the value of cycle tourism in the North East region
- High speeds, lack of shoulder / sealed edge and narrow roads identified as the top 3 reasons some roads are more suited to driving than cycling
Live Drive Ride Like A Local points out the importance of a wave or a nod hello to let other road users know you’ve seen them. This campaign centres on the need for acknowledgement and visibility on the road, but in the community as well.
You can help to improve road safety by completing a short survey about your experience sharing the roads in Bright and surrounding areas and your perceptions of the Live, Drive, Ride Like a Local campaign.
It only takes 8 minutes to complete and everyone who completes the survey can enter a prize draw to win one of three $100 Buy from Bright gift cards. Winners will be drawn on 9 April 2021.
The study aims to provide clarification of rules, providing visual reminders that safety is everyone’s responsibility and developing empathy between all road users. By generating insights from the local community and visitors to Victorian High Country, we will develop an education and awareness-raising campaign that promotes safe behaviours on the road.
In partnership with Monash University, RMIT and the Alpine Shire Council, AGF is thrilled to be working to improve cyclist safety for people living in regional and rural parts of Australia, areas that often don’t get the support they need.
Campaign development was led by Dr Marilyn Johnson, Amy Gillett Foundation Research and Policy Manager, and Senior Researcher at Monash University; Dr Robbie Napper, Industrial Designer, Researcher and Senior Lecturer with the Department of Design at Monash University; and Dr Vanessa Johnston, Senior Lecturer in Law at RMIT University, in collaboration with the Alpine Shire Council with support from the TAC through the Towards Zero Community Grant Program.
We encourage you to take this opportunity to have your say and help us continue our commitment to making it safe for cyclists to share the road in this area.
Join the movement to Live, Drive, Ride Like a Local!
Take the pledge to see cyclists as human by taking a little extra care on the road to keep each other safe.
