2022 Cycling Fatalities

[P!N20]

Sad news out of WA: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-02/ ... /101030156

[AdelaidePeter]

Tragically a 51 year old cyclist was killed in Salisbury Downs (a northern suburb of Adelaide) around 5.30 am this morning.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/south ... fabcd66b69

[Mububban]

Sad news out of WA: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-02/ ... /101030156

Oh how terrible I wonder what on earth happened there. Poor family.

[P!N20]

Tragically a 51 year old cyclist was killed in Salisbury Downs (a northern suburb of Adelaide) around 5.30 am this morning.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/south ... fabcd66b69

Title: Cyclist dies after colliding with a truck

Body: A cyclist has died after they were hit by a truck

Now, we can debate the definition of 'collide', but the title reads to me like the cyclist ran into the truck, which according to the article, is incorrect.

Terrible news nonetheless.

[human909]

Not much to say. Another cyclist and truck incident in the CBD....

Language bounces between the neutral "a collision occurred" and the active tense a "cyclist collided with a truck". It is subtle but honestly I'm sick of it. It is very rare that cyclist are killed when they are the active party doing the colliding.

In most pedestrian incidents the active tense is used for the motor vehicle yet for some reason it is consistantly reverse or at best used neutrally.



https://www.theage.com.au/national/vict ... 5am7k.html

Cyclist dies after collision with truck in CBD
Tom Cowie
May 17, 2022 — 8.05pm


A cyclist is dead after a collision with a truck in the city.

Police said the cyclist and truck collided about 5.10pm on Tuesday at the intersection of La Trobe and King streets.

Police said it appears a truck and a cyclist collided at the intersection of La Trobe and King streets.

“Sadly, the cyclist died at the scene,” police said.

Footage from the intersection showed a red bike lying on the road.

The driver of the truck stopped at the scene, police said, and is assisting with enquiries into the cause of the crash.

The scene of a fatal collision between a truck and a cyclist at the corner of King and La Trobe streets.

The area has been cordoned off as police investigate what happened.

Our Breaking News Alert will notify you of significant breaking news when it happens. Get it here.

[antigee]

7news presumably got a heads up from the police and appear to blame the cyclist

"A female cyclist has been killed in Melbourne’s CBD after she is believed to have fallen into the path of a truck.

At about 5.10pm on Tuesday, the cyclist was travelling south on King Street near the Fitzroy Gardens in peak-hour traffic.

7NEWS understands she lost her balance at the intersection of La Trobe Street and then collided with a truck."

https://7news.com.au/news/disaster-and- ... -c-6838245

RIP

[uart]

7news presumably got a heads up from the police and appear to blame the cyclist
"A female cyclist has been killed in Melbourne’s CBD after she is believed to have fallen into the path of a truck.

Very sad. Location is here https://bit.ly/3NDIu0X

I see that the left lane is a "clearway" there during peak hours, so presumably that's where she was riding. I wonder if the truck driver has decided to "share" her lane. Very likely IMHO.

[trailgumby]

7news presumably got a heads up from the police and appear to blame the cyclist
"A female cyclist has been killed in Melbourne’s CBD after she is believed to have fallen into the path of a truck.

Very sad. Location is here https://bit.ly/3NDIu0X

I see that the left lane is a "clearway" there during peak hours, so presumably that's where she was riding. I wonder if the truck driver has decided to "share" her lane. Very likely IMHO.

'
In case you were wondering about the source of the persistent subtle framing bias, just be aware that Channel 7 is the media business arm of a conglomerate that makes most of its money extracting fossil fuels, or supplying and maintaining equipment for extracting fossil fuels (ie Westrac).

Edit: Grrr. Another truck-and-dog trailer. I sincerely hope the police are seeking further witnesses. The drivers of those things are usually on by-the-load bit rates, which leads them to take unnecessary chances with other road users' safety to save time, including ignoring authorised traffic controllers' directions to stop. I would not trust anything that driver says.

Getting close shaved was a regular occurrence when they were carting mud from the Northern Beaches Hospital site and roadworks excavations.

