2024 Fatalities

[antigee]

Oh we aren’t tolerant of bad driver behaviour in general, only tolerant when it is against bicycle riders.

Succinct and accurate it appears to me too unfortunately.

Although one of our community officers here is in the Highway patrol as his job. I had a conversation about driver distraction with him a few days ago, citing what happened to Jason Lowndes a few years back and also commenting on the number of drivers I regularly see glancing at their lap whilst doing 100kmh. He is aware of it too but stated how hard they are to catch. They need to be caught in the act it seemed from the conversation and it is hard to do. Some on Police motorbikes are able to do so and there is the use of automated cameras. People quickly become aware of their location though and avoid the behavior near them I would expect.
I am of the opinion using a phone whilst driving should be a mandatory license suspension. I don't see it happening anytime soon. I see our driving standards as on the decline.

Local to me 5 years ago but never repeated as far as I know:

Victoria police pose as car window washers to catch out drivers using mobile phones

......“Part of the operation involved covert observations of drivers in stationary vehicles,” a police spokeswoman said.
She confirmed police issued 38 infringement notices..............The covert action attracted mixed reactions from the public. While some people thought it was creative, others were not impressed.........

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... ile-phones

Local to where I used to love in the UK:

South Yorkshire Police HGV used to catch driver using mobile phone

More than 200 drivers have been stopped by officers using an unmarked HGV to crack down on dangerous driving.
South Yorkshire Police pulled over 222 motorists in the week long operation, including 27 for driving while on their mobile phone and 87 not wearing a seatbelt.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england- ... e-67502611

Where there's a will there's a way....

[antigee]

North Melbourne yesterday 26th March:

Today, around 10 am, a fatal traffic incident occurred on Leakes Road near the intersection with Derrimut Road, Tarneit, involving a truck and a cyclist. The collision led to the death of the cyclist, whose identity has not been disclosed pending notification of family members.

The link includes a shocking pic' of the bicycle under a left turning truck...take care RIP

https://www.wyndhamtv.com.au/cyclist-fa ... collision/

[brumby33]

North Melbourne yesterday 26th March:

Today, around 10 am, a fatal traffic incident occurred on Leakes Road near the intersection with Derrimut Road, Tarneit, involving a truck and a cyclist. The collision led to the death of the cyclist, whose identity has not been disclosed pending notification of family members.

The link includes a shocking pic' of the bicycle under a left turning truck...take care RIP

https://www.wyndhamtv.com.au/cyclist-fa ... collision/

By the pictures shown, it looks like the truck, a Freightliner Argosy looks as though he's clipped the rear end of the bicycle making the rear of the bike slide as it's being dragged by the front of the fuel tanks and the bike crumpling as it's dragged through underneath or the rider has hit the truck as it turned left although if that was the case, I would have thought the bicycles rear would be sticking out rather than the front wheel.
The bike has obviously been caught on something and as the truck is turning in, the bike has been dragged inwards rider included. The rider wouldn't have had time to jump off.
Considering where the bike was dragged in between the front wheel of the truck and fuel tanks makes me wonder how the truck driver had not seen the bicycle on his approach to the left hand turn. I've sat in the same truck on the drivers side as a friend of Mine owned the exact same truck and I recall, you could still see things within 2 meters of the left front of the windscreen.
If the truck was turning left, the driver would have and should have been setting up the truck to go wide before doing the actual turn, so unless the rider was confused as to what the truck was about to do (which is possible) he may have just ridden into the side of it once the prime move swung around to the left but if the cyclist was already on the road, I'm sure the truck driver would have known the cyclist was about and should have taken precautions. Very unfortunate outcome for all concerned. Unfortunately in the truckie game, the anti cyclist attitude is alive and strong

brumby33

[CmdrBiggles]

Neither Leakes nor Derrimut Roads have bike lanes in place, and high speed traffic is the norm; both are also major grid freighting thoroughfares to and from the western suburbs: around WestGate to the boom suburbs around Wyndham (and particularly Tarneit). I would not drive my car along either road (among a few others I avoid), much less consider it sensible for a cyclist to be riding on what is essentially an 8-9 lane pseudo-freeway.

As for this, you are merely speculating and off-course.

the anti cyclist attitude is alive and strong

So you are apportioning the blame first and foremost, above and beyond what the police have established?

[warthog1]

Where there's a will there's a way....

There clearly isn't a will at higher levels. Device distraction is now endemic and getting worse, not better.

