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Canberra Today 11°/15° | Saturday, March 30, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Bike riding areas see bike crashes

SHANE Rattenbury has launched new, publicly available, cyclist crash data to help to identify crash “hot spots” across Canberra.

“A great number of Canberrans ride their bikes for both convenience and enjoyment and our cycling rates are quite good. The 2015 National Cycling Participation Survey showing that almost 82,000 people in the ACT ride their bike at least once a week,” Shane said.

“The ACT Government has a goal to increase the number of regular cyclists significantly. One part of achieving this is to continue improving cyclist safety.

“The new public data shows information about crash locations, the type of crashes and the number of people involved. Using this data we have also been able to create a heat map of bike crash locations in the ACT.

“This data will allow the Government to identify roads and paths that may need improvements, to make riding in Canberra safer.

“This is not about putting the onus of safety on cyclists. Under the Government’s ‘Vision Zero’ approach to road safety, we need to focus on creating safer environments for people cycling, and car drivers also have a responsibility to take care for more vulnerable road users. Nevertheless, it is useful for people to see and use data about accident hotspots and risks on their routes.

“The release of this data is timely, as just recently I met with teams who participated in the Univative Canberra Challenge, a team-based competition designed for university students to exercise their problem-solving skills to address real world problems.

“The teams came up with innovative ways to encourage better crash reporting, and I am hopeful that by utilising some of the ideas put forward by the students, as well as working with the community, we can use this data in new and innovative ways to improve cycle safety in the ACT.

“Making cycling safer is part of many government initiatives aimed at creating an environment where healthy lifestyle choices are the easier choice for Canberrans,” said Mr Rattenbury.

To view the cyclist crash data visit act.gov.au.

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