[Thoglette]

Edit: Grrr. Another truck-and-dog trailer. …. I would not trust anything that driver says.

I can only say “me too”. The contracting model is broken and the vehicles are lethal in urban environments.

And all to save the developer a poofteenth of the budget. Hope it’s enough to upgrade the AMG

[trailgumby]

Edit: Grrr. Another truck-and-dog trailer. …. I would not trust anything that driver says.

I can only say “me too”. The contracting model is broken and the vehicles are lethal in urban environments.

And all to save the developer a poofteenth of the budget. Hope it’s enough to upgrade the AMG

'
Members on our board and executive are on the committee advocating for CLOCS-A. It's a long term project.

https://www.clocs-a.org.au/

[uart]

Edit: Grrr. Another truck-and-dog trailer.

Those things probably should be banned in high density areas like the CBD. I think that they do have a ban or something in London. Perhaps just coincidence, but some studies have shown a disproportionate number of female cyclists killed by them in conditions just like this one.

If you look at where this current incident took place (see link in my previous post), when it's a clearway there are three lanes going right up to the curb, with zero space to the left. I mention this only to point out that it's absolutely imperative to "claim the lane" under these conditions, and this is what I think puts less confident riders at so much risk. I can imagine a situation where passing cars are forcing this poor cyclist further and further left until she's almost in the gutter. Then the truck and dog come along with a 10cm close pass and she doesn't have room to control the bike or steer around the "rough". It's just a guess, but this is what I suspected happened here.

Also, this case reminds me a bit of that of Richard Pollett in Brisbane some years ago, where it was "found" that the cyclist just lost his balance and fell under the back wheels of a cement truck.. Apparently the zero cm close pass had nothing to do with it and the truck driver was found innocent.

[Mr Purple]

Appalling language by 7 news there.

Statistically there's something like a 70% chance the truck driver was at fault. I wish they would stop saying 'fell into the path of' because in the past two years and 25,000km I've fallen off literally once on my own. It's pretty damn unlikely that this particular rider fell off into the path of the truck that just ran her over without assistance.

Rest in peace, hopefully some truth comes out of it.

[Mr Purple]

Edit: Grrr. Another truck-and-dog trailer.

Also, this case reminds me a bit of that of Richard Pollett in Brisbane some years ago, where it was "found" that the cyclist just lost his balance and fell under the back wheels of a cement truck.. Apparently the zero cm close pass had nothing to do with it and the truck driver was found innocent.

Thank you. This is a tragic story, and thanks to an actual proper journalist for this article - Michael O'Reilly from the Sydney Morning Herald.

Richard Pollett, a 25-year-old musician, was crushed under the wheels of a cement truck while cycling in Brisbane in September 2011.

The virtuoso violinist was due to perform with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra when he was killed as the truck was overtaking him on Moggill Road, a two-lane conduit through the suburb of Kenmore.

The subsequent court case has prompted renewed calls for laws to protect cyclists on Australia’s roads.

Two weeks ago, truck driver Luke Stevens faced court charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death. After several days of testimony and a weekend for the jury to consider its verdict, Stevens, 29, was found not guilty.

Reports on the proceedings detail how the prosecution argued that Stevens’ decision to overtake Pollett was "very dangerous" and "left no margin of error".

Stevens should have been "patient" and waited for a safer opportunity to pass Pollett on his bike, the court was told.

In reply, the defence said Stevens was not driving erratically or speeding and was "boxed in" by other cars as he approached Pollett.

Stevens was under "the honest and reasonable belief" there was enough room on the road to safely overtake the cyclist.

Reviewing the case this week, Crikey blogger Alan Davies pondered if cyclists are seen as “mere obstacles” by motorists.

“The underlying issue is most motorists don’t view cyclists as legitimate road users. The slower speed and greater vulnerability of riders isn’t acknowledged, accepted or duly allowed for by drivers,” Davies wrote.

“I suspect the jury’s decision reflects that widespread perception.”

