Ride of Silence - Sat 24 May

This seems a bit appropriate given last weeks events:

http://www.sydneycyclist.com/forum/topic/show?id...

Update: Entry in ride calendar here.

Below is some spiel from the Canberra outfit, but just as relevant here:

The Ride of Silence is held yearly in cities across the world. Riders are encouraged to wear armbands: black for everyone, or red for those who have been injured by motorists.

The Ride of Silence aims to:

- remember those killed or injured whilst cycling on roads.
- raise awareness of the need for all road users to respect one another and to use roads in a considerate manner.
- promote the importance for cyclists and motorists to obey the road rules.
- remind the community that cyclists are ordinary people who have a right to safety on our roads.

Those that take part in the Ride of Silence must be aware that they do so at their own risk. All welcome; all you need is a bike and a helmet.

Some Cycling Accident Statistics:

Source and more details: http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/2006/pdf/dea...

- 665 cyclists killed on the Australian roads (1991-2005)
- < 4% of cyclist deaths occur off-road or in non-traffic situations
- > 95% of deaths occur on the road
- 86% of cyclists killed in road crashes involved motor vehicles
- 13 cyclists have been killed on ACT roads (since 1989)

The most common type of crash in which cyclists were killed was the cyclist being hit from behind by a motor vehicle traveling in the same lane in the same direction. Of accidents deemed the cyclist at fault, most involved cyclists either moving through intersections or moving from footpaths onto intersections.

The most frequently assigned major factor in fatal road crashes involving cyclists was the failure of cyclists and other road users to observe each other on the road. For cyclists, visibility remains a key safety issue.

The largest proportion of deaths occurs in speed zones of 60km/hr or less, while around 1/5th of deaths occur in 100km/hr zones.

Around 1/3 of cyclists killed on the road were not wearing a helmet. Most of these were males. In recent years, 1/3 of cyclists wearing helmets died of head injuries compared to of 1/2 of those not wearing a helmet.