Video footage of a cyclist clipped by a close-passing car causing a pile-up went viral this week, with multiple news outlets covering the crash. As Nine News reported, the driver was caught on a bike camera on Newcastle’s Inner City Bypass crossing the white line at high speed and clipping a cyclist as he rides in a group on the shoulder. According to The Illawarra Mercury the incident was reported to NSW police and they have commenced an investigation.
Speaking with Melbourne’s 3AW Radio, cycling lobbyist Edward Hoare claimed that Australia was “developing a culture that accepts bad driving and allows people to get away with it.” He further argued that drivers needed to face tougher penalties, such as higher insurance fees if they had a history of bad driving.
In another incident, a cyclist shared footage of a driver making a close pass on a narrow street in Brisbane. As News.com.au reported, the video shows the driver approaching the cyclist from behind on a suburban street with cars parked on either side. The driver proceeds to force the rider out of the way to get past, only to be stopped at a set of traffic lights only a few meters down the road.
The rider told News.com.au that the problem was as much due to suburban sprawl “designed with predominantly car users in mind” that was “trapping” Australians in a lifestyle where private motor vehicles were the only choice for transportation.
In other news, a Perth bus driver will face court following a fatal crash with a cyclist in October. As PerthNow reported, the 54-year-old cyclist was killed after the driver of the bus entered an intersection on Beaufort Street and knocked the man off his bike. The rider died at the scene. The bus driver is charged with dangerous driving occasioning death.
In Townsville, a woman has been taken to hospital with head and spinal injuries after being hit by a car while riding in Kirwan. According to The Townsville Bulletin the woman was cycling through a roundabout when she was hit by the driver. Police were called to the scene and are currently investigating the incident.
A 73-year-old Wamuran man will face a Magistrate Court in January charged with causing the death of a cyclist on a rural road north of Caboolture. As The Courier Mail reported, the 55-year-old woman was cycling with her husband when they were both hit by the driver near the corner of an intersection.
Pedalling for Change 