FORMER professional cyclist Pat Shaw is pleading with parents to ensure their children have flashing front and rear lights to ride to school.
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Shaw said this past month he noticed few children had the right gear to commute safely on a bike. While he was pleased to see so many young riders, particularly in the busy school zones near Alfredton, he urged them to take care in such high-traffic times.
I see these kids as if they were my kids and I think how vulnerable this child must be.
- Pat Shaw, former professional cyclist
"It kills me. I see these kids as if they were my kids and I think how vulnerable this child must be," Shaw said. "Chuck a set of lights on the bike and given them the opportunity to be better seen."
Shaw said some parents might be unaware of the danger, especially on bright mornings like Ballarat had this week.
But Ballarat winter was still a dark place for riders - and Shaw naturally kept an eye out for those on bikes when he was driving.
He said it could be hard enough riding with his young son to school in the lighter, summer months.
Shaw said a lot of talk was for riders to wear hi-vis vests yet these were still generally most effective in close proximity. Flashing lights, he said, gave a driver at least 30 seconds' notice someone was approaching.
He made a public call for riders to light up via Shaws Cycling Centre's social media, as a platform for people seeking cycling information.
Shaw ran a special at the store this past month for flashing lights to help highlight his point, not as a sales bid, but because he did not want this to become a financial decision for parents.
Most lights, Shaw said, were not too expensive, they were easy to use and USB rechargeable.
Shaw said this was an issue that should also transcend the perennial cyclists-motorists debate for our roads. He felt, as a professional cyclist with 10 years' experience, the need to speak up and try to generate this safety change.
"I think we all need to be respectful to each other because we all have the right to go home safely at the end of the day."
"There's argument a lot of the time on what the law says - regardless of who has right of way, there are cyclists and drivers who sometimes do the wrong thing and make a mistake without meaning to, like running a red light," Shaw said.
"I think we all need to be respectful to each other because we all have the right to go home safely at the end of the day."
Shaw recommends a red tail light and white front light. Flashing lights helped to attract attention to the rider.
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