Local motorists and cyclists are being urged to show respect and obey the road rules with a new campaign launched by Hornsby Shire Council.
It’s a two-way street was launched this month in Hornsby and Ku-ring-gai and is based on the notion of cyclists and drivers showing mutual respect.
The campaign has been introduced to counter a worrying trend in road rage incidents involving cyclists and is also aimed at people who may be inexperienced in cycling on main roads or in traffic.
It is being coordinated by The Amy Gillett Foundation, which was set up to reduce the incidence of cyclists being killed or injured after the death of Australian national cyclist Amy Gillett from a collision with a driver.
Both Hornsby and Ku-ring-gai Councils are promoting the campaign through posters, advertisements and on social media.
“There has been plenty of heated discussion between cyclists and drivers about road safety over the last few years and now it’s time for all road users to try to work together to improve casualty statistics,” Hornsby Shire Mayor Steve Russell said.
“Safety is everyone’s responsibility and there are behaviours that both types of road users could change to make the road more pleasant and less dangerous, which is what this campaign is all about.”
Ku-ring-gai Mayor Jennifer Anderson said drivers needed to slow down and think.
“Cyclists have the same right to be on the road as drivers and cool heads must prevail,” she said.
The campaign is particularly relevant to this area, with a recent spike in local cyclist casualties leading Roads and Maritime Services to identify cyclists as the number one road safety issue that needs to be addressed in Hornsby Shire.
