Page 4297 - Week 11 - Thursday, 25 October 2018
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
locations where there were no shared paths and no crashes reported between pedestrians and cyclists while riding across pedestrian crossings during the trial period.
I also point out that the evaluation notes four crossings where the most crashes occurred. Three of these crossings have had recent traffic calming upgrades such as speed humps, which I hope and expect will mitigate the potential for collisions between cyclists and motor vehicles.
One of the evaluation’s recommendations is that infrastructure changes be implemented to help reduce crashes between cyclists and motor vehicles at pedestrian crossings located along shared paths by calming both bicycle and motor traffic and increasing situational awareness. I agree that this is a good area to further investigate.
A further recommendation includes an education campaign aimed at demonstrating how motorists should safely pass cyclists and the need for motorists to slow down to a safe speed when approaching pedestrian crossings, as well as the education of cyclists in particular on how cyclists should safely cross at pedestrian crossings, especially along shared paths.
I also think that the community would benefit from road signs about the minimum passing distance rules. There are examples of these in Tasmania that I think we could easily adopt. The ACT government has funded a number of projects through the ACTÂ road safety fund to provide education and awareness to road users.
The 2018-19 road safety fund grant initiatives I announced in September, for example, included funding to develop and produce minimum passing distance mats to be used at community events to demonstrate the minimum passing distance for overtaking cyclists, an online safety program for heavy vehicle drivers to reduce risks to cyclists and funding to provide a defensive cycling program to help cyclists to stay safe on Canberra roads.
Investigations and engagement by ACT Policing with the public also offer ongoing opportunities to educate all road users to ensure road safety for all. Specifically, I was very pleased to see that ACT Policing has recently started using social media to share the message about minimum passing distances, including targeted messaging during vulnerable road users month. ACT Policing media have produced and disseminated a video demonstrating the minimum passing laws and how these laws apply to drivers and cyclists. I noticed these have been very popular, or at the least they have attracted a lot of social media commentary.
A further education and awareness campaign aimed at how motorists should pass cyclists safely, as well as how cyclists should safely cross at pedestrian crossings, has been developed by the ACT government through its social media sites, advertisements on ACTION bus sides and backs, and print media and television advertisements delivered at ACT government shopfronts in response to this evaluation. This is being delivered in conjunction with this announcement that the trial conditions will be included into the ACT road rules permanently.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video