Heath Ryan

Thanks for following me. I will mainly use this account to promote discussion & awareness of cycling safety, active transport, progressive urbanism and action on climate change, But I will also post or repost things that interest me. I will also promote my books; many will be free ePDFs. 1 of 12🧵

PS: You know I love your work for safer streets, and especially your work in Canada and the places south of there. But Australia is so backwards in terms of our legal framework for road safety, we simply can’t afford to waste real opportunities to effect positive change.

I cover stories where cyclists get killed by Australian drivers who fail to drive safely and who drive vehicles that are not safe for pedestrians and people on bikes. Unless we ask the hard questions here in Australia, nothing will change and more people will be needlessly maimed and killed.

Question 4: Hey @tomflood.bsky.social, did you ask the organisers why the vast majority of interactions on residential streets only have give way (yield) signs, and not stop signs?

Question 3: Hey @tomflood.bsky.social, did you ask the organisers why states like Victoria allow side windows to have 70% dark tinting that prevents people like school kids from making eye contact with drivers?

Question 2: Hey @tomflood.bsky.social, did you ask the organisers why half of Australia’s states and territories allow drivers to drive vehicles without even having a single annual roadworthy test, unless of course they plan to sell their vehicle?

Question 1: Hey @tomflood.bsky.social, did you ask the organisers why Australia allows drivers to drive without real insurance that covers property and that has premiums that rise with risk, thus positively impacting driver behaviour?

Trump and Pete Hegseth are still blocking the transfer of Patriot air defense missiles from European countries to Ukraine.

Someone finally found a good use for AI.

Nice. My main with this approach by the ‘Bike Boy’ people is their political campaign feels ANTI-LABOR and it’s only PRO BICYCLE by coincidence. If they really wanted pro-bicycle and safe streets advocacy, they would have started years ago, like I did. I’m less than impressed. But a very nice ad.

(You will soon find that I am always right and never give in. Haha. And I love laughing at myself.)

It only takes one driver who doesn’t stop to kill a kid. I’m currently wiring a book and interviewing 20 families about their grief. I guess you were lucky. I was almost run over and killed as a child in Toronto. The next week that intersection became and still is a four-way stop. Live and learn.

1. Smart jurisdictions have Idaho stops for bikes. 2. Try being a kid in Australia wanting to walk to school. It’s a death wish as drivers simply never stop at side street intersections. Hence parents drive them 200 metres to school every day in huge SUVs.

Not quite. Australia’s CTP or 3rd party is only medical not property. And premiums never meaningfully increase with risk (bad drivers don’t pay more). So this ‘fake news’ third party does nothing to change driver behaviour. If a driver hits your bike, you need to take them to court to get it fixed.

We have some of the world's most dangerous drivers. I know: I was born and raised in Canada near where Tom lives. Since then I've ridding 235,000 kms in 39 countries including Mexico, Belize, America and Ukraine. Guess what, Australia has the worst drivers. And insurance is optional. Google it.

Brazilian media has now called Lula’s victory.

Looks like Lula has done it Bolsonaro would need 65% average of the remaining votes to come back.

Trump is pushing a Russian agent for the next secretary general of the UN.

The US administration is complicit in Russia’s war crimes, and Trump is either a Russian asset or a Russian agent - take your pick.

"[Donald Trump] has got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory." --Barack Obama

"These are not serious people." Nice line. Can I quote you?

I think this statement that Putin is a humanist will go down in the annals of history in the same way as Chamberlain's words that he achieved "peace for our time", or some of Stalin's praises. This is shameful and disgusting.

🇺🇦🚀 Zelensky: Some countries think they need to keep their interceptors for themselves. They are ready to help Ukraine, but first they need to defend themselves. But that will not help if Ukraine falls, if Russia breaks our defensive lines.

🇺🇦🙏 Zelensky: During this year of war, we have received dozens, perhaps a few hundred, missiles to defend our skies. Middle Eastern countries used about 2,000 in the first 48 hours of the war. That doesn't mean we shouldn't support Middle Eastern allies. Everything has to be competitive.

🇺🇦 Zelensky: Russia produces 140 ballistic missiles every month, and they already have 700 ballistic missiles in storage. Everybody talks about these missiles, but you can solve this problem.

Yes, I read an article about this. Basically all forms of crime are at historic lows *except* shoplifting and fare dodging/barging through the ticket barriers at stations.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales is considered to be the most accurate measure of how crime levels change over time. Since 1995, as levels of immigration have risen, crime has fallen by 75%. A person was FOUR TIMES as likely to be a victim of crime in 1995 as they are today.

Kudos to NBC New York for saying it without equivocation: "The US is to blame for the world falling behind in the fight against climate change."

Have lit my candles for Helen Haines.

Sending the love and support of the Kooyong community to Helen and Phil, to Helen’s family, her staff, her volunteers, and the people of Indi. We’re with you in our hearts and minds. 🧡

Have lit my candles for Helen Haines.

Seems legit

Wait, did you just say Elon controls one of the world’s most sophisticated satellite communications systems, including Starshield, without government oversight?

The sacking of Federov, who was close to Musk, starts to make sense now.

👀🇺🇸 A new book alleges that Dutch intelligence hacked Jared Kushner's phone and watched him access a Dubai bank account holding hundreds of millions of dollars that came from a bank in Azerbaijan, - Vanity Fair The claim comes from Princes and Thieves, a book by investigative journalist Matthew Cole

The use of a cluster warhead in a densely populated historic district underscores the extreme danger posed to civilians by this strike.

2,250 Russian casualties (killed and seriously injured) in just the past 24 hours.

2,250 Russia men (aka soldiers) either killed or seriously wounded in just 24 hours. The total for October will be above 50,000 Russia casualties in just 31 days.

Let's light a few candles across Australia tomorrow. 8 pm in Melbourne.

It's dishonest, not clueless, but also disgraceful. Days before Helen Haines MP was attacked, the PMO was circulating to the media disinfo implying she was guilty of porkbarrelling when she was just working for her constituents. Could this bring about a change of party leader? I certainly hope so.

Not every day you see a politician own a trillionaire rather than the other way around. #Talarico #Texas