8 June 2011

Cyclist down in Barton

| johnboy
Join the conversation
60

A 47-year-old Fadden man is recovering in The Canberra Hospital after being hit by a car while riding his bicycle earlier this morning (Wednesday, June 8).

About 7.35am the man was cycling along Kings Avenue in Barton when a silver Mitsubishi Magna collided with him. The driver of the Magna fled the scene without stopping.

The cyclist was wearing a bright yellow fluoro jacket with rear lights. He was taken to The Canberra Hospital with minor injuries.

Police would like to speak with any witnesses who may have witnessed the collision who have not yet spoken to police or anyone who may be able to identify the driver of the silver Mitsubishi Magna to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers website on www.act.crimestoppers.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously.

[Courtesy ACT Policing]

Join the conversation

60
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

scorpio63 said :

I cycle although must disagree with some posters who think that during peak hour traffic times (morning in particular around Manuka and Barton) cars and bikes can co-exist well.

No, they do not.

For instance, last week travelling through Barton at 40ks during high volume traffic, waiting lengthy periods at traffic lights, slowly passing building works and workers walking around, I encountered two people on bikes swerving from the left literally out of no-where into the direct path of another vehicle in front of me, weaving in and out of cars taking off at the green lights. In between. Not on the left, not behind other vehicles. No bright coloured clothing and blatant disrespect for all other road users.

I note that quite a few do not wear helmuts at all and prefer beanies.

When or if they fly through the air after having been hit by a vehicle, who will be the first person they or their family members blame and/or sue (after breaking the law on two counts themselves)?

.

They did not give way, whizzed and weaved in between the slower cars taking off at the lights which is illegal for any bikes. , high volume traffic)

That’s like saying cars shouldn’t be on the road because you saw one breaking the road rules! I see cyclists do dangerous things regularly, just like I see cars do stupid things every day. But if you stick to the rules and don’t take shortcuts at the expense of your own or others’ safety, it’s perfectly feasible for cars and bikes to co-exist on the road.

I had t get used to not being able to ride in the same way here as I used to ride in the European country I grew up in. There, bikes are faster than cars most times of the day and it’s accepted by everyone to weave in and out of traffic as there’s not really any other way to go. And nobody wears a helmet.

Here I am a lot more careful. I will never negotiate big roundabouts or turns at big intersections on the bike in the car lane for example, because it’s too freaky. I will try to avoid them or cross at the pedestrian crossings.

scorpio63 said :

I note that quite a few do not wear helmuts at all and prefer beanies.

I don’t think so.
I actually do ride and the only people I see riding around without helmets are bogans on their bmx’s sucking on a stubbie while smoking a cigarette.

I cycle although must disagree with some posters who think that during peak hour traffic times (morning in particular around Manuka and Barton) cars and bikes can co-exist well.

No, they do not.

For instance, last week travelling through Barton at 40ks during high volume traffic, waiting lengthy periods at traffic lights, slowly passing building works and workers walking around, I encountered two people on bikes swerving from the left literally out of no-where into the direct path of another vehicle in front of me, weaving in and out of cars taking off at the green lights. In between. Not on the left, not behind other vehicles. No bright coloured clothing and blatant disrespect for all other road users.

I note that quite a few do not wear helmuts at all and prefer beanies.

When or if they fly through the air after having been hit by a vehicle, who will be the first person they or their family members blame and/or sue (after breaking the law on two counts themselves)?

.

They did not give way, whizzed and weaved in between the slower cars taking off at the lights which is illegal for any bikes. , high volume traffic)

Innovation said :

canberralocal said :

Cheap said :

I really think that there is no place for cyclists on the road, and I used to cycle almost every day.

Agreed. Plus, the incorporation of cycle lanes onto existing roads such as Northbourne Avenue makes already narrow roads even trickier when negotiating three lanes of traffic, plus right hand turning lanes. There large cars (ie Ford Fairlanes, Holden Statesmans) or 4WDs side by side is enough to handle without worry about some cyclist pedalling away on the left, probably oblivious to the ****fight going on next to him.

I presume that ADR’s specify maximum width of road registered vehicles and that standards specify minimum marked lane widths. If you are having trouble keeping your car in the marked lane perhaps you or your car shouldn’t be there.

+1000!

Gungahlin Al10:44 pm 12 Jun 11

c` said :

Gungahlin Al said :

Avoiding riding on the ridiculously narrow and dangerous Northbourne Ave “on-road cycle lane”. I am sick of ACTION bus drivers swerving towards me.

