Barry Cable to lead cyclists into Westar Rules match in Bunbury to promote road safety

11/4/97

Former champion footballer Barry Cable will lead hundreds of cyclists into the Westar Rules match between East Perth and West Perth in Bunbury on Saturday to promote road safety, Transport Minister Eric Charlton said.

Cable will ride from Mandurah to Bunbury for the football match and new road safety slogans for the football clubs will be displayed on the way.

Perth's Cycle Safe, East Perth's Speed Kills and Peel Thunder's Take a Break, Survive slogans will all be put into effect during the ride.

Starting at 9 am from Mandurah's Rushton Park, Cable will ride the 64 km to Myalup by 11.30 am, when he will take a break.

The remaining 30 km to Bunbury will see Cable meet up with a big contingent of junior footballers on bikes at Koonbana Drive at 1.30 pm to ride under police escort to Hands Oval for the East Perth versus West Perth match.

Mr Charlton said the partnership between Westar Rules and DriveSafe formed two weeks ago had been receiving excellent support from football fans and players around the State.

"So far the reaction has been very positive and I know a lot of people have been taking notice of the road safety messages at grounds, on television and in press coverage, as well as within the clubs' networks," he said.

"We intend to go on from here and use football to take the very important message of road safety to the whole community.

"We desperately need to cut the road toll, which stood at 247 deaths last year, the highest it has been for 16 years.

"A big concern is that the 17-24 age group, which includes a lot of footy players, fans and those involved in some way with the game, are the most vulnerable.

"They represent just 13 per cent of our population but a third of drivers killed, a third of passengers seriously injured and half the motorcyclists killed come from this age group.

"It is a big task to raise public awareness and bring in some cultural change in the way people drive on our roads and view road safety.

"But it is something I am not going to ignore, because we all have to take responsibility for road smashes and the cost they cause to the community, not only in dollar terms but personal grief and anguish."

Media contact: Steve Manchee 481 2133