A tough but vital part of Bicycle Network's job representing people who ride bikes in Australia is monitoring and keeping a close eye on the number of people who are killed while riding and campaigning for work to be done to reduce this number.
At the halfway point of 2020, 29 people have been killed while riding a bike in Australia.
While the number of fatalities can vary each month, we are sadly not on track to start reducing the average number of bike rider fatalities, which currently sits at 37.
Alarmingly, this average has not changed for more than 20 years.
2020 bike rider fatalities by state (to 30 June 2020)
Australian Capital Territory: 0
New South Wales: 10
Northern Territory: 1
Queensland: 4
South Australia: 2
Tasmania: 0
Victoria: 9
Western Australia: 3
Total: 29
We know there's no single approach to reducing risk for people who ride. We need a multi-pronged approach if we’re to make it easier and safer for more people to ride as part of their everyday life.
Separated bike lanes and paths that keep bikes and cars apart, giving everyone space, should be government’s number one priority.
We need to see a dramatic increase in spending on bike infrastructure from all levels of government if we’re going to turn Australia into a nation of bike riders.
It’s not just that however, supportive legislation like allowing people older than 12 to ride on the footpath will help, as would lower speed limits.
Acknowledging bike riding as a normal, everyday activity would also help to reduce conflict.
They’re all spokes on the wheel that will turn Australia into a nation of bike riders and reduce the number of people who ride bikes from being killed on our roads.
Click here to see Bicycle Network's campaign to reduce bike rider fatalities in Australia.
Bicycle Network's advocacy wheel