Non issue for me. The bus stops are clearly marked and I look back as I approach each to make sure I’m not going to get run down and I slow down if necessary to give the bus enough room to make the stop. They’re big. I defer to them. At the time I ride to work, you’re riding at the speed of the traffic, or much faster, anyway.

Did I say anything about them swerving at cyclists only at bus stops??

Gungahlin Al10:41 pm 12 Jun 11

AKT said :

Gungahlin Al said :

This morning woman walked from behind hedge straight onto footpath right in front of me without looking – missed by half metre.

Tsk Tsk Tsk…how dare those pesky pedestrians want to use the footpath. There was probably a perfectly good bike path near you or even a nice bike line on the road, but you opted for the footpath. Like so many bike riders whinge abourt cars not looking out for them…the onus is on the bike rider/s who chooses to use the footpath to watch out for pedestrians.

I’m glad your world is so black and white. Must be so much easier for you to deal with life.

She would have walked into a pedestrian as well. The problem is that she didn’t even try to look and their property allows a dense hedge to grow right next to their walkway onto the footpath – no sightline to speak of.

It’s simple – the footpath can be legally used by pedestrians, joggers and cyclists. So anyone stepping from behind a bush needs to look around themselves first.

canberralocal said :

Cheap said :

I really think that there is no place for cyclists on the road, and I used to cycle almost every day.

Agreed. Plus, the incorporation of cycle lanes onto existing roads such as Northbourne Avenue makes already narrow roads even trickier when negotiating three lanes of traffic, plus right hand turning lanes. There large cars (ie Ford Fairlanes, Holden Statesmans) or 4WDs side by side is enough to handle without worry about some cyclist pedalling away on the left, probably oblivious to the ****fight going on next to him.

I presume that ADR’s specify maximum width of road registered vehicles and that standards specify minimum marked lane widths. If you are having trouble keeping your car in the marked lane perhaps you or your car shouldn’t be there.

canberralocal said :

Cheap said :

I really think that there is no place for cyclists on the road, and I used to cycle almost every day.

Agreed. Plus, the incorporation of cycle lanes onto existing roads such as Northbourne Avenue makes already narrow roads even trickier when negotiating three lanes of traffic, plus right hand turning lanes. There large cars (ie Ford Fairlanes, Holden Statesmans) or 4WDs side by side is enough to handle without worry about some cyclist pedalling away on the left, probably oblivious to the ****fight going on next to him.

When I read the reactions on topics like this, I find most Canberrans sound like spoiled children.

I’ve never had an issue with the lane widths on that road. And even if you do find it scary to drive next to a bus or truck or 4WD or whatever there, it shouldn’t matter if there’s a cyclists on the bike lane because there’s a big white fat line between that and the car lane and all you have to do is to not go over it.

canberralocal5:07 pm 11 Jun 11

Cheap said :

I really think that there is no place for cyclists on the road, and I used to cycle almost every day.

Agreed. Plus, the incorporation of cycle lanes onto existing roads such as Northbourne Avenue makes already narrow roads even trickier when negotiating three lanes of traffic, plus right hand turning lanes. There large cars (ie Ford Fairlanes, Holden Statesmans) or 4WDs side by side is enough to handle without worry about some cyclist pedalling away on the left, probably oblivious to the ****fight going on next to him.

Gungahlin Al said :

This morning woman walked from behind hedge straight onto footpath right in front of me without looking – missed by half metre.

Tsk Tsk Tsk…how dare those pesky pedestrians want to use the footpath. There was probably a perfectly good bike path near you or even a nice bike line on the road, but you opted for the footpath. Like so many bike riders whinge abourt cars not looking out for them…the onus is on the bike rider/s who chooses to use the footpath to watch out for pedestrians.

Classified said :

Canberra roads would be far safer if people were more interested in asserting intelligent thought than legal rights.

+1

Excellent observation.

What was the speed limit where this guy got hit? 60 or 80km/h?

I agree that there is an increased risk for bicycles in on road bike lanes on faster flowing roads. But I don’t think that means a cyclist is insane if they choose to ride there. Are pedestrians walking along the sides of roads (or crossing roads) insane and, as someone pointed out earlier, are drivers of small cars insane because they have to share the roads with semis?

If you all can’t “play” nicely with the cyclists, pedestrians and slow car drivers on the roads then I suggest you all get punished. How about the left hand lane of any road that is adjacent to a cycle lane is speed limited to 50km/h?

