THE Amy Gillett Foundation has just launched a new safety campaign that shines a spotlight on 11 community leaders in the Alpine Shire who ride bicycles.

“Live, Drive, Ride Like A Local” is all about trying to humanise cyclists to motorists and other road users, and it does so through the anecdotes of people who live in Bright and its surrounds who ride bicycles.

In addition, the safety campaign also surveyed no less than 500 residents, motorists, cyclists and visitors to the Alpine Shire, to better understand their attitudes and perceptions of cyclists in the area.

Dr Marilyn Johnson, Amy Gillett Foundation research and policy manager, and senior researcher at Monash University, said the key messages of the campaign emerged from the research and from extensive conversations with the local community, including key road safety and tourism stakeholders.

“So many people from across the Alpine Shire told us about needing to ride for their mental and physical health and needing that even more during COVID,” Dr Johnson said.

“For example, Phil, the pharmacist in Mount Beauty, talked about spending his days helping people in the community manage their medications and their health.

“He hopes that when people see a cyclist on the road, they say to themselves, oh, that might be Phil, I’ll give them a wave and plenty of space.

“And that’s one of the goals of the campaign, to keep reminding people that people on bikes are often people they know.”

Alpine Shire Council mayor John Forsyth, said the campaign reminds all road users that no matter your choice of vehicle, everyone deserves to be safe and respected on our roads.

“It’s fantastic to see many visitors joining our locals and making use of the region’s unparalleled cycling experiences at the moment,” said Cr Forsyth.

“With so many people in our townships it’s more important than ever to be respectful, to share the road and to give each other space.

“This campaign beautifully captures the personal reasons why our locals ride, and what draws people to the region.”

To view the campaign and here the stories of these 11 local riders, head to https://www.amygillett.org.au/likealocal