Pedal Power ACT chief executive Ian Ross hit the nail on the head last year.
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"All the cycling community think is, 'That could've been me', and this is something that we want to avoid."
Mr Ross' comments, following the deaths of two women in 2018, rang true again this week when a coroner found the death of champion British endurance rider Mike Hall in Canberra was avoidable.
The coronial inquest was the second time the death of a cyclist on the road hit the headlines in Canberra last month, following a crash just over the border in NSW that killed New Zealand Army Major Aaron Couchman.
As fatal crashes happen with such regularity, is it any wonder cyclists fear they could be next?
Every time a cyclist dies on our roads, we inevitably ask what can be done to prevent a repeat.
We've now had enough discussions and seen enough evidence to stop talking and start taking action.
Coroner Bernadette Boss' recommendations from the Mike Hall inquest include that speed limits at major intersections be assessed, and that the ACT amend its legislation to require cyclists to use a flashing rear light when riding in low light conditions on rural roads.
Meanwhile, Mr Ross has called on the ACT government to conduct a cycling safety audit of all rural roads and highways in an around the territory by the end of the year.
This would be a small price to pay if it saved even one life.
The ACT's laws, requiring drivers to maintain a safe distance when passing cyclists, also need to be rigorously enforced to send a message to motorists that cyclists are entitled to be on the roads.
Speaking after the findings of the inquest into Mike Hall's death were handed down, cycling advocate Mark Boast said he was concerned by the number of collisions where cyclists were being hit from behind.
"Cyclists are in the situation where they are doing what they are legally entitled to do and they are not being respected," he said.
In light of that, how can we hope to achieve the ambitions cycling targets set by the ACT government?
The government wants 7 per cent of Canberrans to be riding to work by 2026, but every time an experienced cyclist comes to grief on the road, it becomes harder to convince less confident riders to take up the challenge.
Infrastructure like the shared path along Horse Park Drive, which is under construction, and planned cycleways in Belconnen, Woden and Tuggeranong will surely attract more people to the idea of jumping on a bike.
But there are sensible recommendations in the coronial findings released during this week that would make cycling even safer.
The ACT government taking action on this issue would be welcome news for all cyclists.