Funny video highlighting some of the issues where bike lanes are not segregated from the rest of the traffic –

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bzE-IMaegzQ

I am all for these segregated lanes as long as they build onto the side of the road, and not just add an extra lane within the confines of the already existing lanes. I drive a Ford Galaxie, this habit of just chucking a bike lane in and squishing the existing lanes is really becoming a pain in the ass.

Canberra roads would be far safer if people were more interested in asserting intelligent thought than legal rights.

BicycleCanberra said :

If we had a ‘cycling lobby group’ who supported international best practice then maybe things might have been different.

Seek and ye shall find: Pedal Power, a Canberran cyclist lobby group.

And yes, Pedal Power and The ACT Greens are pushing the issue of Copenhagen style cycle lanes. I’ve seen this style of cycle path in Amsterdam too. If you think Canberran cyclists are pushy, just spend a week in Amsterdam (and remember that in Amsterdam, motor scooters can use cycle lanes too 🙂

(previous reporting on Copenhagen style paths right here on the RiotACT).

Bazza62 said :

It’s dangerous enough driving a car in Canberra, let alone riding a bicycle. I saw an idiot riding his bicycle on Melrose drive today with a child in tow in a small covered bicycle trailer. I hope they got to their destination safely.

How did you know he was an idiot? Was he carrying a sign?

Yeh, he definitely had a child in the trailer.

He was attached to the trailer by a long bar that made his bike and the trailer probably a little longer than a medium-sized car. I hope he makes allowances for the extra length. And remembers the child is there.

c` said :

The bus stops are clearly marked and I look back as I approach each to make sure I’m not going to get run down and I slow down if necessary to give the bus enough room to make the stop.

Ah, they should make mirrors on bikes mandatory, I reckon! I wouldn’t ride without one anymore. Had the same situation on Northbourne this morning, saw the bus approaching in my mirror when I was fairly close to the bus stop and decided to slow down, give him space to stop and wait behind it till it took off again. Common sense indeed. And way less annoying than having to ride close to parked cars, especially at drop-off spots!

Gungahlin Al said :

Avoiding riding on the ridiculously narrow and dangerous Northbourne Ave “on-road cycle lane”. I am sick of ACTION bus drivers swerving towards me.

Non issue for me. The bus stops are clearly marked and I look back as I approach each to make sure I’m not going to get run down and I slow down if necessary to give the bus enough room to make the stop. They’re big. I defer to them. At the time I ride to work, you’re riding at the speed of the traffic, or much faster, anyway.

I do make an apology for nearly getting run down on Mort street, this morning. I was riding near the kerb alongside stopped traffic but did not notice a car had left a opening for someone to turn across the traffic into a driveway. I should have been wearing brown pants.

So, to Black SUV Ute thing guy, sorry. Both you and me were trying to occupy the same point in space-time

Jono said :

It would take you about 5 minutes to search and find the answers to your desire for stats – but those stats would get in the way of your rant so you’re unlikely to bother.

There have been 4 cyclist deaths on Canberra roads since the start of the year 2000. Two were last year, one in Wanniassa, and one near Tharwa. There was one in 2006 on Fitz’s Hill down near Namadgi and one in 2005 in Greenway. None anywhere near Northbourne Ave in at least 12 years, which is well before the onroad cycling lanes were put in.

Of some note, in the same period, 34 people on motorcycles have died on ACT roads.

I admit that I did do a Google and didn’t find them! So thanks heaps. 🙂

What never ceases to surprise me is that people will call you an idiot if – as a cyclist – you trust that cars will NOT suddenly swerve into you when you share the road with them. How often does that happen? Numbers anyone?

I don’t see people calling car drivers idiots for trusting other cars on the road will do the right thing. You may expect that they practise defensive driving, but in the end there are lots of situations when you drive that could end really badly if the other driver/s decide to suddenly go mad and ignore the road rules.

Same with pedestrians. Yes, you look and make eye contact before you step onto a zebra crossing, but I’ve never been called an idiot for expecting the driver that slowed down and made eye contact to actually stop for me as I cross.

There are so many traffic situations that rely on trusting other road users. Why is this so different when you ride your push bike?

And don’t say: You’re more vulnerable, because indeed so are pedestrians, motorcyclists and people in smart cars and the likes.

It does make me feel safer to ride on a seperated bike path/lane. But I have no reason to think that riding on an on-road bike lane is suicidal. And if you are one of the many people in Canberra who think like that, I think you’re totally weird!