[brumby33]

Neither Leakes nor Derrimut Roads have bike lanes in place, and high speed traffic is the norm; both are also major grid freighting thoroughfares to and from the western suburbs: around WestGate to the boom suburbs around Wyndham (and particularly Tarneit). I would not drive my car along either road (among a few others I avoid), much less consider it sensible for a cyclist to be riding on what is essentially an 8-9 lane pseudo-freeway.

As for this, you are merely speculating and off-course.

the anti cyclist attitude is alive and strong

So you are apportioning the blame first and foremost, above and beyond what the police have established?

No, I'm not apportioning any blame, but I've spent some time and pretty much all my 49 years of working life around trucks, truck drivers, bus drivers and unless any (not many) of them actually ride bicycles, very few have anything kind to say about anyone riding bikes.

I don't know Melbourne much at all but i do know around that area is pretty much a heavy vehicle thoroughfare. I don't know what happen, I hope the cops get to the bottom of it but i'm only thinking on how these photos looked and the position of the bike and my own experience with semi-trailers.

brumby33

[warthog1]

I was a truck driver, now decades ago though. I wouldn't classify many truck drivers as supportive of cycling (to put it nicely) ime either.

[CmdrBiggles]

I don't know Melbourne much at all but i do know around that area is pretty much a heavy vehicle thoroughfare

brumby33

Freight transport generally does not go any further west than Tarneit Road; there is nothing beyond but sprawling new housing estates and clapped-out woop-woop land unfit to run camels. The accident is in a prime grid-freighting area — well west of the built-up area goes nowhere-in-particular other than lonely, isolated, exposed roads to Geelong . Leakes and Derrimut Roads carry every multi-wheeled travesty from taxis to B-Doubles servicing businesses and factories literally "on the edge" of the heavily industrialised west from their heartland of West Gate. They have to turn south through bottlenecks galore to get on the Princes Freeway if going to Geelong, and the road they take for that is not something I am even going to think of as a cyclist!

I really do not think cyclists should be riding those two roads — it is just the sheer amount of traffic — cars, trucks, everything at once moving at high speed with a high number of unpredictable sections of the road, that makes it such an absolutely dangerous environment. But who am I to say? I'm just a driver, cyclist, e-scooterer... but I steer well clear of such places I know can put me in harm's way. As I said earlier, I don't drive around Wyndham in my car! Note this area also has an absolutely booming migrant population — a ginormous melting pot of cultures — bigger than anything Melbourne has seen in the past.

Love us or hate us, I feel pretty sure the truck driver didn't get out and jig the Jerusalema; for him, it would be a very traumatic experience — most likely the start of an extended time off work (if he returns to work at all) and counselling on top of all that questioning.

[brumby33]

Crikey!! Sounds like an horrendous part of Melbourne and yeah there are some roads I would not even like my bike to see let lone ride lol.
As I'm more from Sydney, Canterbury Road going through past from Riverwood right through to Petersham, I would hate to ride that although I've seen some of those Indian food delivers riding in what i would call suicidal conditions but maybe it's something they are used to back home. Botany road on the East side of Sydney and the Pacific Highway from North Sydney upwards have 2 lanes each way, wall to wall traffic and no shoulders at all.

I wonder if we'll hear the results.

RIP to the poor rider.....

[warthog1]

I really do not think cyclists should be riding those two roads — it is just the sheer amount of traffic — cars, trucks, everything at once moving at high speed with a high number of unpredictable sections of the road, that makes it such an absolutely dangerous environment. But who am I to say? I'm just a driver, cyclist, scooterer... but I steer well clear of such places I know can put me in harm's way. As I said earlier, I don't drive around Wyndham in my car! Note this area also has an absolutely booming migrant population — a ginormous mounting pot of cultures= — bigger than anything Melbourne has seen in the past.

Sounds like a great place to avoid, as a cyclist, agreed. I am not familiar with the area.

Love us or hate us, I feel pretty sure the truck driver didn't get out and jig the Jerusalema; for him, it would be a very traumatic experience — most likely the start of an extended time off work (if he returns to work at all) and counselling on top of all that questioning.

I don't expect anyone is suggesting it is deliberate. However the negative attitude toward cyclists isn't likely to predispose freight drivers to be cautious and patient around drivers. Not giving enough space and not slowing down, when patience and caution aren't exercised around cyclists, can go terribly wrong. We have all experienced close passes by trucks and buses I expect. I most certainly have, numerous times and am now far more selective of where and when I ride. Perhaps this was a similar episode that resulted in death.

