The story behind the BCCC

By Gav Slavin, event founder

Young people continue to be over represented in road deaths and serious injuries.  

In the year of 2000 my friend Bernard an offshore worker with Esso had left his home and was riding his bike along the main HWY to meet us for our weekend group ride. As we did every weekend. 

Bernard never made it, some 4 hrs later the news hit us that he had been knocked off his bike and killed instantly.  

A driver of a courier company who believed to have been driving for a long period of time, possibly fatigued and was blinded by the sun, he drifted into the cycling lane and collided with Bernard who was killed instantly. 

It was a sad day for his family and friends, he had a wonderful wife and 6 children, he was highly respected throughout the community and with his work colleagues. We never thought something like this could happen to our friend, but you never can tell.

Too close for comfort

Some years later, we were very close to losing our 20-year-old daughter. I received a phone call from the Dandenong Police. All I was told was that my daughter has been in a car accident, she is ok and in the Dandenong Hospital emergency department. The drive down to Dandenong was a long drive, with a variety of emotional thoughts running through my head.  

I arrived at the Hospital only to see my daughter laying on a stretcher semi-conscious and in a neck brace. All I could see was lots of blood on her face and in her hair. The police officer said she was very lucky as the car was a right off. 

Even though she was not driving her car her injuries have affected her ability to work and function properly, her focus and concentration have been affected from head injuries, 7 fractures in her skull, knee problems, and multiple bruising and lacerations to her body. All this could have been avoided if her and the driver made the right choices.  

Today my daughter still suffers with headaches and concentration problems, she is managing with work, we hope that one day her accident memories will leave her behind. 

The inspiration to do better

It’s stories like these – which unfortunately touch too many people’s lives – that inspired the Bass Coast Cycle Challenge, particularly the idea to raise funding to support the education of young drivers and cyclists in schools across Victoria. Education is the key to doing better. And we hope to continue to involve high school students in these highly engaging and interactive workshops, to arm young people with the skills and strategies they need to stay safe on the roads.