Thirty-five riders, including Olympians, professionals and business leaders, are travelling 835 kilometres between Canberra and Melbourne to highlight road safety messages.

The eighth Amy’s Share The Road Tour reached Corryong on Sunday, then Beechworth on Monday, where the group visited St Joseph’s Primary School.

A key part of the tour, organised by the Amy Gillett Foundation, is the campaign of a metre matters, which calls to legislate a minimum passing distance between vehicles and cyclists.

Rider Andy Sheats said most cycling fatalities involved a car, but Victoria lagged behind other eastern states in changing the overtaking rules.

“We’re just so close in Victoria, where the legislation’s written, it’s sitting on someone’s desk,” Mr Sheats said.

“There’s a lot of goodwill and a lot of people want to do it, but it would be good to see it just completed.” 

The Victorian Parliament’s economy and infrastructure standing committee tabled its report into the proposed bill in September.

A spokesman for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan said VicRoads encouraged drivers to keep at least one metre from cyclists when overtaking and more at higher speeds.

“We always urge drivers to take extra care on the road and keep a safe distance between cyclists,” he said.

Mr Sheats said he had been affected by hearing Amy Gillett’s parents Mary and Denis Safe talk about the elite cyclist’s death.

“The main thing that motivated me was I wanted to do something about this legislation before I ever had to feel that myself,” he said.

Fellow tour rider Lindy Shelmerdine still remembered her reaction to news reports when Amy was killed.

“As a mother of four I just thought, ‘Oh my goodness, we’ve just got to get this safety message out there,” she said. “Having this metre between us and passing cars is just so critical.” 

Both Mr Sheats and Ms Shelmerdine said residents had responded well to the tour.

.“We don’t own the road and cars don’t own the road and pedestrians don’t own the road but we all have to fit on the road together,” Mr Sheats said.