[CmdrBiggles]

The dreadful 'suction effect' that occurs when trucks pass, and especially B-trailers and B-doubles, but so too with big cement mixers and semis - - that is what scares me once, scares me forever. When I am aware of a truck approaching behind at speed on a narrow road (helmet rear view mirror), in a situation I recall very recently near home (on a road that is now closed to all for level crossing removal), when I am already on the tarmac shoulder, I feel safer just getting off the road and waiting for the behemoth to pass. Even then, the gust and suction effect is all too real and scary as an experience.

[warthog1]

I've had the opposite from a bus. Passed me that close and at speed, on an otherwise deserted road with good visibility, that the bow wave of wind presure blew me left.

You are right, the low pressure area as the pass can pull you right too.

[elantra]

Another hit and run fatality, Grenfell:

https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-ac ... 976098ecd3

Emergency services responded to Henry Lawson Way, Grenfell shortly after 11am on Monday following reports a cyclist had been found unconscious.

The 67-year-old man was treated by paramedics but died at the scene. The man is yet to be formally identified.

RIP.

I suppose the driver will get away with it.

News update on terrible incident rural NSW :

“A 39 yr old man has been charged with failing to stop following the death of a cyclist in an alleged hit and run incident near Grenfell earlier this week “


https://regionriverina.com.au/truck-dri ... ist/56897/

[g-boaf]

I've had the opposite from a bus. Passed me that close and at speed, on an otherwise deserted road with good visibility, that the bow wave of wind presure blew me left.

You are right, the low pressure area as the pass can pull you right too.

I used to ride on motorway shoulders years ago (only way to go where I wanted) and it was something I got used to, the big trucks would always pull you towards them a bit.

The bike wasn’t an aero one so the effect wasn’t very dramatic.

The tricky bit was the continual scanning for debris all the time. The shoulders were very dirty.

[Thoglette]

Man charged with murder over death of cyclist in Perth suburb of Carlisle

Seems that there was some disagreement the day before.

[brumby33]

I've had the opposite from a bus. Passed me that close and at speed, on an otherwise deserted road with good visibility, that the bow wave of wind presure blew me left.

You are right, the low pressure area as the pass can pull you right too.

Warty, as a former bus driver, i hate hearing about punishment passes by so called professional drivers that make us all look bad when the rules of the road are perfectly clear 1 mtr clearance under 60kph and 1.5 mtrs over 60kph and I think now it's in every state......I would have no issues of going straight to that bus company (it's usually but not always a local bus) and let them know, approx time, bus number and location of incident if you can get it in time, they usually only have about 4 numbers on their plates or even a bus number on the body that will identify what job that bus was on and the driver in charge of it.......there's no excuses for passing that close especially if the road was clear for him to give you space. Also tell the bus Company you will be taking it it up with the Police as well. I once got close passed by one of my own depot's buses, I don't think the driver knew who the guy on the bicycle was (i was going to work at the time) so i identified the bus, found out who the driver was and had a meeting with him in the Managers office....he did apologise to me but i told him it doesn't matter who the rider was, you just don't do that...you give them the legal space by law, it's for his safety......he didn't get penalised as that is not what i wanted anyway but for him to realise you don't know who is going to report your bad deeds.......

[warthog1]

I've had the opposite from a bus. Passed me that close and at speed, on an otherwise deserted road with good visibility, that the bow wave of wind presure blew me left.

You are right, the low pressure area as the pass can pull you right too.

Warty, as a former bus driver, i hate hearing about punishment passes by so called professional drivers that make us all look bad when the rules of the road are perfectly clear 1 mtr clearance under 60kph and 1.5 mtrs over 60kph and I think now it's in every state......I would have no issues of going straight to that bus company (it's usually but not always a local bus) and let them know, approx time, bus number and location of incident if you can get it in time, they usually only have about 4 numbers on their plates or even a bus number on the body that will identify what job that bus was on and the driver in charge of it.......there's no excuses for passing that close especially if the road was clear for him to give you space. Also tell the bus Company you will be taking it it up with the Police as well. I once got close passed by one of my own depot's buses, I don't think the driver knew who the guy on the bicycle was (i was going to work at the time) so i identified the bus, found out who the driver was and had a meeting with him in the Managers office....he did apologise to me but i told him it doesn't matter who the rider was, you just don't do that...you give them the legal space by law, it's for his safety......he didn't get penalised as that is not what i wanted anyway but for him to realise you don't know who is going to report your bad deeds.......

