8 June 2011

Cyclist down in Barton

8 June 2011 | By johnboy

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]

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Watson12:37 pm 19 Jun 11

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.

Deckard10:15 am 19 Jun 11

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.

scorpio639:40 pm 18 Jun 11

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)

Watson5:10 pm 13 Jun 11

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.

Watson8:13 am 12 Jun 11

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.

AKT11:36 pm 09 Jun 11

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.

Deref5:25 pm 09 Jun 11

Classified said :

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

Excellent observation.

Watson11:44 am 09 Jun 11

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!

KB19719:32 am 09 Jun 11

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.

Watson10:28 pm 08 Jun 11

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.

Watson4:16 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 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.