Call for cyclists, motorists to take care – 25 July, 2006
Media Release: The Hon Jim Lloyd MP Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads

Cycling has significant health and environmental benefits for the community but cyclists and motorists need to look out for each other, the Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads, Jim Lloyd, said today. According to a report released recently by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the main single factor in fatal road crashes involving cyclists in the period 1996 to 2004 was the failure of cyclists and motorists to see each other on the road.

“Both cyclists and motorists need to better appreciate the risks associated with cycling on our roads,” Mr Lloyd said. “Of particular concern is the fact that the most common type of crash in which cyclists were fatally injured, over one-fifth of cases, was the cyclist being hit from behind by a motor vehicle travelling in the same lane in the same direction,” he said. The next most common crash type, in 16 per cent of cases, was the cyclist riding from the footway into an intersection or onto the road and being hit by an oncoming motor vehicle.

Males accounted for over 80 per cent of cyclist deaths in road crashes. Males in the 10-14, 15-19 and 70 or over age groups accounted for the highest percentages and nearly a third of all male cyclists and nearly one-half of male cyclists in the 10 to 19 age group killed in road crashes were not wearing a helmet.

“I urge families to be aware of the need to encourage their children to wear a helmet when riding and to be particularly careful when riding from the footway onto the road or when riding on the edge of the road,” Mr Lloyd said “Cyclists need to ensure that they are visible and that their movements are predictable,” he said. “For their part, motorists should be alert to the presence of cyclists on the roads and to drive defensively to avoid them,” he said.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s report: Deaths of cyclists due to road crashes, is available at www.atsb.gov.au