That would be better than how I did handle it.
It was after a night shift and I was tired and cranky. The bus was pulled over in front of a basketball court about 5km later. I stormed onto the bus and just the driver was there seated in the driving seat. Put my face inches from his and screamed my rage at him. Very, very close to punching the living snot out of him. The legal consequences of doing so are all that stopped me.

It was a few years back now and preceeded minimum safe passing distance laws.

[brumby33]

I've had the opposite from a bus. Passed me that close and at speed, on an otherwise deserted road with good visibility, that the bow wave of wind presure blew me left.

You are right, the low pressure area as the pass can pull you right too.

Warty, as a former bus driver, i hate hearing about punishment passes by so called professional drivers that make us all look bad when the rules of the road are perfectly clear 1 mtr clearance under 60kph and 1.5 mtrs over 60kph and I think now it's in every state......I would have no issues of going straight to that bus company (it's usually but not always a local bus) and let them know, approx time, bus number and location of incident if you can get it in time, they usually only have about 4 numbers on their plates or even a bus number on the body that will identify what job that bus was on and the driver in charge of it.......there's no excuses for passing that close especially if the road was clear for him to give you space. Also tell the bus Company you will be taking it it up with the Police as well. I once got close passed by one of my own depot's buses, I don't think the driver knew who the guy on the bicycle was (i was going to work at the time) so i identified the bus, found out who the driver was and had a meeting with him in the Managers office....he did apologise to me but i told him it doesn't matter who the rider was, you just don't do that...you give them the legal space by law, it's for his safety......he didn't get penalised as that is not what i wanted anyway but for him to realise you don't know who is going to report your bad deeds.......

That would be better than how I did handle it.
It was after a night shift and I was tired and cranky. The bus was pulled over in front of a basketball court about 5km later. I stormed onto the bus and just the driver was there seated in the driving seat. Put my face inches from his and screamed my rage at him. Very, very close to punching the living snot out of him. The legal consequences of doing so are all that stopped me.

It was a few years back now and preceeded minimum safe passing distance laws.

I bet it gave you great satisfaction being able to vent your anger at the person who put your life at risk......yes i think that is a reasonable approach as long as no punches being thrown but i bet it shook him up a bit and made him think. Did he have any response to your rage?

Oh it was before that law......but still, if there's nobody on the road, there's no danger not to give a cyclist a tad more space.

brumby33

[warthog1]

Warty, as a former bus driver, i hate hearing about punishment passes by so called professional drivers that make us all look bad when the rules of the road are perfectly clear 1 mtr clearance under 60kph and 1.5 mtrs over 60kph and I think now it's in every state......I would have no issues of going straight to that bus company (it's usually but not always a local bus) and let them know, approx time, bus number and location of incident if you can get it in time, they usually only have about 4 numbers on their plates or even a bus number on the body that will identify what job that bus was on and the driver in charge of it.......there's no excuses for passing that close especially if the road was clear for him to give you space. Also tell the bus Company you will be taking it it up with the Police as well. I once got close passed by one of my own depot's buses, I don't think the driver knew who the guy on the bicycle was (i was going to work at the time) so i identified the bus, found out who the driver was and had a meeting with him in the Managers office....he did apologise to me but i told him it doesn't matter who the rider was, you just don't do that...you give them the legal space by law, it's for his safety......he didn't get penalised as that is not what i wanted anyway but for him to realise you don't know who is going to report your bad deeds.......

That would be better than how I did handle it.
It was after a night shift and I was tired and cranky. The bus was pulled over in front of a basketball court about 5km later. I stormed onto the bus and just the driver was there seated in the driving seat. Put my face inches from his and screamed my rage at him. Very, very close to punching the living snot out of him. The legal consequences of doing so are all that stopped me.

It was a few years back now and preceeded minimum safe passing distance laws.

I bet it gave you great satisfaction being able to vent your anger at the person who put your life at risk......yes i think that is a reasonable approach as long as no punches being thrown but i bet it shook him up a bit and made him think. Did he have any response to your rage?

Oh it was before that law......but still, if there's nobody on the road, there's no danger not to give a cyclist a tad more space.

brumby33

He was unapologetic and told me to hit him. I expect I was on camera.
I left him and rode away not feeling any satisfaction.
I no longer commute but cameras would be a necessity if I did.

