Cyclists easier to spot
BLUE HILLS - In April last year, Blue Hills came alive with the colour of yellow.
The Automobile Association and the Road Accident Fund handed out 400 road safety kits to Midrand cyclists on the R55 near Olievenhoutbosch as they cycled home from work. Since then, Midrand Reporter has spotted countless cyclists dressed in the safety gear, which includes a reflective helmet, waistcoat, bag and bicycle stickers, riding around Midrand and beyond.
On 19 February, another 400 kits were handed out to cyclists in Olievenhoutbosch Zone 1 as the campaign nears its end. Olivenhoutbosch is home to many horse grooms and workers in the Blue Hills, Kyalami and Glenferness area.
The hand-out was the association’s and fund’s initiative to keep cyclists safe on the roads and was sparked by the high percentage of cyclists who were injured or killed on the roads.
At the hand-out in April last year, the association’s public affairs head Gary Ronald said the cycle safety initiative supported the Decade of Action for Road Safety, a United Nations project to reduce the level of road deaths. Ronald added the project had a positive impact from the moment the cyclists started using the gear.
“This is a good platform to educate cyclists and create awareness in the hope of reducing accidents that cost the country billions. Cycling is often thought of as a sport, but for many it is transport. By law, cyclists have to wear crash helmets, but many cyclists do not, for various reasons,” Ronald said.
The most recent road accident data, for 2011, noted that the cost of fatalities, serious and light injuries and damage, totalled R157 billion per year.
The Gauteng-based campaign is nearly a year old and will end in March, after handing out 1 700 safety kits delivered to cyclists in seven communities; by the end of the campaign, 3 000 kits would have been handed out.
In terms of the South African National Traffic Act, cyclists are required to cycle with reflective clothing and safety equipment, however, the Automobile Association of South Africa recognised that not all cyclists had the means to equip themselves with these necessities. The association was pleased that more cyclists were now equipped with correct cycling equipment, which has made them safer and more visible on the roads.