ABC129 said :

KB1971 said :

Bazza62 – Did the guy actually have a child in the trailer or was he carrying his gear for the day? I have seen a few guys using them to transport goods & quite often you cant see in them until you are right there passing.

I’ve seen this guy and he does have a child in the trailer – at least he’s graduated from carrying him in a backpack along Adelaide Ave like he used to! … still think he’s got rocks in his head. When my son is in the trailer on the back of my bike I stick to the paths.

Ahhh, I know the guy you mean. On my few trips from Woden along Adelaide Ave I have seen him. Kudos for him for doing it but I have to agree that he is placing his child at risk which really goes against the pricipled of parenthood.

BicycleCanberra11:23 am 09 Jun 11

Watson said :

Deref said :

But I do not agree with banning bikes off roads. It is just not possible to replace all on-road bike lanes with off-road bike paths nor to have a bike path passing by everyone’s driveway.

As long as a majority of drivers think that bikes should not share the road with them, there will remain a significant proportion of them who will think it is not their responsibility to watch out for them. Laws will indeed not change that, but a cultural change is what is needed.

People who rides bikes on poorly designed infrastructure like cycle lanes on high speed high volume roads will always be taking a risk but then the ACT Government is encouraging us to do so by putting these lanes on major arterial roads and highways. This is not supported by international best practice where cycle infrastructure is physical separated on roads like these.
If we had a ‘cycling lobby group’ who supported international best practice then maybe things might have been different.
Cycle lanes are used on minor streets with low traffic and speeds and you can only share roads that have speed limits of 40km/h and less.
To my recollection there is no cycle lanes on Kings Ave but that’s no excuse not to give cyclists enough room when passing and not to stop to see if he is alright. Maybe this might make you think twice when cutting off a cyclist.
http://bicyclecanberra.blogspot.com/2011/06/driver-found-guilty.html

ABC129 said :

KB1971 said :

Bazza62 – Did the guy actually have a child in the trailer or was he carrying his gear for the day? I have seen a few guys using them to transport goods & quite often you cant see in them until you are right there passing.

I’ve seen this guy and he does have a child in the trailer – at least he’s graduated from carrying him in a backpack along Adelaide Ave like he used to! … still think he’s got rocks in his head. When my son is in the trailer on the back of my bike I stick to the paths.

I have to agree. I am regular commuter cyclist and stick to paths and streets rated at 50 km/h or lower. Too risky to dice it on fast roads. I cart my kids in a trailer and then try to keep to paths. I would support onroad cycling on roads like Adelaid avenue if there was some physical separation e.g. a concrete kerb.

KB1971 said :

Bazza62 – Did the guy actually have a child in the trailer or was he carrying his gear for the day? I have seen a few guys using them to transport goods & quite often you cant see in them until you are right there passing.

I’ve seen this guy and he does have a child in the trailer – at least he’s graduated from carrying him in a backpack along Adelaide Ave like he used to! … still think he’s got rocks in his head. When my son is in the trailer on the back of my bike I stick to the paths.

This is terrible, particularly that the driver bolted.

In regard to riding on the pavement, it certainly is legal, and I do it sometimes, very carefully. But the other day, someone rode very fast at my daughter and me walking to school. My daughter just froze.

If he had hit her, he would have caused serious injury, as he was going so fast. I managed to get her out of the way in time. This was just outside a primary school, with lots of little kids milling around. It really makes you despair when you see behaviour like this.

Some people are irresponsible, whether in cars or on bikes. It’s just that cars usually cause more damage.

Steve walks warily down the street,
With the brim pulled way down low
Ain’t no sound but the sound of his feet,
Machine guns ready to go
Are you ready, Are you ready for this
Are you hanging on the edge of your seat
Out of the doorway the bullets rip
To the sound of the beat

now all together.

desertdreaming9:47 am 09 Jun 11

I must admit that more than one person has described my driving skills as very good and I do make a point of keeping my eyes open on the road for cyclists, as well as motorbikes, kids chasing balls, chaps in hoodies in Reid and Braddon, baby ducks etc. Yet at least 2-3 times a year I have near misses with cyclists because they (a) were out and about in the Canberra gloom wearing dark clothes with poor or missing lighting and either (b) they were riding on the footpaths and then jumped to the road without checking, or otherwise expecting me to give way. Sad to hear that the cyclist in the accident was wearing his fluro but it is an essential to be in your high-viz !! Dont wear the dark greys and black stackhats if visibilty is what you seek !!!!!!!!!!

