Adelaide Advertiser: Road safety program launched

L-plate students have a chance to win a new Volvo C30 if they take part in a website questionnaire designed to build cyclist safety into driver education. In an Australian first, the new Road Right program has been designed by the the Amy Gillett Foundation to cut down the 70 cyclist fatalities each year.

Today, Mary Safe, mother of the champion Australian cyclist, who was killed while training two years ago in Germany, launched the program at Annesley College, her daughter Amy’s old school. The three-year national road safety program is an online questionnaire at www.amygillette.org.au and along with thousands of dollars worth of prizes, one lucky participant each year will win a new Volvo C30 motor vehicle valued at $34,450.

“Our campaign is targeted at the 16-year-old learner drivers and in 2005 more than 373,000 learners permits were issued,” Mrs Safe told an assembly of Annesley College senior students today. “Learners are going to be the drivers of the future and we want them to be a lot more aware while on the road and to know how to take care when they come across cyclists.

“Amy isn’t the only cyclist killed on the road. “when you lose a child, you need to find a reason to go on with your life and the foundation has given a purpose, a direction again. “She is still with me, today and she would be saying `good on you, mum’.” Then Annesley College Year 12 student and learner driver took the wheel of the C30 to drive the director of road safety in the Department of Transport, Martin Small for a drive.

Alongside, sharing the road was Annesley junior school student Izzy Farmer, 11, who rides her bike to school from Goodwood each day. And in a poignant coincidence early this morning, Mrs Safe heard from champion Australian cyclist, Lorian Graham, who was road training with Amy on July 18, 2005 when she was struck and killed by a car in Germany, has been selected in the Australian cycling road team.