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It references that RAC ran the study. I was curious. It turns out it's the "Royal Automobile Club of WA" (Western Australia). More details: https://rac.com.au/

by avivo 9y ago

It references that RAC ran the study. I was curious. It turns out it's the "Royal Automobile Club of WA" (Western Australia). More details: https://rac.com.au/about-rac https://rac.com.au/about-rac and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Automobile_Club_of_Western_Australia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Automobile_Club_of_Weste... It's great to see a historically car focused org trying to replace cars with bikes! It sounds like a pretty incredible organization — curious what the Western Australians here think.

arkem 9y ago
I haven't lived in WA for a while now but I always thought of the RAC as kind of a default roadside assistance and insurance provider. There are plenty of other providers and with a little effort I can recall some of their names but when thinking about car insurance RAC springs to mind immediately. Last time I lived in Australia I owned an electric bike and not a car and it was great. I would rent a car maybe once or twice a year for a long road trip but would otherwise just stick to my bike.
strayamaaate 9y ago
Hi, from Perth, WA. I think it’s a great initiative. We have a similar climate to the US west coast with only a few weeks of rain a year, relatively flat landscape and way too many cars per person (due to public transport and distance). It’s pretty common to drive very short distances to pickup something small. I’m sorely guilty of it. One reason I avoid cycling is that I feel it’s somewhat risky. I lost a close friend in high school who got knocked down by a drunk driver. More bikes on the road raises awareness, so a net positive imho.
- NegativeLatency 9y ago
  North of California it rains regularly for most of the year.
microcolonel 9y ago
Given that electric bicycles are automobiles, it hardly seems much of a stretch to me.
SyneRyder 9y ago
Also checking in from Perth. I'm a bit cynical about our RAC, I know it more for its insurance products, especially Home & Contents, Life & Pet insurance. It doesn't feel like a car organization. However, they do have some cool things. There's a charging station for electric cars at the RAC offices, and they launched a trial of an autonomous electric shuttle bus: http://intellibus.rac.com.au/ http://intellibus.rac.com.au/ Personally, I don't own a car, I'm 95% public transport (with the remainder being Uber, with the cost savings I tend to use Uber Black rather than UberX). Most places I need to go to are on the train line, a short bus ride away, or within walking distance.

by avivo 9y ago

arkem 9y ago

I haven't lived in WA for a while now but I always thought of the RAC as kind of a default roadside assistance and insurance provider. There are plenty of other providers and with a little effort I can recall some of their names but when thinking about car insurance RAC springs to mind immediately. Last time I lived in Australia I owned an electric bike and not a car and it was great. I would rent a car maybe once or twice a year for a long road trip but would otherwise just stick to my bike.

strayamaaate 9y ago

Hi, from Perth, WA. I think it’s a great initiative. We have a similar climate to the US west coast with only a few weeks of rain a year, relatively flat landscape and way too many cars per person (due to public transport and distance). It’s pretty common to drive very short distances to pickup something small. I’m sorely guilty of it. One reason I avoid cycling is that I feel it’s somewhat risky. I lost a close friend in high school who got knocked down by a drunk driver. More bikes on the road raises awareness, so a net positive imho.

NegativeLatency 9y ago
North of California it rains regularly for most of the year.

microcolonel 9y ago

Given that electric bicycles are automobiles, it hardly seems much of a stretch to me.

SyneRyder 9y ago

Also checking in from Perth. I'm a bit cynical about our RAC, I know it more for its insurance products, especially Home & Contents, Life & Pet insurance. It doesn't feel like a car organization. However, they do have some cool things. There's a charging station for electric cars at the RAC offices, and they launched a trial of an autonomous electric shuttle bus: http://intellibus.rac.com.au/ http://intellibus.rac.com.au/ Personally, I don't own a car, I'm 95% public transport (with the remainder being Uber, with the cost savings I tend to use Uber Black rather than UberX). Most places I need to go to are on the train line, a short bus ride away, or within walking distance.