Watson said :

I think a lot of it has to do with car drivers being unwilling to take the responsibility for looking out for bikes. Or god forbid, having to slow down for them when they cannot overtake them straight away in a narrow street. It’s a culture that took me a long time to get used to and it hasn’t gotten much better in the 14 years I’ve been here.

While I cringe at the actions of a lot of cyclists (especially the students that get around the city) I think this is a very valid point.

On my 30km commute I use the bike paths as much as possible, 2km of road I cannot avoid as there is no bike path. Its a 50 & 60 zone & some people seem to have no concept of passing safely in certain areas like roundabouts, T intersections school crossings & the like.

A couple of other sections of road I use are Alexandrina Dve & Commonwealth Ave, Alexandrina Dve (this happens as well when I am riding the Cotter loop) people will pass you on the opposite side of the road on a blind corner. I just can’t fathom how they think that passing a bike is different to passing another car, you wait for a straight section, once its clear you pass. How hard can it be????

Commonwealthe Ave is usually pretty good as the traffic is usually moving pretty slow at the time I move through there.

I have to say though, the majority of vehicle drivers are courteous & will work around you. Canberra is pretty good really.

#9 Chop71 – Please quantify the injuries & why you think the cyclist is a fault? (this is the insinuation I get from your post) I have a mate that never rides on the road (MTB) & he has had a couple of bad accidents. People still need to have hobbies, why is the cyclist the bain of the emergency department any more than someone who is overweight & smokes? Are those riders doing something stupid at the time or was someone else at fault?

Bazza62 – Did the guy actually have a child in the trailer or was he carrying his gear for the day? I have seen a few guys using them to transport goods & quite often you cant see in them until you are right there passing.

Bazza62 said :

It’s dangerous enough driving a car in Canberra, let alone riding a bicycle. I saw an idiot riding his bicycle on Melrose drive today with a child in tow in a small covered bicycle trailer. I hope they got to their destination safely.

Was probably the same idiot I saw riding down Hindmarsh Avenue in peak hour morning traffic, literally 5 metres away from the cyclist path.

I really think that there is no place for cyclists on the road, and I used to cycle almost every day.

Grumpy Old Fart10:38 pm 08 Jun 11

Run over all the cyclists who use the road and that should train them to stay on the bike paths!!

Maybe the bloke in the Magna was looking for the rego fee on the bike to ensure the cyclist was making a contribution to the maintenance of the road system?

Better still lets get the tree hugging plastic bag hating Greens to force labour to roll out a new bike path network……

OpenYourMind10:32 pm 08 Jun 11

All those arguments about bicycle are dangerous and cars shouldn’t have to share can be taken to their logical conclusion. Motorbikes come off second best, lets ban them. Small cars come off worse than big cars (generally), lets ban them. Cars come off worse than trucks, lets all just zip around in our big rigs!

aussielyn said :

We need cycling accidents statistics displayed for public safety. Is it one or two deaths on Northbourne Ave last year? This should happen like roads statistics, black spots for cyclists. The stupidity of squeezing traffic lanes in Northbourne Ave to provide bike lines creates a gauntlet of challenge for a macho cyclist. The Building of Australia (BCA) cites the minimum width of the lane, beautiful! Feel the squeeze if you are a bus, truck, Winnebago.
The green strips, give way to cyclists, create rage to mad motorists. We cannot outlaw stupidity but we must think about mixing cyclists with motorists. We have mad cyclists mixing with mad motorists, me, me, and me.
The bike shops selling baby trailers should be outlawed. The traffic engineers that put cycling lines that end and merge into a traffic lane, e.g. the end of Wentworth Ave, should attend the hospital emergency ward.
The traffic engineer that designed that incredibly narrow bridge over the Molonglo River (God Bless Sylvia Curley) at the intersection of the Monaro Highway needs a reality check. At least he got the cyclists out of it.
This problem is not going away, it will just get worse.

Won’t anyone think of the children?!

There are definitely improvements to be made, noone is denying that. But I’ve ridden on the Northbourne Ave bike lane myself quite a few times. It’s not worse than anything I grew up with in Europe. Sure, the trucks and buses come pretty close to you, but I don’t think it’s worse than driving the car from the city to Dickson in peak hour, when I also have to trust that cars won’t suddenly swerve into me when we get to the lane merge after Dickson. I might have a better chance of getting out of the car alive if that happens, but that depends on the circumstances, especially speed.

