Time to share the road

WITH 94 per cent of bike riders thinking that drivers intimidate them on purpose, Minister for Roads Terry Mulder today urged drivers to join the discussion about sharing the road with bike riders as the Road User or Abuser social media campaign enters its third week.
Mr Mulder said the campaign’s Facebook page now had over 1000 ‘likes’ and that discussion about the issues drivers and bike riders faced when sharing the road had been vigorous.
“While we have had a great level of participation on the Road User or Abuser page from bike riders and drivers who also ride bikes, it is important more drivers have their say on sharing Victoria’s roads,” Mr Mulder said.
“We have seen very valid issues raised on the Road User or Abuser Facebook page, including discussions about cars leaving sufficient space for bike riders, the importance of checking for oncoming bikes before opening a car door and the rules about driving in a bike lane.”
Mr Mulder said the results of polling on the Road User or Abuser Facebook page showed that respondents were concerned about the on-road behaviour of drivers, highlighting the need for drivers to participate in the conversation.
“Some of the polls published on the Facebook page show that 94 per cent of the respondents thought some car drivers did stupid and dangerous things to purposely intimidate bike riders, while 72 per cent felt car drivers had no understanding of what riders had to deal with to stay safe when riding on the road,” Mr Mulder said.
“By getting involved in the online discussion, drivers can discuss the challenges they face when sharing the road with bike riders and share possible solutions. I encourage all Victorian road users to get involved with the aim of doubling the number of Facebook ‘likes’ to 2000 during the next week.”
The Road User or Abuser campaign launched on 6 February addresses a key topic each week over six weeks of the campaign, including relationships, rules and tips, visibility, points of view, confessions and conciliation.
Any other hot topics identified during the campaign will also be addressed.
At the end of the campaign, VicRoads will examine the results of the campaign and use them to develop future communications for bike riders and other road users.
“It is important drivers and bike riders take shared responsibility for staying safe on Victoria’s roads. The Road User or Abuser Facebook page provides an excellent opportunity to clear up misconceptions about the road rules and address issues relating to road safety,” Mr Mulder said.
All drivers and bike riders are urged to log on to the Road User or Abuser Facebook page, take the quiz and start talking about the issues they face when on the road.
The Facebook page can be found at facebook.com/RoadUserOrAbuser
For more information on safe cycling, visit vicroads.vic.gov.au/Bicycles