BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Italian specialist manufacturer of padding for cycling apparel, Elastic Interface, has launched a new awareness campaign for cycling road safety.
The initiative, shared with Paola Gianotti, an ambassador of the Italian brand, aims to raise awareness among motorists and cyclists of the importance of sharing the roads safely and respectfully.
Elastic Interface is keen to emphasise the importance of a cultural change in how we share our roads. Legislation is not enough; all road users, cyclists and motorists alike, must follow the highway code and coexist in a civilised manner.
The campaign is in line with common objectives chosen by Elastic Interface – promoting cycling road safety.
“Don’t pass impulsively, pass safely” (Non guidare d’istinto, ma distante): the message of awareness and respect for cyclists is shared on a company van which, since early January, has been taking the urban roads most frequented by cyclists in the province of Treviso, close to the brand’s HQ.
Relevant in Italy. Relevant anywhere bikes are ridden.
In Italy, the topic is always relevant. In the first month of 2025 alone, several incidents, including fatal ones, have already occurred.
2024 statistics make for alarming reading: In Italy alone, a staggering 195 deaths caused by road accidents involving cyclists were recorded.
The lack of cycle lanes and sharing roads with other vehicles makes cyclists particularly vulnerable, especially when training.
Irene Lucarelli, Elastic Interface’s marketing and communication manager, comments: “We are very proud of this campaign; it means a great deal to us and we are happy to share it with others. We are starting small, but have big aspirations: we want to the message to have the widest possible reach, and we are open to collaborations.
“It is vital that we all follow the highway code and pay attention to others when out on the roads, whether we are driving a car or riding a bike. But most importantly, we must pay particular attention to more vulnerable road users as they do not have protection in the event of a collision.”
Passion and personal experience
Cycling road safety is a subject held dear by brand ambassador and athlete Paola Gianotti, with whom Elastic Interface celebrated ten years of collaboration in November 2024 on the 10th anniversary of her round-the-world tour.
Gianotti points out that, having been hit by an inattentive motorist whilst circumnavigating the globe in 2014, she has been active in promoting a cycling road safety campaign – posting her road signs around Italy to remind drivers to keep a safe distance from cyclists and proposing legislation to make the 1.5-metre safety distance compulsory when overtaking.
