Tragic, cycling safety related coincidence

[Martin318is]

In a rather sad irony, while myself and around 3,000 other riders were roughly 1 hour into this charity ride -

LINK - The Amy Gillet Ride

(The ride is a cycling safety campaign started by the parents of Amy Gillet after her tragic death in 2006 while tr. It promotes the idea of "1 metre matters" and riders wear jerseys with safety campaign messages)



- on a seperate road only about 1km from the course, a 53yr old rider not associated with the event was killed in a collision with a car.

LINK - Article in Geelong Advertiser

(The details are a bit sketchy so far other than he was from Ballarat and was not associated with the Amy Gillet ride.)

It was quite sickening to finish the 120km ride a few hours later and return to the start line to hear the news that while 3000 mobile billboards were circling the roads in positive hope that roads could be safer, this poor rider had already lost his life...

The thoughts of myself and my family go out to his friends and family at this time.

 

[2beeDammed]

That's a real shame, you would imagine the message was getting through at a local level on the day. (By the way in this instance your avitar may be in poor taste )

 

[Martin318is]

Well, to be slightly fair, the accident happened well before the cyclists came through the area and although the locals are well aware of the event, its a big caravan holiday area. (I'm saying this knowing nothing about the driver involved however)

-- and yes, I agree it would be good if my avatar were not on this thread....

 

[brianf7]

This happened on the same road just 1 km further up the road the Amys ride turned off to the left. the Hill is a desaster with no hope for cyclists trucks use that road and wont wait for a slow cyclist they wont wait behind and they cant cross the white line.
There have been promise after promise from local Government to make a sealed sholder so at least there is somewhere to go and get out of the way,
This happened just 10 mins befor Amys ride hit that road the driver would have seen the riders and billboards and probably frusterated at being held up by them.
Photo and story from the scean.

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2011/01/04/235615_news.html

Story and picks at this link.
Remember in Australia we drive on the wrong side of the road.

 

[Martin318is]

Thanks for the added info. I used to be a Geelong local and these were my training roads. Didnt realise wheere the accident happened.

 

[2beeDammed]

Western district roads suck, full stop. Training for the Melb to Warrnambool always took the HWY straight through Colac for this reason, no shoulder. If you train on the race route you are dancing with trouble out through Cressy and Foxhow. Not the roads fault just the price you pay

 

[Martin318is]

I spent my early to middling cycling years down in Warrnambool and have to say that I think you are being a bit unfair. Some of the roads are dodgy certainly but they are WAAAAAY better than riding in much of the UK. The only place I found that was remotely as safe as riding around the Warrnambool, Port Fairy, Camperdown area was up in Yorkshire near a village caller Hawser.