‘Take care on early morning rides’ – PPA warns cyclists
Pedal Power Association says that hit-and-run incidents involving cyclists have become a common phenomenon in the country.
Hit-and-run incidents involving cyclists have become a common phenomenon in South Africa, the Pedal Power Association (PPA) said.
According to Robert Vogel, PPA CEO, many of these accidents occur in the early hours of the morning when drivers return from a night out on the town.
He said that two Durban cyclists were recently struck from behind by a vehicle allegedly driven by a speeding, drunk motorist while they were out on a training ride in the early hours of the morning.
“Many of us cycle in the early morning hours, out of necessity or preference. Especially over weekends, cyclists need to be extremely careful and alert on their morning rides.
“The roads in South Africa are unsafe for everyone, but cyclists and pedestrians don’t have the protection of sitting inside a vehicle. Being out early in the morning comes with challenges and risks as many motorists returning from a night out are intoxicated and not completely in control of their vehicles,” explained Robert.
Road safety means giving fellow road users space. A cyclist has as much right to use the road as any motorist and should be afforded the same tolerance and respect as a motorist. When cars follow each other, their drivers leave a safety gap between them and the car ahead. When cars overtake they give each other space, so why not give a cyclist a safety gap when passing? Why take life-threatening risks and insist on overtaking a cyclist on a blind rise, in the face of oncoming traffic, or on a corner, literally shaving past the cyclist with no safety gap?
While we ask everyone to share the road and show respect, the motorist has the potential to cause the most damage to life and limb.
“As cyclists, we can keep left, indicate with hand signals and ride in single file but we remain vulnerable road users nevertheless,” said Robert.
“Obeying the rules of the road does not always offer cyclists maximum protection. It is up to the other road users, specifically motorists, to give cyclists a wide berth and ensure there is enough space when passing.”
The one-metre passing law in the Western Cape states that vehicles need to pass cyclists with a berth of at least one metre. A motorist is allowed to cross a solid white line in order give a cyclist at least one metre if it is safe to do so.
“The PPA, with close to 18 000 members, invests millions into its safe cycling campaign to hopefully secure safer roads for cyclists. We advocate tolerance and mutual respect towards one another on our roads. Our message is simple. We ask cyclists to ride single file and motorists to wait until it is safe to pass and then give cyclists a gap of at least one metre when overtaking. Space saves lives,” Robert concluded.
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