SHARING the road is the focus of a new $300,000 education campaign targeted at motorists and cyclists which started this week.
Acting Road Safety Minister John Day said the campaign was a combined project by the Office of Road Safety and the Department of Transport to reduce the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured on Western Australian roads.
“This campaign will help influence the behaviour of these road users and is a critical component of the State’s Towards Zero road safety strategy,” he said.
In the 10 years to 2013, 33 cyclists were killed on the State’s roads and a further 1,097 were seriously injured.
More than 80 per cent of cyclists were male and more than half of all cyclists killed or seriously injured were in 50 or 60km/h zones.
“WA roads are shared spaces and it is the responsibility of all road users to contribute to reducing these numbers,” Mr Day said.
“This campaign will remind each user of the role they play.”
Transport Minister Dean Nalder said the first phase of the campaign included advertisements on radio, online, and outdoors on bus backs and bus shelters in the Perth metropolitan area.
“More than 400,000 West Australians ride their bike at least once a week and WA’s cycling participation rates are significantly higher than in other States,” Mr Nalder said.
“About 22 per cent of West Australians cycle in a typical week, 30 per cent in a typical month and 45 per cent in a year.
“This campaign has been developed not only to keep cyclists safe, but to address the issues they, motorists and pedestrians face on the road and shared paths every day.”
