Honda Teams Up With The Amy Gillett Foundation

TULLAMARINE, AUSTRALIA – November 4, 2010: Honda Australia announced today that it will partner with the Amy Gillett Foundation to raise awareness of road safety.

Announcing the sponsorship of the Amy Gillett Foundation in Sydney, Honda Australia’s Managing Director and CEO, Mr. Satoshi Matsuzawa, said road safety and the preservation of the environment are the platforms of the company’s foundation.

Mr. Matsuzawa said the Amy Gillett Foundation sponsorship provided an opportunity to promote road safety, by supporting mass participation events that demonstrate in practice how bike riders and motorists can use our roads and promotions aimed at safer practices by all road users. At the same time, Honda aims to strengthen its support for bike riders and cycling.

“Honda has strong links with cycling globally,” Mr. Matsuzawa said. “Cycling has strong parallels with our core value of sustainability and we have been searching for the right opportunity to support a cycling organisation with road safety at its heart.

”Honda understands the environmental benefits of bike riding and low-emission vehicles and we look forward to working with the Amy Gillett Foundation to foster a harmonious and respectful relationship between motorists and bike riders,” he said.

The Amy Gillett Foundation was established in 2005 in memory of champion Australian cyclist Amy Gillett, who was tragically killed while training in Germany. The Foundation aims to reduce the incidence of death and injury caused by the interaction between bike riders and vehicles on the road.

Amy Gillett Foundation CEO Tracey Gaudry, said the Foundation welcomed the partnership with Honda, a car manufacturer with a reputation for putting both safety and the environment first.

“Many bicyclists are involved in accidents inadvertently caused by road users who don’t pay attention or don’t share the road responsibly.

“Honda understands the need to let all road users know that their safety and the safety of others depends on paying strict attention whether driving, riding or walking.

”We appreciate that Honda’s reputation for excellence and innovation in mobility strengthens our voice when speaking with drivers about the vulnerability of bike riders,” Ms. Gaudry said.

Australian Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Honda Dream Team leader Rochelle Gilmore, a former training partner of Amy Gillett, welcomed the sponsorship, which will extend across all Amy Gillett Foundation events, starting with next week’s Share the Road Tour in NSW. Rochelle will lead the tour.

“Honda has a commitment to reducing the road toll through technological advancements and this latest contribution to the cycling community should help spread the safety message.

“I am looking forward to helping Honda spread the road safety message during next week’s tour from Sydney through major regional NSW centres,” Ms. Gilmore said.

Honda Australia looks forward to working with the Amy Gillett Foundation to achieve the goal of safer roads for all road users.