In working to achieve our goal of reducing fatal and serious injury crashes on our roads, the Hodgman Liberal Government is investing in a program targeting the next generation of road users.
The Bicycle Network’s Ride2School program is aimed at encouraging young people to become more physically active.
The emphasis on bike safety skills, together with an early introduction to the road rules, will help participating students to gain an understanding of the importance of safe behaviours on and around our roads.
The Government is providing $100,000 in 2015-16 through the Road Safety Levy for the Ride2School program to be rolled out to primary schools across the State.
The program works with teachers, students and parents across local communities to identify barriers to riding and tries to encourage the wider community to get active.
From a road safety perspective, this complements our sharing the road campaign, which is about getting motorists to look out for vulnerable road users, including cyclists, who do not have the protection of a motor vehicle.
The Government is investing in a range of other initiatives in this Budget aimed at saving the lives of cyclists.
Funding of $5 million over the next four years will improve safety along popular cycling routes on State roads for all road users, starting with a more than $1 million commitment for works to extend a widened road shoulder on the Channel Highway at Bonnet Hill, near Hobart.
Under the Government’s Positive Provision Policy for Cycling Infrastructure, all new State roads along major cycling routes will include cycling-friendly facilities, such as wider two-metre shoulders – as is being provided in the Perth to Breadalbane project design on the Midland Highway – dedicated cycle lanes, or off-road cycle paths.
We have already rolled out new advisory signage with the message ‘Pass Cyclists Safely’ across the State, and we have changed the Tasmanian road rules to allow motorists to cross centre lines to pass cyclists, when safe to do so.