I think a lot of it has to do with car drivers being unwilling to take the responsibility for looking out for bikes. Or god forbid, having to slow down for them when they cannot overtake them straight away in a narrow street. It’s a culture that took me a long time to get used to and it hasn’t gotten much better in the 14 years I’ve been here.

aussielyn said :

We need cycling accidents statistics displayed for public safety. Is it one or two deaths on Northbourne Ave last year?

It would take you about 5 minutes to search and find the answers to your desire for stats – but those stats would get in the way of your rant so you’re unlikely to bother.

There have been 4 cyclist deaths on Canberra roads since the start of the year 2000. Two were last year, one in Wanniassa, and one near Tharwa. There was one in 2006 on Fitz’s Hill down near Namadgi and one in 2005 in Greenway. None anywhere near Northbourne Ave in at least 12 years, which is well before the onroad cycling lanes were put in.

Of some note, in the same period, 34 people on motorcycles have died on ACT roads.

We need cycling accidents statistics displayed for public safety. Is it one or two deaths on Northbourne Ave last year? This should happen like roads statistics, black spots for cyclists. The stupidity of squeezing traffic lanes in Northbourne Ave to provide bike lines creates a gauntlet of challenge for a macho cyclist. The Building of Australia (BCA) cites the minimum width of the lane, beautiful! Feel the squeeze if you are a bus, truck, Winnebago.
The green strips, give way to cyclists, create rage to mad motorists. We cannot outlaw stupidity but we must think about mixing cyclists with motorists. We have mad cyclists mixing with mad motorists, me, me, and me.
The bike shops selling baby trailers should be outlawed. The traffic engineers that put cycling lines that end and merge into a traffic lane, e.g. the end of Wentworth Ave, should attend the hospital emergency ward.
The traffic engineer that designed that incredibly narrow bridge over the Molonglo River (God Bless Sylvia Curley) at the intersection of the Monaro Highway needs a reality check. At least he got the cyclists out of it.
This problem is not going away, it will just get worse.

Bazza62 said :

It’s dangerous enough driving a car in Canberra, let alone riding a bicycle. I saw an idiot riding his bicycle on Melrose drive today with a child in tow in a small covered bicycle trailer. I hope they got to their destination safely.

A bit off topic but –
I have seen those little trailers. I think they are a grouse idea! If it was me riding that bike with my daughter in the back I’d only ride on bike paths though.

bryansworld said :

Watson said :

Bazza62 said :

It’s dangerous enough driving a car in Canberra, let alone riding a bicycle. I saw an idiot riding his bicycle on Melrose drive today with a child in tow in a small covered bicycle trailer. I hope they got to their destination safely.

That post really says a lot about you. Mainly that you probably have not been to many other places in the country/world. Cars and bikes can actually co-exist on busy roads. But if everyone keeps clinging onto this attitude that you have to be crazy to ride a bike because it’s just too dangerous, drivers are not going to change their attitudes and start paying more attention to the other road users.

They’re there, they won’t go away, so look out for them. And if they stick to the rules, you know where to expect them so there’s no excuse for not seeing them.

+1

How dare someone not drive everywhere – getting fat and polluting the planet in the process?!

That was going to be my next point actually. Maybe people haven’t considered that some people don’t own a car.

But hey, the more cars on the road, the slower traffic will be and the safer it will be for cyclists, so bring it on!

There would be plenty of ACTION buses around that area at that time of day. This Magna would surely have been caught soon before or soon after the incident by an ACTION bus security camera. I believe each bus has a number of cameras, one of which films through the front windscreen.

Watson said :

I’m sorry about your friends. That is truly sad.

But I do not agree with banning bikes off roads. It is just not possible to replace all on-road bike lanes with off-road bike paths nor to have a bike path passing by everyone’s driveway.

but a cultural change is what is needed.

A cultural change would be unlikely to reduce the number of drunk/incompetent/texting/distracted/psychopaths behind the wheel. Bike riders will always come off second best in a collision, and nothing will prevent collisions between bikes and cars, though perhaps you could reduce them.

You can, rightly, assert your rights, but if you have a wife or a husband or children, ask them whether they’d be comforted by that “I was right!” epitaph on your grave stone.

Holden Caulfield said :

I’m sorry to hear of your friends Deref. However, stories like yours are why I hold the opinion that cars and bikes should share the road as little as possible, if at all.

Thanks – and yeah – that’s exactly what I was saying.

Mr Gillespie said :

nsn said :

Gungahlin Al said :

This morning woman walked from behind hedge straight onto footpath right in front of me without looking – missed by half metre.

What were you doing riding on a footpath?

What? What sort of a question is that?

Riding on a footpath is SAFER than riding on the road isn’t it????