It’s interesting to note that, while there was no clear evidence that Stevens’ truck knocked Pollett from his bicycle, a witness suggested that the two vehicles may have earlier come into contact.

A simple touch of the brakes would likely have spared a brilliant young man’s life.

This would have happened before a right-angle intersection with Blacon Street, meaning Pollett "had the option" of turning down the side road if he felt unsafe, the defence told the court.

I wonder whether a lawyer would tell a court that a driver killed when his car was crushed by a truck “had the option” of getting off the road following an earlier incident where the car and truck made contact.

Any regular cyclist will attest there are few things more terrifying than a vehicle passing close by you at speed. Especially large vehicles, which push a “bow wave” of air that buffets you away and then sucks you towards them as they pass.

In my experience, the vast majority of drivers automatically give a safe berth. But it just takes one driver who is unskilled, impatient, inattentive or deliberately intimidatory (it happens) to put you in hospital, or the morgue.

After the ruling in Brisbane, a broad range of cycling advocacy groups are calling for increased legal protection for cyclists.

Tracey Gaudry of the Amy Gillett Foundation told me: “Every state advises and recommends to drivers that, when overtaking bike riders, to leave a metre. It’s an accepted and endorsed and embraced recommendation in every state and territory.”

But it’s not law. There is no legal stipulation for a minimum passing distance under road rule 144. And that needs to change, she says.

“The recent court outcome regarding Mr Richard Pollett … acquitting a driver who thought he was overtaking safely, but unfortunately the rider was killed … demonstrates that the law currently doesn’t prescribe safety well enough.”

Last Friday, scores of cyclists rode along Moggill Road in memory of Richard Pollett and to call for a legally defined minimum passing distance.

A report on the ride in the Brisbane Times brought the usual whinges in the comments section: “Cyclists break laws, cyclists should be registered, a cyclist got in my way the other day …”

Spare me. We are talking about people’s lives here. If you can’t give a cyclist at least a metre of space when overtaking – that’s about one and a half arm lengths – you need to exercise a tiny bit of patience. After all, you’ll be a lot later to your destination if you’re involved in a fatal accident.

In response, Queensland’s Transport Minister, Scott Emerson, said a complication was that any such law might make it “illegal for cyclists to move slowly and closely past queued vehicles”.

I’m not sure why that should be the case. There are laws specific to cycling, such as the right to pass cars on the left. We need a law specific to vehicles overtaking bicycles. Besides, motorists are hardly in physical danger when a cyclist passes them closely.

Passing distance laws exist in many European countries and some 27 states in America, Gaudry says. Not only would this mean that drivers couldn’t skim cyclists with impunity, a legal framework would help to promote and enforce safer behaviour on our roads. Such a program is already under way in one US state.

The Pollett family are hoping their devastating loss will spur action so that future incidents are minimised. If Stevens the truck driver had been thinking in terms of at least a metre’s space, by law, he might have exercised more caution. “Boxed in” or not, a simple touch of the brakes would likely have spared a brilliant young man’s life.

Recently, in the Financial Review, businessman and cyclist Andy Sheats said his one wish was "for drivers to pass cyclists with the same care and safety that they would take in passing their own son, daughter or loved one".

We shouldn’t have to legislate such a basic respect for human life. But sadly, it appears we do.

Would you support a minimum distance law for cars passing bicycles? Have you ever had any close calls or been hit while cycling?

[trailgumby]

Reviewing the case this week, Crikey blogger Alan Davies pondered if cyclists are seen as “mere obstacles” by motorists.
...
“The underlying issue is most motorists don’t view cyclists as legitimate road users. The slower speed and greater vulnerability of riders isn’t acknowledged, accepted or duly allowed for by drivers,” Davies wrote.

“I suspect the jury’s decision reflects that widespread perception.”

'
Had an instance of that last night. I took the opportunity to get into the right lane 50m early to turn right at the upcoming traffic lights 500m from home, to overhear a kid in a tarted-up old Audi throwing comments out like "get off the road" as he pulled up next to me in the left lane.

He had green p-plates on.

