Being colourful means being visible on the bicycle

I received an email with the following request: Could you please spread the importance of visible clothing to all these wonderful people who are striving to live a healthy and happy life in our beautiful country.

Hi to all,

I was very sad to read of the accident of Philip le Roux. For a while I have been wanting to write to a cycling organisation as a very dear and longstanding friend, Janet Robson, was killed by a driver who did not stop at a stop street/traffic light on Clovelly Main Road.

After four months in a coma she passed away, a brilliant primary school teacher. Sadly missed by all.

I am not implicating the above friends but my issue is this:

I live in Hout Bay and travel over the mountain roads all the time. My great concern is that many of the cyclists do not wear appropriate colourful garments that are easily visible.

They seem to wear dark clothing with a splash of colour. I am so aware of this on all the roads.

The cycle tracks are wonderful but so many of them cycle abreast, sometimes lingering on the road alongside the track, which defeats the object of staying out of the way of the drivers.

I am a concerned citizen and a retired nurse who has been in the casualty ward where these unfortunate healthy people find themselves in terrible situations – being maimed or disabled for life if not death.

Thank you,

Lecia Bartmann