High speeds a hazard for Border cyclists

On the back of a campaign to reduce cyclist-related accidents, Road Safe North East member Robert Allen said the risk of fatality for cyclists was highest on regional Victorian roads.

“The issues we find more in our local area are cars passing groups of cyclists in an unsafe manner, either too fast, passing on double lines, passing on curbs or not giving a metre distance,” he said.

“The risk of severe injury is higher … the fact that the death happened out at Wangaratta was because that was a 100km road and the cyclist was hit from behind by a vehicle.”

The death of a cyclist on Snow Road at Milawa in November made up one of eight deaths that occur on average each year in Victoria.

Between 2004 and 2013, there were 80 bicycle rider deaths in the state. 

Victoria Law Foundation executive director Joh Kirby said while the top spot for bicycle related crashes was at intersections, the risk of injury was higher on open roads.

“I totally agree from the safety point of view, where you have trucks and rough shoulders cyclists are more vulnerable,” she said. 

“One of the differences is in rural and regional Victoria you can ride on those big roads, whereas in metropolitan areas you just can’t do that.”

Ms Kirby said Bike Law, a free online law resource released to clear up misconceptions, noted road-rules involving roundabouts and intersections were the biggest cause of confusion. 

“If a car is turning left around a corner, some cyclists think they have right of way, but bikes have to give away,” she said.

Ms Kirby said on multi-lane roundabouts cyclists had to give way to cars exiting, even if it meant stopping.

“If you’re on a bike in a multi-lane roundabout, you have to give way to vehicles leaving the roundabout … it is supposed to protect people in the outside lane,” she said.

For more information about Bike Law, visit http://www.victorialawfoundation.org.au/publication/bike-law.