Safer for the cyclist, maybe.

Watson said :

Bazza62 said :

It’s dangerous enough driving a car in Canberra, let alone riding a bicycle. I saw an idiot riding his bicycle on Melrose drive today with a child in tow in a small covered bicycle trailer. I hope they got to their destination safely.

That post really says a lot about you. Mainly that you probably have not been to many other places in the country/world. Cars and bikes can actually co-exist on busy roads. But if everyone keeps clinging onto this attitude that you have to be crazy to ride a bike because it’s just too dangerous, drivers are not going to change their attitudes and start paying more attention to the other road users.

They’re there, they won’t go away, so look out for them. And if they stick to the rules, you know where to expect them so there’s no excuse for not seeing them.

+1

How dare someone not drive everywhere – getting fat and polluting the planet in the process?!

Mr Gillespie4:36 pm 08 Jun 11

nsn said :

Gungahlin Al said :

This morning woman walked from behind hedge straight onto footpath right in front of me without looking – missed by half metre.

What were you doing riding on a footpath?

What? What sort of a question is that?

Riding on a footpath is SAFER than riding on the road isn’t it????

Mr Gillespie4:34 pm 08 Jun 11

Question is, what was he doing on Adelaide Avenue instead of the path beside it?? or was he on the footpath and the car mounted the kerb?

And that’s if there was no railing between the road and the footpath unless it was on the bridge??

Ain’t no point being in the right if you’re dead.

Holden Caulfield4:24 pm 08 Jun 11

Deref said :

Sad. I hope he’s ok and that they catch the bastard.

Still, having lost two bike-riding friends to cars, it’s bloody obvious to me that riding a bike on a public road is an incredibly dangerous passtime. If you do it, you must know that you’re taking your life in your own hands and, as a consequence, that you really do have little comeback when the inevitable happens.

I suppose I have to say, if it’s not bloody obvious, that that doesn’t excuse drivers who collide with bikes; but they do, and they do with monotonous regularity. A proportion of car drivers will always be drunk/incompetent/texting/distracted/psychopaths or all of the above. No laws will stop that, and “I was in the right” is a very poor epitaph.

Instead of campaigning for more of those idiotic bike lanes on public roads, bike riders would be far better off campaigning for more and better bike paths – if not for them, then for the wives and children they leave behind, as my friends did.

I’m sorry to hear of your friends Deref. However, stories like yours are why I hold the opinion that cars and bikes should share the road as little as possible, if at all. That’s assuming nothing effective is done to better educate both motorists and cyclists.

As a motorist who hasn’t ridden a treddly on the road for many years I understand my obligations as a motorist to share the road and am more than willing to tolerate the status quo. It’s just that, in the clash of car and bike, regardless of who is at fault, car is almost certain to win every time, as you have sadly pointed out.

Watson said :

Bazza62 said :

It’s dangerous enough driving a car in Canberra, let alone riding a bicycle. I saw an idiot riding his bicycle on Melrose drive today with a child in tow in a small covered bicycle trailer. I hope they got to their destination safely.

That post really says a lot about you. Mainly that you probably have not been to many other places in the country/world. Cars and bikes can actually co-exist on busy roads. But if everyone keeps clinging onto this attitude that you have to be crazy to ride a bike because it’s just too dangerous, drivers are not going to change their attitudes and start paying more attention to the other road users.

They’re there, they won’t go away, so look out for them. And if they stick to the rules, you know where to expect them so there’s no excuse for not seeing them.

Surely you can appreciate the inherrant dangers of riding on the road though and accept that while it’s perfectly okay for cyclists to risk their own necks on the road, endangering a young child in a small capsule at the back of your bike on a busy road is just selfish and idiotic.

Gungahlin Al4:19 pm 08 Jun 11

nsn said :

Gungahlin Al said :

This morning woman walked from behind hedge straight onto footpath right in front of me without looking – missed by half metre.

What were you doing riding on a footpath?

Avoiding riding on the ridiculously narrow and dangerous Northbourne Ave “on-road cycle lane”. I am sick of ACTION bus drivers swerving towards me.

You will find it is legal to do so in the ACT:
http://www.tams.act.gov.au/move/cycling/cycling_and_walking_map/road_rules
“Cyclists in the ACT are permitted to ride on footpaths.”

Deref said :

Sad. I hope he’s ok and that they catch the bastard.

Still, having lost two bike-riding friends to cars, it’s bloody obvious to me that riding a bike on a public road is an incredibly dangerous passtime. If you do it, you must know that you’re taking your life in your own hands and, as a consequence, that you really do have little comeback when the inevitable happens.

