Cyclist dies - collision near Mater Hospital

[elantra]

Tragic news this morning, not many additional details at this stage.

viewtopic.php?f=53&t=71677&start=75

[ValleyForge]

Most dangerous cycling intersection in Qld. Terrible tragedy.

[elantra]

A lot more information has become available about this morning's tragedy, the victim is believed to be a 22 year old female student.
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensl ... 0f8wl.html

It is believed that she was struck by some part of a gravel truck pulling a large trailer via a lengthy steel connector. (AKA dog trailer combination vehicle)
Pardon the emotions but Say What are these dog trailer combinations even legal to operate in an inner city environment ?

This type of vehicle combination is NOT LEGAL in any overseas country that i have ever visited.

What is wrong with our regulatory authorities that it takes a TRAGEDY for them to realize what should have been bleeding well obvious.

If these vehicles are too fundamentally dangerous to be legal overseas then WHAT ARE THEY DOING ON OUR ROADS ?????

[ValleyForge]

For those who are interested, there's a memorial ride on Wednesday next week. Coincides with "Ride To Work Day".

http://www.cbdbug.org.au/news/ride-for-rebekka/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[morini]

That girl has died just around the corner from where an old mate of mine lives. His daughter died on Lytton road earlier in the year and he'd pass that spot daily going to work.

Why doesn't Bicycle Queensland push for a campaign that tries to educate drivers that passing a bicycle on the road is not an excuse to create a third lane. Even out here in the boondocks I get "third laned" every time I ride. Pis*es me off no end.

Apparently we have rights to inhabit the whole lane as a road user? It needs clarification by the authorities and then taught to the public.

[thelittlebattler]

Sickened to hear this... tragic

[Ryanhyltoncummins]

Seriously who's ridden threw here after the accident? You can clearly see all the marks and !! BAN ME NOW FOR SWEARING !! left on the road, whatever authority was suppose to clean up didn't do a very good job. Every time I do a river loop I pass through this intersection and its god damn horrifying seeing these marks.

[ValleyForge]

I just hope the dirt-carrying truck drivers feel the same way....

[Ryanhyltoncummins]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I found a video of the ride that was undertaken in memorial. Unfortunately this guy seems to be following the front end of the pack but he kinda turns around at 2:50 and you can almost see how big the turn out was. Also shows the variety of different cyclists from commuters to students to recreational I even saw a Data 3 jersey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FIjZ2uHodo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[elantra]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I found a video of the ride that was undertaken in memorial. Unfortunately this guy seems to be following the front end of the pack but he kinda turns around at 2:50 and you can almost see how big the turn out was. Also shows the variety of different cyclists from commuters to students to recreational I even saw a Data 3 jersey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FIjZ2uHodo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thankyou for posting this, I think it is disappointing that nothing has changed in the 6 months since that terrible morning.
I recall riding beside one fellow on a Di2 Cippolini, who explained that his day to day commuter bike was out of action with a mechanical issue.

Obviously the inquest into her death has not been completed or released perhaps, but the fact remains she died as a result of a collision with a Truck and trailer combination vehicle of a type which is banned from other modern cities on planet earth (because of safety issues to other road users).
So why are these vehicles permitted on busy inner-Brisbane roads ?

[ColinOldnCranky]

Coroner has reported and determined two likely scenarios.

The complete article is athttp://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-19/r ... ne/6707888.

Danish cyclist Rebekka Meyer died on notorious Brisbane road one of two ways, coronial inquest hears
By Stephanie Smail
Updated 13 minutes ago

Danish student Rebekka Meyer
PHOTO: Danish student Rebekka Meyer died while riding her bike in Brisbane on September 11, 2014.
MAP: Brisbane 4000
Two possible scenarios for what happened in the moments before a Danish cyclist's death on a notorious stretch of road in Brisbane have been outlined at a coroner's inquest.

Rebekka Meyer, 22, was hit by a truck on Annerley Road in South Brisbane last September.

Senior Constable David Armitage from the Forensic Crash Unit, who inspected the site, told the inquest the point of impact was clear but the cause of the accident was not.

"There were ... two things that could have caused the accident, but I couldn't say definitively," he said.

"The initial possibility was the bike was at the stop line already and the heavy vehicle approached, but the driver didn't see her.

"The second is that Ms Meyer placed herself if front of the heavy vehicle while it was stationary."

I [saw] something come out the back of the trailer... and I just thought, what was that?
Truck driver Jody Jeffery
The inquest is examining Ms Meyer's death and whether the Stanley Street and Annerley Road intersection needs upgrading to prevent similar accidents.

Just 13 months before Ms Meyer's death, Brisbane rider Leslie Karayan died on the same road - which has seen 34 crashes involving cyclists between 2007 and 2011.

Brisbane City Council is trialling a dedicated peak-hour cycling lane on a stretch of Annerley Road to improve safety.

