BE SEEN BE SAFE

Campaigners are hoping to pedal home the message of cycle and road safety amongst road users in the kingdom, writes Anasuya Kesavan.

The drive is being initiated by the organisers of the Wheelathon annual charity fund-raising event held at the Bahrain International Circuit on March 19 - and backed by GulfWeekly, Bahrain's No. 1 campaigning community newspaper.

Organisers hope to spread the message, 'Be Seen, Be Safe' amongst everyone who uses the cycle or bike for pleasure or as a mode of transport.

Wheelathon founder and organiser, David Axtell, said: "Cycling is a popular pastime throughout the world and it strikes me that in Bahrain we have got a perfect climate for cycling - certainly for nine-months of the year. So, there is something that is preventing people from getting out there and I think it is a fear for their safety."

The campaign hopes to make it safer on the roads for the thousands of migrant workers who regularly cycle, encourage parents and pupils on to bikes to beat the daily school-run blues, motivate more youngsters to ride as part of the nation's health battle against obesity and urge planners to provide cycle lanes as the country's road network is improved.

Mr Axtell said: "The Wheelathon is an entertainment activity that stands by itself. However, over the past year we have had some high profile cyclists' deaths and it just struck me that perhaps the awareness that comes from the event and with the synergy between the cyclists and the road, Wheelathon is an excellent base for promoting safer cycling.

"Our motto is not only aimed at cyclists but also at motorists because being able to be seen is the first step towards safety. I am approaching specific organisations to help me buy reflective wrist bands as part of the cyclist awareness campaign."

The Be Seen, Be Safe community campaign has already caught the attention and support of numerous community groups.

The Palm Association is volunteering to distribute multi-lingual pamphlets and arm bands in villages, the Migrant Workers Association at labour camps and the Bahrain Motor Federation to the kingdom's universities and public schools.

Mr Axtell, campaign co-ordinator, said: "If you look around Bahrain and think of who are the predominant cycle users, it is probably the Asian labourers and the villagers. While they are frequent road users they do not think of using reflective bands. They can't always afford them or don't know where to buy them and it is not their highest priority.

"The reason for tying them on your wrist is that you will be seen from all angles and almost as importantly you will be seen when you are signalling to take a turn. Of course, the next step is to educate people to signal and learn to be a better cyclist.

"I am also hoping that parents will buy them for their domestic help. These are people who arrive at your home to work and are using the same format of transport at night. They cannot always been seen and they are often using the wrong side of the road and are cycling at you!"

The Axtell family from England, who have made Bahrain their home for the last 15-years, are great promoters of this healthy and green form of transport and can be regularly seen cycling to their weekly hockey games and a jaunt to the local shops in Saar. Father and son, George, eight, frequently cycle to St Christopher's School which the children attend and David is a governor. Little Charlotte, six, tags along in a specially modified bike and wife Sara is also keen cyclist.

David from Saar said: "I am a great believer in practising what you preach and setting an example for your children. I want them to grow up to be healthy individuals who strike a balance between work and leisure and this seems to be an ideal way.

"We are fortunate that the school is only a short distance away from our home and there is a selection of back routes to take without incorporating the school run to get to school.

"We do a number of things to make our journey safer. We scouted the route and made the trip a few times on weekends to be sure of where we were going.

"I cycled with the children on quiet days to ensure that they knew how to behave on the road until I was comfortable to allow them on the road at times when there was more traffic.

"The population in Bahrain is growing and I do see more cycles out on the road. I suspect there are a lot of families who want to cycle. Certainly from cycling to school I get a lot of comments from other parents and the children get it from their classmates about how wonderful it is ... or how dangerous it looks!

"So, the interest levels are definitely high but it is a shame that more isn't done. I do understand that people have concerns about the safety aspect. News reports don't help either. If we can save the one life through somebody being seen and being more visible then it is worth it. Hopefully, we can start a level of awareness."

David, a native of Nottingham - known as the home of Raleigh, a popular English cycling manufacturer - found a gap in this worldwide activity when he settled here. He said he started Wheelathon six-years ago simply to find a safe area for families to come together and cycle. Disabled children also join in by taking to the track in their wheelchairs and the money raised goes to various charities around the kingdom.

It also gives an opportunity to families to cycle safely and use various types of wheels without motors - roller blades, prams, scooting - having a fun day out in a friendly environment and in a fantastic location.

The BIC event has become so popular that last year with perfect weather conditions 800 track-users turned up. Various cycling groups around the kingdom also come to participate and this year members of the Filipino Mounting Biking Association will be acting as marshals.

David said: "We want to provide a better environment for what is a healthy pastime. Not only are there physical benefits but also there are mental benefits as well. If you exercise before work or school you perform better. It raises awareness and concentration.

"There are cycling rules and suggestions in many national highway codes much as there are for other road users.

"I am not going to imagine for one second that by sticking a reflective arm band around a cyclists arm or by giving them a leaflet I am going to cure all the rights and wrongs of cycling road safety in Bahrain. But, these are little steps.

"While there is one element that is geared towards the cyclists there is another that is geared towards the motorists. For instance, we want to tell the truck drivers that if they drive over a pothole there is not much difference to them but if they force a cyclist into a pothole he is likely to fall.

"I am also hoping that motorists will embrace this campaign - wouldn't it be nice to clearly see other road users?

"It is not all about motorists avoiding cyclists but about cyclists being sensible and recognising that there are things that they can do to make the environment safer for themselves.

"The safer it becomes to cycle on our roads in Bahrain the more people will be willing to give it a go.

"Personally, I find it with cycling with my kids that there are many, many considerate road users there. In fact, in some cases it is embarrassing to say that we will be waiting on the side of the road to cross and traffic will come to a standstill to let us pass.

"I certainly would not expect to see a motorist stop to let a cyclist cross in England. It may come as a surprise to many. I have had people driving very slowly when I am out with my children. I have had people giving me a wide berth when I am cycling. I have had people smiling and waving. So, it isn't a one way street. It is all about anticipating all the dangers around you and riding according to the circumstances.

It is a campaign that appears to have struck a cord and I want to continue it step by step. We can use different events to publicise the cause but ultimately 'cycle safety' is something that needs to have a regular occurrence."

Already the 'Be Seen, Be Safe' campaign has generated numerous compliments and offers to assist with education and the distribution and translation of leaflets.

However, this is yet to translate into too many firm commitments for the purchase of the reflective bands with only two bodies formally confirming their initial interest.

Companies are being actively encouraged to purchase these potential life-savers, which can also be branded with a company logo for marketing purposes. Anyone interested can contact Mr Axtell on 39432133 or email editor@gulfweekly.com

Good advice

Wear a cycle helmet.

Wear light clothing in the day and reflective clothing at night.

Use bike lights.

Use flashing lights in a lit area and a constant beam in a non-lit area.

Wear glasses ... pieces of grit can shoot up from a car. Use coloured or yellow glasses at night to enhance the light.

You can do it

There are different things you can do to make cycling safer. One of them is to anticipate things around you. And, that might be other road users and that also might be pedestrians.

Pedestrians don't realise that they have a cyclist around them. They are often on the lookout for bigger vehicles.

Be conscious of your surroundings and anticipate how they can change. For example, when driving close to parked cars always look out for passengers in a car because they can suddenly open a door.

When you see children playing football you know that those children will be focussed on that football and not anything else around.