Axel Downard-Wilke joins cycle safety review panel

Following the deaths of a number of cyclists on New Zealand roads in recent years, a coronial review of cycling safety in New Zealand was undertaken and reached its conclusion in November 2013.

The recommendation arising from the review was that the NZ Transport Agency be tasked with creating a panel drawn from stakeholders with an interest and expertise in cycling and road safety. Following consultation with a number of stakeholders in order to gain a range of views, the Transport Agency selected a group of ten New Zealand-based experts to develop recommendations for making the country’s roads safer for cycling. Members of the panel were announced by the Transport Agency in February 2014.

ViaStrada’s Axel Downard-Wilke is a member of the panel, which aims to improve cycle safety for cyclists in New Zealand. Axel has experience in urban traffic engineering, traffic signals, road safety, intersection design & modelling as well as industry training and research. He joins a group of individuals whose expertise and interest in cycling and road safety is diverse and broad ranging, coming from backgrounds including health, academic, technical, transport, sport and education.

The panel, which is supported by a wider stakeholder group, has commenced work and aims to deliver its findings by the end of September.