[g-boaf]

7news presumably got a heads up from the police and appear to blame the cyclist
"A female cyclist has been killed in Melbourne’s CBD after she is believed to have fallen into the path of a truck.

Very sad. Location is here https://bit.ly/3NDIu0X

I see that the left lane is a "clearway" there during peak hours, so presumably that's where she was riding. I wonder if the truck driver has decided to "share" her lane. Very likely IMHO.

'
In case you were wondering about the source of the persistent subtle framing bias, just be aware that Channel 7 is the media business arm of a conglomerate that makes most of its money extracting fossil fuels, or supplying and maintaining equipment for extracting fossil fuels (ie Westrac).

Edit: Grrr. Another truck-and-dog trailer. I sincerely hope the police are seeking further witnesses. The drivers of those things are usually on by-the-load bit rates, which leads them to take unnecessary chances with other road users' safety to save time, including ignoring authorised traffic controllers' directions to stop. I would not trust anything that driver says.

Getting close shaved was a regular occurrence when they were carting mud from the Northern Beaches Hospital site and roadworks excavations.

Doesn't surprise me with trucks, back in January I had a frighteningly close shave by a tip truck here:

https://goo.gl/maps/4mvnbVsZ4bhMk32YA

It wasn't one with the dog trailer. But so close that only the fact I'm good at holding a line saved me. Any movement more from the truck I'd have been dead. Typical infrastructure fault, nice shoulder then it disappears right at the key point where it is needed and no ramp provided to join up with the shared path on the left side. Whoever designs this stuff doesn't think about those things and probably doesn't ride a bike, and would never think that someone might actually do a ~200km ride far from their home.

[warthog1]

Trucks have both a brake and an accelerator pedal.
The person driving should have stayed behind, until it was possible to pass safely, by using them.

So many won't though.
I largely avoid roads that heavy vehicles frequent for that reason.
Shouldn't have to but I want to survive.

[foo on patrol]

It's got me stuffed why there is any problem. I drive a B-double and sometimes a road Train and cyclists on the roads are the least of my problems. I see them and start slowing so that there is room between them and me. Some give me a wave or hands up after I pass them but many don't. Courtesy is not hard to show when being past or passing.

Foo

[warthog1]

It's got me stuffed why there is any problem. I drive a B-double and sometimes a road Train and cyclists on the roads are the least of my problems. I see them and start slowing so that there is room between them and me. Some give me a wave or hands up after I pass them but many don't. Courtesy is not hard to show when being past or passing.

Foo

You are a cut above though mate
I wish there were more like you.

I wave in appreciation of being given space too.

[DarkRider]

It's got me stuffed why there is any problem. I drive a B-double and sometimes a road Train and cyclists on the roads are the least of my problems. I see them and start slowing so that there is room between them and me. Some give me a wave or hands up after I pass them but many don't. Courtesy is not hard to show when being past or passing.

Foo

Personally I think the problem exists because people are all fundamentally the same. Every road user is responsible for safety on the road but each group has in their number a subset that thinks it's everyone else that is the problem. Some people are worse than others but each group has those people who will blame anyone but themselves.

[elantra]

It's got me stuffed why there is any problem. I drive a B-double and sometimes a road Train and cyclists on the roads are the least of my problems. I see them and start slowing so that there is room between them and me. Some give me a wave or hands up after I pass them but many don't. Courtesy is not hard to show when being past or passing.

Foo

All well and good Foo but there’s more to it than that.
Semi’s and there longer versions such as “B doubles” pack a lot of tray length into the overall vehicular length.
If there’s one lurking on your R shoulder and in the process of passing cyclist then it is usually obvious to the cyclist if the vehicle has not completed its passing move.
And B doubles are not that common on the usual roads frequented by commuter cyclists. Varies from state to state no doubt but there are usually restrictions on which roads B doubles are allowed on.

