Self-righteous road use causes accidents

11 February 2015

As a cyclist, I was concerned when I heard of a Perth incident in which a young bike rider was run down after a car allegedly crossed to the wrong side of the road with the express intention of hitting him (pictured).

I was also worried about the reported angry and destructive actions of that cyclist towards the driver moments earlier.

I say that not only as a cyclist, but an educator of cyclists. I teach commuter cyclists, or those looking to become commuter cyclists, how to stay safe on city streets as the more vulnerable road users.

I do not advocate more concrete barriers (aka ‘Copenhagen lanes’) or other ‘fortress’ approaches, but instead better understanding the social dynamics of the road. This enables safer navigation, and as we get better at it, we can help others adopt the same more considerate approach.

In other words, road rage is itself the enemy. Thankfully the Perth cyclist was only slightly injured, for he modelled what not to do. Not just for his safety, but for that of the rest of us – cyclists, drivers and other travellers – and in more ways than might seem readily apparent.

In this case, the cyclist had smashed the car’s windscreen after being affronted by something the driver had done. This is a sure fire way to heighten the aggravation of a driver, who is perhaps already distracted or agitated. In turn, it exacerbates the cyclist’s vulnerability on the road.

As congestion worsens, getting around by car is an increasingly frustrating way to travel. And it is a danger that is vastly under-estimated. The World Health Organisation informs us that around 1.24 million people die on the road each year globally. Around 1200 of those fatalities occur in Australia, with about 25 times that number injured. Nearly 5000 crashes each day injure around 30,000 people each year in this country. We ask a lot of each other in car-dominated communities, to keep each other out of harm’s way.

And even when we avoid crashing, we are increasingly putting our broader safety at risk. A larger and rising death toll stems from traffic related pollution each year in Australia, along with a host other concerns including community dislocation, regional and economic insecurity related to ‘peak oil’, habitat destruction and of course global warming.

For the sake of direct and indirect safety, we all need less drivers and more cyclists. As WA’s Opposition Transport

ENVIRONMENT

Self-righteous road use causes accidents

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