Motorists and cyclists need to co-exist on Canberra’s roads. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
In the wake of last week’s tragedy on Gungahlin Drive, there was an outpouring of grief within the Canberra cycling community along with calls for a greater awareness of cyclists on the city’s roads.
A 32-year-old cyclist was killed when a car hit a five-person cycling bunch on an early morning training run.
Fellow cyclists on social media emerged soon after last week’s accident sharing their own collision encounters with cars. Many cyclists endure lifelong physical and psychological injuries.
This most recent death has resulted in a call for greater awareness and consideration of all road users.
We have seen this scenario before when a tragedy involving a cyclist occurred. In the immediate aftermath, there follow people questioning the right of cyclists to use roads alongside cars.
The aftermath of a collision. A BMW sedan collided with a cyclist on Lady Denman Drive on 20 March 2024. Photo: Claire Fenwicke.
Having had several near misses on Canberra’s roads as a novice cyclist, there is an element of fear every time you share a road with motorists.
It only takes one moment of distraction for it to become a tragedy.
There is also a counterargument that cyclists shouldn’t be on shared roads, since bike paths are abundant throughout the city.
This misses the point: while there are bike paths, it is not possible to navigate the entire city on them.
Additionally, training for events is not possible on bike paths alone, as these paths are shared with pedestrians.
Another view expressed by the anti-cycling brigade is a call for cyclists to pay registration fees, given that they use roads. This ignores the fact that most adult cyclists own a registered car, so they are already paying to use the road. The impact of a bike on a roadway is also insignificant compared with heavier forms of transport.
Some people point to cyclists failing to adhere to basic road rules. Yes, road rules should be abided by, but, like other road users, some do not always do the right thing. But the majority do.
There have been many attempts to close the divide between motorists and cyclists.
Dashcam image of a cyclist hit by a passing motorist in October 2020. Photo: Screenshot.
In Mexico, for instance, aspiring bus drivers are placed on stationary bikes with buses passing them at close proximity to simulate what cyclists experience with near misses.
Other countries with a strong bike culture have mandatory education programs for young cyclists teaching them how to ride respectfully alongside other road users.
I well remember the times at the ABC when I opened the talkback lines to discuss greater awareness among motorists of cyclists. If ever there was a touch point triggering outrage, it was the right of cyclists to co-exist on Canberra’s roads.
The venom expressed by those with an anti-cycling mindset was something to behold, going to extremes in their description of cyclists.
Hopefully, last week’s tragedy will serve as a catalyst for a greater understanding of the dangers cyclists face on Canberra’s roads every day.
One can only hope.