Welcome to our Gran Fondo edition of Safe Together
In our Spring edition:
2018 Wiggle Amy’s Gran Fondo – our eighth edition wrap up
We partner with Ford for their Driving Skills for Life program
Research published: Cycling content in the Australian driver licensing process
We pilot our Sharing Roads Safely vulnerable road user awareness training in Victoria
Australasian Road Safety Conference is on next week!
Our recent submissions on cycling safety issues
Looking for your next cycling adventure – join us for 6 or 3 days?
Wiggle Amy’s Gran Fondo – our eighth edition
Our festival of cycling commenced early Saturday 15 September with our Surf Coast Shire Gravel Fondo, incorporating the Cyclist ‘Gravel Nats’ National Gravel Championship.
With ever-changing weather from blue sky to misty rain, competitors tore off up the muddy course to enjoy the remarkable Otway terrain over the next 2 hours to cover the exhilarating and technical course.
For an Amy’s Gran Fondo first and to highlight the tragic statistics on our roads, we held a memorial service for the 31 cyclists who have died on our roads so far this year. Following this service, the elite NRS Women conducted a neutral memorial lap of the Criterium course wearing pink armbands, as a sign of respect and reflection for those cyclists no longer with us.
In similarly cooler conditions Amy’s Wall did not disappoint with lights, thrills, spills and action! Spectators were entertained by a pair of penny farthings tackling the 110m 20% course with rapturous crowd applause – everyone clearly in awe of their accomplishment.
Sunday morning presented blue skies and bright sun for the start of the women’s and men’s NRS Amy’s Otway Tour followed by the UCI age and recreational categories tackling the 120km course with 1,870m of climbing. Despite the warming conditions, there was actually snow in the road verges at the Mt Sabine QOM/KOM!
This year in another first, an inspiring team of 7 visually-impaired cyclists rode on tandem bicycles on the Medio and Gran Fondo courses. Assisted with pilots and support riders, Tandem Up was an impressive outfit with one rider making this open-road ride his first non-spin ride since losing his sight 10 years earlier.
On return to Lorne, all riders enjoyed the Wiggle Recovery Zone which included a European-themed refueling zone with pasta or pommes frites, a French band and a yoga/stretching area to fully unwind and recharge.
With around 4,500 participants, the 2018 Wiggle Amy’s Gran Fondo was another action packed weekend with something for everyone. Our thanks go out to all our event partners, supporters and sponsors and suppliers who made it all possible, and of course to all of our fundraisers, donors, participants and families who support our important work.
AMY GILLETT FOUNDATION PARTNERS WITH FORD TO HELP NEW DRIVERS SHARE THE ROAD
Last week, we were pleased to announce a partnership with Ford Australia for their Driving Skills for Life program.
Through the partnership, the Driving Skills for Life program is being enhanced to include specific skills for young drivers that will help them to share the road safely with cyclists.
“The research evidence is clear. In Australia, we do not teach drivers how to safely share the road. Nationally, there is little to no content in driver licensing or testing about sharing the road with cyclists”, said Amy Gillett Foundation CEO Phoebe Dunn.
“To keep everyone safe on the road we need to make sure we protect each other when we are at our most vulnerable, when we’re cycling.”
NEW RESEARCH: CYCLING RELATED CONTENT IN THE DRIVER LICENSING PROCESS
We’re delighted to be a co-contributor to this research paper published this month about the Australian driver licence process.
Highlights:
The amount and focus of cyclist-related advice differed across Australian jurisdictions
Drivers and motorbike riders were more likely to be portrayed positively than cyclists.
Negative representations of cyclists may undermine safe driver-cyclist interactions.
Cyclist-related driver education should form part of a holistic policy framework.
Key points:
This study used content analysis to examine the inclusion of cycling-related content in the driver licensing process across Australia.
The review included all government authorised documentation related to gaining a driver licence.
Study findings reveal that cyclists are referred to almost exclusively in neutral or negative terms.
Negative references included characterising cyclists as unpredictable, untrained and ‘hazards’. The driver licensing documentation provided limited information to drivers about how to safely share the road with cyclists.
Omission or problematic representation of cyclists in the driver licensing process fails to recognise cyclists as legitimate road users who drivers should expect to encounter on the roads.
