Road Rangers have safety as top priority

With the Satellite Championship looming this weekend, the Bestmed Road Rangers will again have the safety of the riders as their top priority.

Organisation chairman Craig Bezuidenhout said the road classic at Maropeng in North West Province was just one of the many cycling events they helped to control throughout the country.

As races began to proliferate, the Road Rangers were formed in 2009 to assist in the protection of riders. They have received support from medical aid company Bestmed.

“One of our five wellness pillars is being safe,” said Bestmed marketing and sales executive Chris Luyt. “This is the reason for our involvement with the Road Rangers.

“We are aware of the fact that safety is our most important factor in all our sport sponsorships.”

Bezuidenhout said training, focus and dedication were all contributing factors in the success of the Road Rangers.

He added there were a number of important tips cyclists could follow such as not jumping red robots, wearing a helmet, keeping their bikes roadworthy and being careful in wet conditions.

“Many collisions occur when a cyclist is on the inside of a vehicle turning left,” he said. “Don’t assume the vehicle is going straight just because it is not signalling left; it’s always better to hang back.”

He also pointed out that many big trucks would pull out to the right first when turning left to create a gap between the vehicle and the kerb.

“Many cyclists think it’s safe to ride into this space, but it is dangerous because the gap quickly disappears when the vehicle swings left.”

He encouraged cyclists to assist them by following the marshals’ requests at all times.

“As Road Rangers we are there to look out for them and when we ask them to get back in line and obey the rules of the road we are not trying to be awkward or inconsiderate, but just doing our best for their safety.”