Cycling safety-themed article below, also, for more on the Thinking on Two Wheels Cycling Conference (which is organised as part of the TDU), refer to this here website:
http://www.unisa.edu.au/thinkingontwowheels/
Oooooo, look a familar name or two in the program. 😉
http://www.unisa.edu.au/thinkingontwowheels/Program/default.asp
I should get a report (or two or three) about the conference soon and will try to report back peoples observations etc.
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Cyclist numbers up, deaths down, figures show
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21050089-421,00.html
January 13, 2007 12:00am. Article from: The Australian
FEWER cyclists are crashing on the roads, even though the number of bike riders is increasing as commuters leave their cars at home because of high petrol costs or parking fees and a desire to improve their fitness.
Research has shown that while there are more cyclists on the roads, casualty numbers in the battle between motorists and cyclists for road space are down, with experts handing the credit to greater awareness among drivers.
Jennifer Bonham, lecturer in geographical and environmental studies at the University of Adelaide, said crash rates for cyclists, encompassing fatalities, injuries and damage to property reported to police, have fallen significantly in South Australia since 2000.
"We found that, surprisingly, for main roads and for busy intersections that where there were more cyclists, there was actually a lower likelihood of cycle crashes," Dr Bonham said.
The research comes as cyclists from all over Australia converge on Adelaide for the annual Tour Down Under, an international event drawing the world's top professional cycling teams, thousands of spectators and recreational riders who take part in a "breakaway series".
Australian Bureau of Statistics surveys show the proportion of people cycling to work has increased since 2003, while the proportion of motorist commuters has dropped as higher petrol prices bite and people develop an increased focus on health and the environment.
The number of cyclists between the ages of 45 and 54 has almost doubled nationwide, and the ACT and Northern Territory have the highest proportion of commuters cycling to work.
Dr Bonham said more cautious drivers, increasingly aware of cyclists due to their growing numbers and public road safety campaigns, were probably responsible for the lower crash rates.
"The overall statistics show a decline in cyclist deaths over the last decade, so it's gone from 100 deaths a year down to about 40 deaths a year Australia-wide," she said. "That does have to do at least in part with motorists and road safety campaigns, and motorists becoming more aware of cyclists on the road.
"We think it's the drivers. Some research out of England suggests motorists can only take into account a certain number of factors when they're driving. So when they see a particular object, be that a cyclist or whatever on a regular basis, then they're more likely to factor that into their driving behaviour, and so they're more likely to be cautious."
Dr Bonham, who conducted her study in conjunction with John Petkov from the University of South Australia, said even though the number of people cycling to work had almost doubled, the number of crashes in South Australia had fallen to about 520 a year, down from about 600 crashes a year in 2000.
"There's a significant group of people who recognise the health benefits of it, who recognise the economic benefits, especially with the recent petrol hikes, and also recognise it's more environmentally friendly."