CYCLING SAFETY EDUCATION PROGRAM

Now available for school students in the Southern Highlands and Cycling Clubs across NSW wishing to educate young riders about cycling safety in their areas.  Please email Phil Herd pherd@westnet.com.au  for further information.

The Ben Mikic Foundation in partnership with the Southern Highlands Cycling Club has developed a Cycling, Safety Education Program aimed at educating Young Cyclists – Primary and Secondary School students on Cycling Safety with particular emphasis on:

• Correct Helmet fitting, use and wear
• Bicycle Maintenance
• Safety gear to be carried on long rides
• Road Signage identification and road rules
• Raising awareness of other road users and the concept of sharing the roads in safety
• Appropriate light and weather conditions for cycling
• Appropriate reflective bike items and clothing that enhance visibility
• Importantly to recognise the Top Risk Factors when riding a bike i.e.

All cyclists should carry a telephone, repair equipment and ID

We can minimise the event of an incident on the road if we are mindful of a few important points. The top risk factors for cyclists are:

1. Being of short stature – Children in particular are difficult to see on the road. Children riding alone is not recommended

2. Inexperience and lack of awareness of road rules and bicycle ettiquette.

3. Riding an unsafe bicycle – Do your brakes and gears work properly? Are your tyres in good condition and are they inflated to the correct pressure? Are all of the bearings adjusted correctly?

4. Two or more young cyclists riding together – young cyclists riding in a group can be prone to distracting each other or following along when one of the group makes a poor decision.

5. Not wearing a helmet or wearing a poorly adjusted helmet.

6. Riding after 4pm, particularly around dusk – low light conditions hinder visibility. Also, people are heading home from work at this time and are often tired resulting in less than ideal levels of concentration. 

7. Riding when tired  / dehydrated or undernourished and/or when concentration levels are low

8. Riding during busy traffic times – High traffic volume equals a heightened potential for contact with a motor vehicle

9. Riding through an intersection – heightens the risk for contact with a motor vehicle

10. Riding through red or orange traffic lights – illegal and sets a poor example to other cyclists and motorists

11. Failure to wear bright clothing

12. Failure to have a sufficiently bright tail light – batteries should be checked before every ride. No tail light, no ride

13. Failure to have a sufficiently bright headlight between dusk and sunrise – a good headlight enables others to see you a well as providing sufficient illumination to see obstacles on the road

14. Failure to obey the road rules and not signalling clearly

15. Riding unpredictably or erratically

16. Failure to look far enough ahead

17. Failure to read the road conditions well enough

18. Disabling one or more of your senses – iPods, dark sunglasses during low light conditions or even covering the ears during the cold winter months can partly disable the senses.

19. Taking risks – if in doubt, take the cautious option

20. Riding on unsuitable roads and in unsuitable conditions such as:

• Riding into the sun at sunrise or sunset

• Riding in foggy or slippery conditions

• Riding on narrow roads with broken edges

• Riding on highly trafficked roads