The driver of the truck, meanwhile, told the inquest he did not see or hear anything unusual before the crash.

Jody Jeffery told the inquest that as he pulled through the intersection at Annerley Road, it felt like the back left drive wheels of his truck hit a manhole cover.

When counsel assisting the coroner Anthony Marinac asked Mr Jeffery to describe what he saw after that, the driver became emotional and struggled to speak.

After prompting he told the coroner: "I [saw] something come out the back of the trailer... and I just thought, what was that?"

He said he stopped the truck and a man told him he had hit a cyclist.

[Lukeyboy]

Surely CCTV footage from the busway or the surrounding areas before the intersection could have shown who went by first.

[herzog]

All this focus on the road and no one's looking at the suitability of the truck.

In most developed countries, that type of Truck and Dog trailer combination is not allowed in built up areas. They present an extreme hazard to other road users, particularly cyclists and pedestrians.

The huge gap and completely exposed rear wheels makes it ridiculously easy for people to get sucked under the trailer.




The same type of truck killed Dr Henri Sueke, and another killed a pedestrian in Sydney just last week.


In London, from October, all HGV's must be fitted with sideguards to prevent cyclists and pedestrians from being sucked under the rear wheels. Dog trailers are banned outright.

[elantra]

All this focus on the road and no one's looking at the suitability of the truck.

In most developed countries, that type of Truck and Dog trailer combination is not allowed in built up areas. They present an extreme hazard to other road users, particularly cyclists and pedestrians.

The huge gap and completely exposed rear wheels makes it ridiculously easy for people to get sucked under the trailer.




The same type of truck killed Dr Henri Sueke, and another killed a pedestrian in Sydney just last week.


In London, from October, all HGV's must be fitted with sideguards to prevent cyclists and pedestrians from being sucked under the rear wheels. Dog trailers are banned outright.
(pics of safer-design forward control heavy vehicle in Herzog's post [above] noted but not included in this quote)

The only undefined issue is how much longer will it take, and how many more people suffer or die unnecessarily, before common-sense prevails and "Dog trailer" towing trucks become prohibited from our urban areas?

And this is not to say that such vehicles are entirely inappropriate on motorways and highways, just that they have no place on city streets.

[human909]

Lets try to bring some clear know and unknowns to the table:

Senior Constable David Armitage from the Forensic Crash Unit, who inspected the site, told the inquest the point of impact was clear but the cause of the accident was not.
"There were ... two things that could have caused the accident, but I couldn't say definitively," he said.
"The initial possibility was the bike was at the stop line already and the heavy vehicle approached, but the driver didn't see her.
"The second is that Ms Meyer placed herself if front of the heavy vehicle while it was stationary."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-19/r ... ne/6707888" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Scott Milne was walking to a bus stop with his wife when he saw the incident.
He said the cyclist and truck were within touching distance at a set of lights at South Brisbane when the lights changed and they started to move.
Mr Milne said Ms Meyer's foot slipped from her pedal, and as she struggled to regain control she was hit by the truck from behind and was run over.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-19/r ... ne/6707888" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[cp123]

there's a pretty horrible story describing witness reports in the brisbane paper today. search for that at your own choosing...

[herzog]

I posted this in the other thread. Happened yesterday.

Unbelievable timing, but hammers home the point. RIP



I feel sick. Only one day has elapsed and I saw this on the ride home this afternoon.

Motorcyclist got taken out by a Dog Trailer. Many police and Serious Crash Unit investigators on the scene. Location is near the SCG.



Picture off my helmet cam footage.

[AlexHuggs]

So why are these vehicles permitted on busy inner-Brisbane roads ?

Because no politician or councillor has been sucked under yet.

[foo on patrol]

Some of you people need to take a step back and take a reality check!!!!!!!!!!!

Stop all the development around the city area and you can remove them from that area but that's not going to happen, is it????????

I'm not sticking up for the drive but I am stating the bleeding obvious as to not having that combination = double the operating cost to the developers which = much higher cost to the end buyer!

Foo

[morini]

Bike riders can revert back to being pedestrians in a matter of seconds, which is why we all ignore the various road rules and this is the fact car drivers can't swallow. We are not completely the same road user as them but they expect us to be treated with the same attitude and laws. Something needs to change and education is the only real solution.

Many riders die because car drivers think it's ok to create a third lane to pass them, even when there's no room to do so. How many times have all of us watched footage on YouTube of a car passing a bike and collecting them at the same time.

If car drivers just stopped doing this then fewer riders would be placed in danger and maybe less would die. There needs to be more than just a buffer zone between us and them. Car drivers need to be re-educated to remind them that slowing down and/or waiting for just a few seconds might stop someones daughter/son/father etc dying unnecessarily. 10 seconds of patience could mean the difference between life or death.