The driver licensing process is an opportunity to teach new drivers safe practices, particularly in relation to vulnerable road users that is not currently being optimised in Australia.
Action is needed to increase the inclusion and representation of cyclists through the driver licensing process in Australia.
SHARING ROADS SAFELY – VULNERABLE ROAD USER AWARENESS TRAINING FOR HEAVY VEHICLE DRIVERS: A NEW BENCHMARK IN ROAD SAFETY TRAINING IN VICTORIA
Earlier this month we piloted a new truck driver training program on how to share the roads safely with vulnerable road users, Sharing Roads Safely.
The training program, designed to increase truck driver awareness of vulnerable road users, has been developed by national cycling safety charity, the Amy Gillett Foundation, for Rail Projects Victoria in consultation with the heavy vehicle industry, road safety experts and vulnerable road user groups.Once finalised the training program will be delivered to heavy vehicle drivers involved in major rail and road infrastructure projects in Victoria, including the Melbourne Metro Tunnel Project and the Westgate Tunnel Project.
“Major infrastructure projects will help to keep Melbourne moving. But we need to make sure that we keep everyone safe in the process”, said Phoebe Dunn, CEO of the Amy Gillett Foundation. “Sharing Roads Safely combines international experience with local content to deliver a best practice program specific to Australian roads”.
The program combines online content with classroom activities and a practical on-road component including truck drivers riding bicycles, including e-bikes.
“Getting truck drivers out of the classroom and on the road is a key part of the training. It gives first-hand insights on just how vulnerable people are when they’re on the road cycling and walking” said Jamie Ross, Director Safety, Rail Projects Victoria.
The program has been informed by successful driver training programs in the UK, the Netherlands, Sydney and New Zealand. AustCycle trained coaches from Wheel Women will lead the on-road ride.
With major infrastructure works being rolled out across Victoria, it is estimated that there will be more than a million extra truck movements over the next 5 years. Sharing Roads Safely is designed to support efforts to ensure all road users stay safe. An awareness campaign focused on the role of vulnerable road users in supporting road safety efforts is also under development.
Next week we’re busy at the 2018 Australasian Road Safety conference!
Our involvement includes:
Safer Cycling for Women: An Evaluation of a Cycling Skills Training Program
Workplace cyclist safety: A review of safety practices at Deliveroo
Review of Coroners’ recommendations following fatal cyclist crashes involving heavy vehicles – a research project for AGF partner Toll Holdings
Safe Together video competition – how can trucks and cyclists safely share the roads together
Translating research into practice: insights into practical pathways to apply new research findings
Follow our social channels (links in the footer below) to stay up-to-date and take part in our voting for best video.
Our recent submissions to government
Central to the Amy Gillett Foundation’s efforts to achieve necessary change is ensuring that cycling safety is given a voice before all levels of governments and parliamentary inquiries. In the third quarter we have made the following submissions:
Join Phil Anderson (no introduction needed!), Rudy Rogiers (Paris Roubaix runner up), Grace Brown (2018 AGF Scholarship Holder and 2018 World Championship Team Member) and Rachel Neylan (World Championship Silver Medallist) on a unique, fully supported ride from Wodonga to Melbourne via the high country and raise funds for the Amy Gillett Foundation.
Breaking News: Fundraising just got a whole lot easier with employer dollar-matching.
This is a Tour with a purpose – helping to make a difference for cycling safety. Our en-route school visits program promotes our important cycling and road safety messages along the way.
Catering to cyclists of all abilities, our tour includes all meals, accommodation, mechanics, support cars and masseurs and you can choose your daily distance depending on how your legs are feeling.
Our festival of cycling commenced early Saturday 15 September with our Surf Coast Shire Gravel Fondo, incorporating the Cyclist ‘Gravel Nats’ National Gravel Championship.
Last week, we were pleased to announce a partnership with Ford Australia for their Driving Skills for Life program.
“The research evidence is clear. In Australia, we do not teach drivers how to safely share the road. Nationally, there is little to no content in driver licensing or testing about sharing the road with cyclists”, said Amy Gillett Foundation CEO Phoebe Dunn.
IT’S CONFERENCE TIME!