[brumby33]

That would be better than how I did handle it.
It was after a night shift and I was tired and cranky. The bus was pulled over in front of a basketball court about 5km later. I stormed onto the bus and just the driver was there seated in the driving seat. Put my face inches from his and screamed my rage at him. Very, very close to punching the living snot out of him. The legal consequences of doing so are all that stopped me.

It was a few years back now and preceeded minimum safe passing distance laws.

I bet it gave you great satisfaction being able to vent your anger at the person who put your life at risk......yes i think that is a reasonable approach as long as no punches being thrown but i bet it shook him up a bit and made him think. Did he have any response to your rage?

Oh it was before that law......but still, if there's nobody on the road, there's no danger not to give a cyclist a tad more space.

brumby33

He was unapologetic and told me to hit him. I expect I was on camera.
I left him and rode away not feeling any satisfaction.
I no longer commute but cameras would be a necessity if I did.

Yeah being a bus driver in a big depot, I too copped a lot of snide remarks as they knew I loved cycling and many seen me ride into work so sometimes if the conversations in the meal room spoke of their frustrations with cyclists, it didn't matter if they were commuting cyclists or club cyclists and since the food delivery cyclists came onto the scene, they were bundled in with them too......(yes most of them are international students riding illegally rented e-bikes) and many of them did stupid things. I often wondered that many more weren't killed.
But yeah of course I would cop a ribbing because i was a bike rider and because i was present and it didn't matter what I said, I couldn't convince them that bike riders were human as well and have places to go.
Eventually I'd just say "whatever....just stay away from me and if ya gonna hit me, make sure I'm dead because I'll sue your arse off and claim your house" lol

[Mr Purple]

I had what I'm pretty sure was a deliberate close pass from a council bus on Sylvan Road on Saturday.

The 'bike lane' (I hesitate to call if that) was 70cm wide, and he passed with his wheels right on the line. Fortunately I saw it coming and slowed right down and veered partly in to the side street to avoid it. Unfortunately that meant the camera footage didn't really clearly show just how dangerous it was.

It's a bit rough when you're on the council's completely inadequate infrastructure getting punishment passed by a council bus for using it. Feels like a conspiracy at that point.

[warthog1]

Disappointing so many drivers had that opinion Brumby. Not surprising, but still disappointing.

[zebee]

A while back I was chatting to a bus driver who recognised the recumbent. He said many cyclists would treat a moving bus as if it was stationary and get into his blind spots then dart in front of him.

The problem for bus drivers about cyclists is the same as cyclists have about cars. That you can't tell if this one is going to be a problem... 99.99% of cars are fine but you don't know if you are seeing that member of the .01% who is going to wreck your day.

If you are spending a full working day on the road you are going to see more of them. And being human you will remember the bad ones.

In a group, bus drivers will whine about the bad ones they way cyclists in a group do...

Difference being of course that a bus driver feeling put upon - dreadful shifts, lousy passengers, hard timetables... - will not spend that extra little bit of energy to pass properly. Dunno a good answer except to say "yeah, every now and then there's a !! BAN ME NOW FOR SWEARING !! cyclist, just like !! BAN ME NOW FOR SWEARING !! bus drivers exist. Come on, bet you know one!" if you meet a driver...

(Kudos to the 410 driver today who passed me very nicely on Burwood Rd, wide and heaps of room coming back in)

[brumby33]

Zebee, you'll be surprised how many bus drivers are actual cyclists, they may ride to work or for sport, in many of the Sydney's and Newcastle's Depots I've worked at, we have bicycle racks and they are mostly all full.
I used to love the ride to Randwick depot when i could actually ride up Devonshire street before the light rail but had changed to Liverpool and Flinders then the Moore Park bike path......it was awesome!!
So if you come across a Bus driver who gives you space....he might well be a cyclist himself, I know I used to give cyclists a lot of grace.

[familyguy]

https://bicyclingaustralia.com.au/news/ ... ar-sydney/

Unconfirmed report that a rider has since died. Trying to get the source from the person who made the comment.

Forest Way is a local road I've used a few times, but it's always hairy. Narrow 'cycle lane', high speed, careless drivers. 6am in winter is not a great time to be on it, but it's the sole link for many to Akuna, St Ives, and many points north and west, unfortunately.