About US
About
SAFER CYCLING
Foundation
The Safer Cycling Foundation is a non-profit group dedicated to improving the safety of New Zealand’s roads for cyclists. By promoting education and awareness, we want to help move our country in a direction where cyclists and motorists can share the roads without cyclists needing to face undue risks.
We’re a community of experienced cyclists who have seen what it’s like out there on our roads, and we think we could all do better. Safer roads will not come about through cyclists and motorists fighting a war of attrition until only one group is allowed to rule the tarmac; the fact is, both are here to stay, so we both need to better understand one another and work together to make the roads safer for the more vulnerable cyclists.
That vulnerability is easy to see from the inside of a vehicle driving on the road, but also in the crash statistics. The Ministry of Transport reported that there were 5 fatal crashes, 179 serious injury crashes, and 595 minor injury crashes involving cyclists in 2018. In these crashes, the harms were borne mostly by the cyclists; 5 died, 178 were seriously injured, and 606 suffered minor injuries.
We’re cyclists, but we’re also motorists, so we know what it’s like to see cyclists from behind the wheel too. That’s why we believe the key to improving safety for cyclists will ultimately result from cyclists and motorists each doing their part: cyclists respecting road rules, making sure they’re wearing visible clothing and riding safe; and motorists driving respectfully, being aware of their less vulnerable position on the roads and looking out for their fellow kiwi’s safety.