peek a Boo, been ages.... Still alive and active (and attractive!), :-)

 Well what do you know, yes I'm still around, been a long time!....

Not far away, watch out for more soon. 

Peace and Good Cheer to all, meanwhile check out my Nepal Adventures'''''

New VicRoads rules for cyclists

New VicRoads rules for cyclists

VicRoad changes include new rules relating to helmet and seat use for bicycle passengers and rules for cyclists turning from, and stopping in, bicycle boxes at signalised intersections.

IMPORTANT ROAD LAW UPDATE - PLEASE NOTE: The road rules for cyclists are changing in Victoria.

From 9 November 2009, there will be new rules for cyclists in Victoria.

The changes include new rules relating to helmet and seat use for bicycle passengers and rules for cyclists turning from, and stopping in, bicycle boxes at signalised intersections.

More than 1,000 cyclists are injured in crashes with motor vehicles each year.

These new rules will help improve their safety when riding with traffic.

If both cyclists and their passengers wear helmets, the risk of head injury is reduced in a crash.

Bicycle boxes allow cyclists to wait ahead of traffic at signalised intersections so drivers can see them more easily.

The new road safety rules will come into effect on 9 November 2009 and it’s up to every road user to know them, before they leave home.

THE CHANGES:

Seat and helmet
A bicycle passenger must wear an approved bicycle helmet and sit on a proper seat when riding on a bicycle.

Area reserved for cyclists (bicycle box)
A driver must stop at the first line of the bicycle box while a cyclist must stop at the second line, within the bicycle box. See diagram right.

Turning at intersections
When turning at intersections with a bicycle box a bicycle rider:

• if turning left, must be in the left lane of the reserved area
• if turning right, must be in the right lane of the reserved area (where there is a bicycle box in the right lane). If no reserved area is present a standard right hand turn can be performed by signaling and turning from the right hand turn lane. Alternately a rider may perform a hook turn from the left lane.

What you have to do
If you are a bicycle passenger, make sure you are wearing an approved bicycle helmet and sitting on a proper seat.

If you are using the bicycle box ensure you keep clear of the pedestrian area.

What else can cyclists do to increase safety?

• use lights at night at both the front and rear of the bicycle

Road safety reasons
Cyclists and their passengers are some of the most vulnerable road users. More than 1,000 cyclists are injured in crashes with motor vehicles each year. These new rules aim to improve their safety when riding with traffic.

If both cyclists and their passengers wear helmets, the risk of head injury is reduced in a crash.

Using a proper seat keeps the bicycle more stable and lessens the risk of crashing.

Bicycle boxes allow cyclists to wait ahead of traffic at signalised intersections and to get a head start on motor vehicles. This way cyclists can be more easily seen by drivers.

Click here to view the VicRoads Frequently Asked Questions.

For more information visit the VicRoads website at www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/roadrules or call 1300 360 745

CYCLING PLAN TO BLAME UK DRIVERS BY DEFAULT FOR ALL CRASHES

from eCAN

CYCLING PLAN TO BLAME UK DRIVERS BY DEFAULT FOR ALL CRASHES

20 September 2009- UK Ministers are considering making motorists legally responsible for accidents involving cyclists or pedestrians, even if they are not at fault.

Government advisers are pushing for changes in the civil law that will make the most powerful vehicle involved in a collision automatically liable for insurance and compensation purposes.

The move, intended to encourage greater take-up of environmentally friendly modes of transport, is likely to anger some drivers, many of whom already perceive themselves to be the victims of moneyspinning speed cameras and overzealous traffic wardens.

Many will argue that it is the risky behaviour of some cyclists - particularly those who jump red lights and ride the wrong way along one-way streets - that is to blame for a significant number of crashes.

However, policy-makers believe radical action is required to get people out of cars and onto bicycles or to walk more. Only 1%-2% of journeys are at present made by bike.

Read more here:

Cycling Safety Videos

New Video Clips help cyclists

The Cycling Promotion Fund and the Amy Gillett Foundation launched a series of video clips designed to improve road safety in Melbourne 20th February as part of the Sustainable Living Festival.
The dramatic increase in bicycle rider numbers over recent years has lead to large numbers of relatively inexperienced bicycle riders. These video clips provide bicycle riders and would be riders with practical tips on how to avoid common hazards when riding in traffic.

The Videos cover four vital aspects of Cycling and interacting with traffic, they are

1. Dealing with Intersections
Intersections can be tricky for all road users but particularly bicycle riders. Here are some tips on how to tackle intersections.
2.Heavy Vehicles & CyclistsOur roads are increasingly busy and bicycle riders have to share the road with cars, trucks, buses and trams. Sharing the road with larger vehicles in particular requires awareness, skills and strategies
3.Dealing with car doors
Bicycle lanes are great in providing some marked space for bicycle rider on busy roads. Unfortunately many bicycle lanes are located near parked cars which can become a real hazard
4.Cyclist VisibilityBicycle
Riders are often not on the radar of motorists. Here are some tips to increase your chances of being seen by motorists.

Here are the Vids:

GECKO ON WALL STREET-The SOLUTION

The Gecko's of Wall Street should Pay First BEFORE Congress does any bail-out

Before any Congressional bail-out, something must first take place... not after, BEFORE.

All those responsible for designing and implementing the incentive schemes for sales of Sub Prime Mortgages and for creating an environment for the wholesale dumping of loan packages against securities that did not support value or capacity to repay on default should re-pay all bonuses into the proposed USTreasury Dept.'s Liquidity Bail-OutFund, IMMEDIATELY... I mean all bonuses and profits derived from them post bonus payment.