BUT The truck + “dog trailer” combination tippers are a whole different kettle of fish. These vehicles are not usually subject to any location restrictions, in fact in Australia they are de riguer for use on big urban and inner urban construction projects, so not unusual on commuter cyclist routes.
The fundamental problem is that at low speed especially, the cyclist can easily come to the fatal conclusion that the vehicle to their R has gone past and then they can drift slightly to the R away from the gutter.
If there is a dog trailer attached by a narrow drawbar behind the truck then the cyclist is in serious danger of being run over by the trailer.
Basically this type of trailer should be banned from use in many urban areas because it is fundamentally unsafe for cyclists and pedestrian.

If you take a trip overseas you will have to visit A LOT of cities before you find anywhere else on this planet where such vehicles are allowed on urban roads.
If you google truck + dog combinations you will find lots of examples of road crash incidents involving them. Admittedly they used to have a very bad reputation for the trailer disconnecting from the truck with catastrophic results, this was mainly years ago when the drawbars and connection linkages were below par.
But the fact remains that they are way too dangerous to use on most urban or inner-urban roads.
And please don’t try and tell me that restricting their use would push up the cost of housing developments, I am sure that the earth cartage part of the cost for most urban housing developments is only a very small proportion of the total cost of the end result by the time it gets listed on the real estate market

[foo on patrol]

I don't need to google anything about Truck n Dogs but one point that everyone misses is, the fact that they are needed in town/city areas for development of new building structures. I am also fully aware of the fact that these drivers (not all) are bloody clowns but that's also in part to do with what these Project managers are willing to pay for the use of them. How anybody can operate at a reasonable level of cost for what these large companies pay for the hire or rate per load is beyond me.

This is another reason why riders should have a mirror on their bars, so that they become aware of what's coming at them, yeah I see some riders hanging chit on those that do but who cares what others think when it comes to overall safety, I sure as hell don't!

Foo

[foo on patrol]

It's got me stuffed why there is any problem. I drive a B-double and sometimes a road Train and cyclists on the roads are the least of my problems. I see them and start slowing so that there is room between them and me. Some give me a wave or hands up after I pass them but many don't. Courtesy is not hard to show when being past or passing.

Foo

You are a cut above though mate
I wish there were more like you.

I wave in appreciation of being given space too.

Everyone hates me though. I ride bikes on the road, own a 4X4 (well I did till some maggot stole it in Feb) love motor bikes and drive trucks.

Foo

[foo on patrol]

It's got me stuffed why there is any problem. I drive a B-double and sometimes a road Train and cyclists on the roads are the least of my problems. I see them and start slowing so that there is room between them and me. Some give me a wave or hands up after I pass them but many don't. Courtesy is not hard to show when being past or passing.

Foo

Personally I think the problem exists because people are all fundamentally the same. Every road user is responsible for safety on the road but each group has in their number a subset that thinks it's everyone else that is the problem. Some people are worse than others but each group has those people who will blame anyone but themselves.

Yep!

Foo

[warthog1]

Everyone hates me though. I ride bikes on the road, own a 4X4 (well I did till some maggot stole it in Feb) love motor bikes and drive trucks.

Foo

That is ticking alot of boxes
You probably are in a bit of trouble there

[Thoglette]

I don't need to google anything about Truck n Dogs but one point that everyone misses is, the fact that they are needed in town/city areas for development of new building structures. :

No, they are not needed. Trucks without dog trailers can do the job just as well.
Oh, but that might cost a bit more.
And that’s just the start of the ALARP process.

I am also fully aware of the fact that these drivers (not all) are bloody clowns

Yup. I’ve (so far) never had those sorts of problems with a concrete delivery. Despite time management being critical. Maybe it’s because of it, so that every trip is planned properly??

but that's also in part to do with what these Project managers are willing to pay for the use of them. How anybody can operate at a reasonable level of cost for what these large companies pay for the hire or rate per load is beyond me.

Couldn’t agree more. The only way to solve this is is through regulation (e.g. making it part of the development approval conditions) and then policing - with teeth. Like losing the $1m bond or shutting the site for a week.

Right now these incidents are treated as a traffic issue, when they’re a workplace (job design) problem.