I suppose I have to say, if it’s not bloody obvious, that that doesn’t excuse drivers who collide with bikes; but they do, and they do with monotonous regularity. A proportion of car drivers will always be drunk/incompetent/texting/distracted/psychopaths or all of the above. No laws will stop that, and “I was in the right” is a very poor epitaph.

Instead of campaigning for more of those idiotic bike lanes on public roads, bike riders would be far better off campaigning for more and better bike paths – if not for them, then for the wives and children they leave behind, as my friends did.

I’m sorry about your friends. That is truly sad.

But I do not agree with banning bikes off roads. It is just not possible to replace all on-road bike lanes with off-road bike paths nor to have a bike path passing by everyone’s driveway.

Yes, you are more vulnerable on a bike without the protection of a steel cage around you and the speed difference between bikes and cars. But I am not even convinced that riding a bike is that much more dangerous than driving a car in the city. You could argue that – even with the protection of a ton of steel – people must be crazy to drive at speeds of 80-100kph on a narrow lane surrounded by other cars. And the number of car accidents each year would back that up too. Yet noone is trying to convince car drivers to not use those fast roads because it’s a dangerous passtime?

As long as a majority of drivers think that bikes should not share the road with them, there will remain a significant proportion of them who will think it is not their responsibility to watch out for them. Laws will indeed not change that, but a cultural change is what is needed.

I don’t think a day would pass without a cyclist in the emergency department of TCH, not to mention the ones who patch themselves up at home etc.

Sad. I hope he’s ok and that they catch the bastard.

Still, having lost two bike-riding friends to cars, it’s bloody obvious to me that riding a bike on a public road is an incredibly dangerous passtime. If you do it, you must know that you’re taking your life in your own hands and, as a consequence, that you really do have little comeback when the inevitable happens.

I suppose I have to say, if it’s not bloody obvious, that that doesn’t excuse drivers who collide with bikes; but they do, and they do with monotonous regularity. A proportion of car drivers will always be drunk/incompetent/texting/distracted/psychopaths or all of the above. No laws will stop that, and “I was in the right” is a very poor epitaph.

Instead of campaigning for more of those idiotic bike lanes on public roads, bike riders would be far better off campaigning for more and better bike paths – if not for them, then for the wives and children they leave behind, as my friends did.

Gungahlin Al said :

This morning woman walked from behind hedge straight onto footpath right in front of me without looking – missed by half metre.

What were you doing riding on a footpath?

Seems we ought to be banning the sale of silver cars.

They’ve been responsible for a few incidents lately.

Bazza62 said :

It’s dangerous enough driving a car in Canberra, let alone riding a bicycle. I saw an idiot riding his bicycle on Melrose drive today with a child in tow in a small covered bicycle trailer. I hope they got to their destination safely.

That post really says a lot about you. Mainly that you probably have not been to many other places in the country/world. Cars and bikes can actually co-exist on busy roads. But if everyone keeps clinging onto this attitude that you have to be crazy to ride a bike because it’s just too dangerous, drivers are not going to change their attitudes and start paying more attention to the other road users.

They’re there, they won’t go away, so look out for them. And if they stick to the rules, you know where to expect them so there’s no excuse for not seeing them.

Holden Caulfield3:19 pm 08 Jun 11

That sucks, hope he’s okay.

la mente torbida3:19 pm 08 Jun 11

Okay, I’ll bight.

Doesn’t matter if it was a cyclist, pedestrian or car…this scumbag bolted and deserves what is coming.

It’s dangerous enough driving a car in Canberra, let alone riding a bicycle. I saw an idiot riding his bicycle on Melrose drive today with a child in tow in a small covered bicycle trailer. I hope they got to their destination safely.

Gungahlin Al2:50 pm 08 Jun 11

Yesterday morning – guy pulling out of the Defence carpark at Macarthur without looking – missed by 1m.
Last night – old green bus, 6.50pm driving right on the line past me – where the cycle lane is only just over half metre wide.
This morning woman walked from behind hedge straight onto footpath right in front of me without looking – missed by half metre.

Even though I do my level best to keep away from traffic, and am off the road altogether for about half of each 10km trip, there is seldom a ride without a worrying incident.

Some of them are due to other cyclists passing close and not having the courtesy of using a bell.
I fear I’ll be the subject of a post like this soon if people don’t start opening their eyes. It shouldn’t be this dangerous out there people.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.