Now how do we sell this message?

[Trevtassie]

Some of you people need to take a step back and take a reality check!!!!!!!!!!!

Stop all the development around the city area and you can remove them from that area but that's not going to happen, is it????????

I'm not sticking up for the drive but I am stating the bleeding obvious as to not having that combination = double the operating cost to the developers which = much higher cost to the end buyer!

Foo

So why do other countries not have them running around inside cities? Maybe it's because they actually care about safety and the politicians don't bend over every time the road transport lobby squeals "not enough in the trough" Oh sorry, I forgot it's Australia, we're special... we have different economics to the rest of the world.

[foo on patrol]

I'm not going to get into a chit fight about this, I'm yet to see how other cities get around development when digging holes or moving large amount of earth is involved? Maybe you would like to enlighten me and for your information, the bloody transport industry here has no such pulling powers, as you say!!

There's halfwits and morons everywhere and that includes cyclists and I'm sick of being lambasted with the same brush from every side. I drive a B-double, I ride my bike on the road, I drive a 4by and have a motorbike license as well, so I cop chit from every angle. Human stupidity never ceases to amaze me as I've been hit by a truck, doored, T-boned a car that thought it a good idea to race across in front of me, so before you try and give me a hard time, stop and think.

Foo

[herzog]

Meanwhile, every truck in China - yes China - has sideguards fitted by law:

http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/there-a ... erica.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yet in Oz, we make cyclists wear magic styrofoam hats. That'll save us from 10 tonne dog trailers.

[Trevtassie]

Japan has side guards on every truck too. Plus no dog trailers. And yep, they move a lot of dirt around too... dump trucks everywhere. They just prioritise safety over economics. Truck drivers are the best in the world I reckon. They know how to drive around bicycles. The ones up north are even better, they have to deal with 15-20m of snow during winter, that takes real skill, punting a semi over an icy snowy mountain pass. So damn considerate it left me gobsmacked. Like seeing a bicycle coming the other way and getting over to the left as far as possible so traffic passing the bike had more room to pass. Like slowing down going up a mountain to my pace, until they could see to pass. Mind you I was on the shoulder, so they could have easily done an Australian style pass: yep, should be able to get by without hitting his elbow. But unless there was a clear 2m it was no go.
How do you think you got to drive your B double in the cities? I remember when they were banned, but the transport lobby got them allowed, then all the roads had to be upgraded to cope at a huge cost which wasn't recouped, because suddenly the "limited routes only" suddenly became pretty well everywhere except suburban streets . So yeah, the transport lobby has a lot of push in Australia.

[Lukeyboy]

I'm not going to get into a chit fight about this, I'm yet to see how other cities get around development when digging holes or moving large amount of earth is involved? Maybe you would like to enlighten me and for your information, the bloody transport industry here has no such pulling powers, as you say!!

There's halfwits and morons everywhere and that includes cyclists and I'm sick of being lambasted with the same brush from every side. I drive a B-double, I ride my bike on the road, I drive a 4by and have a motorbike license as well, so I cop chit from every angle. Human stupidity never ceases to amaze me as I've been hit by a truck, doored, T-boned a car that thought it a good idea to race across in front of me, so before you try and give me a hard time, stop and think.

Foo

Many countries overseas simply say no you must comply with the restrictions ie no trailer/weight/vehicle etc, have time restrictions, have route restrictions and utilise other transportation methods such as trains (if a big one) and boats (similar principal as the railways if on or nearby a river - WTC in New York was a prime example as with the Dutch ). A prime example of Brisbane not using common sense was with the BAT/Cross River Rail planning. They wanted/want to close off the parkland and the bikeway from Roma Street-Herston so they could build a temp road to Gregory Terrace to transport all the dirt from the tunnel by truck instead of loading them on to trains which could transport more spoil per trip and then be taken away by truck from a secondary facility/area. Such areas locally in Brisbane would have been at Pinkenba on the Doomben/Pinkenba line which are also closely located to the Gateway Motorway, Port Of Brisbane on the Cleveland line to be used as fill for the expanding port of brisbane or transported away as its located close to the Gateway Motorway or the Ipswich Line where there are lots of stabling areas such as at Wacol where this could be done in close proximity to the Ipswich and Logan Motorways. Wagners also have a siding at Wacol and are about 400m from a siding at Pinkenba IIRC and they love dirt for their cement (although they wouldn't use it ). IIRC that's what London is currently doing as part of the new tube/underground railway lines. The spoil is loaded onto trains and simply taken out of town to a port where it is then shipped away.





But yeah. Most places overseas just have to follow restrictions. Even in the CBD during the QUT works trucks with dog trailers were lined up all the way back to the casino waiting to be loaded from 11pm till 5am. Come 6am you wouldn't have known that from Alice Street to Elizabeth Street was a truck parking lot.