A new report from New Zealand's Safer Journeys, the national government's strategy to guide improvements in road safety over through 2020, provides recommendations for governments at all levels to ensure that bicycling is a safe transportation option.

Produced in response to recent cycling fatalities, the report gives an overview of cycling safety, compares practices in New Zealand to international best practices, and applies a "Safe System" approach to these issues. Safe System views the roadway transportation system holistically as the interactions between the four "elements:"

• The road user
• The road and roadside
• Traffic speed
• The vehicles on the road

The report makes 15 high priority recommendations divided into five categories, including leadership (or safe system enablers), travel speed, road and roadside design, road use or driver behavior, and vehicle design.