All the culprits assets should be immediatly frozen no matter where in the world they have secreted their greedy gains away and be re-directed to the Liquidity Fund... hey who knows there might even be surplus that can be directed into health care, education, sustainable transport and greenhouse gas mitigation ...

Oh and in terms of an equitable distribution of liability and tracking the schemes they put in place to create this mess, so they could run away smiling and expect the Feds to prop them up...

(The 700Billion dollars they are calling for now is an obscene abuse of pot calling kettle black.. they are crying (sniff) "we stuffed up so help us keep going so we can keep doing what we have always done, been gready and made people suffer".... NO enough is enough....take the money back from the burrows of the Geckos and their pals, so go after it, get it back)... Well, in this day of electronic records and data storage, all transactions in the past 10 years are trackable, right back to the scheme designers... and thus it is easy peasy to allocate the proportionate liability to those who most benefited and ran...(away leaving the bomb craters)

Congress, first, give the US Federal Justice Department and the FBI some nifty delving work they can get their teeth into...

Go to it Capital Hill, before they spend it all on girls, resorts and cheap thrills in defence contract purchases for foreign governments... its not too late... and then only then, should Congess and other governments around the world think (slowly) about a bail-out...

The greedy have had their day, just like carnivorous practices of big busines's persuit for massive heyday corporate profits and the persuit of executive salary bonuses for failure have had their day...

Congress...don't let the tail pullers wag your body...get on with it and have the guts to go for the creators of this mess NOW not after....their (ummm OUR) money is sitting in their banks now, take it back before you even think about giving them any more!!!

Je suis un radiodiffuseur

...finally... the YarraBUG Radio Show hits the airways...





last Monday at 10am six stalwart bike buddies occupied Studio 1 at 3CR Community Radio in Melbourne and flicked the switch to commence broadcasting a weekly offering to give the cyclist in you a voice in the media maelstrom.



PIC. 1 The Broadcast team from YarraBUG LtoR: Emma, Rob, Val, Steve, Chris & Sonya

The YarraBUG Show is a production of Yarra Bicycle User's Group, with assistance from Yarra City Council's Community Development Grants programme.

YarraBUG's radio program intends to promotes urban cycling as a viable means of transport, provide support to campaigns to improve cycling conditions and awareness; promotes Yarra's cycling conditions, demystifies cycling technology and helps to reveal the diversity of cyclists from children to commuters to lobbyists.

In short, the YarraBUG radio program will encourage people to join in the sheer fun of bicycle riding and sustainable transport.


The show is not only for cyclists, as we'd also love non-cyclists to be in the audience!
I would like to thank the the City of Yarra for the assistance given to YarraBUG via their Community Grants Program to fund the show.

We would also like to thank 3CR Community Radio for their strong support to get the show on air and to 3CR's hardworking staff, especially Elanor, Nicole, Leanne, Bree and Juliet.

YarraBUG is based in the Melbourne inner suburbs of Abbotsford, Alphington, Burnley, Carlton North, Clifton Hill, Cremorne, Collingwood, Fairfield, Fitzroy, Fitzroy North, Princes Hill and Richmond.



YarraBUG advocates on behalf of cyclists for improved cycling conditions with organisations, such as City of Yarra, VicRoads, Bicycle Victoria and many other groups.


YarraBUG is particularly interested in hearing from cyclists who may not be residents of Yarra but who commute daily through the area.

Both cyclists and residents local knowledge, resources and skills are important in creating
awareness and a safe cycling environment in Yarra.

A Bicycle User Group (BUG) is a community based organisation set up by cyclists.


There are a number of different sort of BUGS, such as those defined by a geographical area or workplace or by place of education eg University/TAFE College.


The role of BUGs can be to provide a forum for cyclists to meet and discuss local bicycle issues, work with local government to improve cycling conditions, promote all types of cycling,
assist others to start cycling and arrange and participate in social rides.
YarraBUG program presenters are Emma, Rob, Sonya, Steve, Val and Chris
Yarra Bicycle Users Group: Mondays, 10 - 10.30pm on 3CR Community Radio

and streaming LIVE on the web at http://www.3cr.or.au/ and on the radio at 855AM in Melbourne.

Tune in, , we would love to hear your suggestions for content and if you have material fort us send us contributions through YarraBUG


If you wish to help keep us on air, you can donate, sponsor or subscribe to 3CR and support our show, call 3CR during business hours at (+61) (0)3 9419-0377 they will happily accept your subcription and earmark donations and sponsorship to our show's budget... we are non-profit and rely on your support to stay on the air for you- so call 3CR and be a supporter, they will then send out all the great station show bag materials to you.

Safe cycling, happy listening and remember..LIFE IS BETTER ON A BICYCLE

350.org: Because the world needs to know

350.org VIEW VIDEO

The solution is not more efficient cars for personal mobility, its using bicycles, walking and being less arrogant about "business as usual"- The world has to do things differently if we are to survive. 350 is a reachable and sustainable number of parts per million of CO2 in the atmosphere. Do something about getting there and below while you can...stop driving a car, walk more, ride a bicycle to the shops or work or school, turn off your lights at home, use less heat, wear more clothes, grow your own vegetables and fruit, because if we rely on big business and governments to do it they won't... they want your money at the expense of this planet... so tell them... 350 is the only way out...leave it too long and we are all stuffed !