By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
A CYLIST who was hit by a car last week at a busy Berwick intersection said his life was at risk every time he rode through Casey.
Brett Donaldson, of Donaldson Martin & Co Real Estate in Narre Warren, had nearly finished his 60-kilometre ride when a car hit him as he rode through the roundabout at the corner of O’Shea Road and Kimbara Drive in Berwick.
Mr Donaldson said major Casey roads including Clyde Road and Narre Warren South Road were death traps for cyclists due to a lack of bike lanes.
“These roads all lead out to that great sporting facility of Casey Fields, but there’s no safe track for us to get out there. You’ve got to drive your car out there to use it, which just seems ridiculous to me,” he said.
“I think you’re taking your life in your hands every time you head out there.”
Mr Donaldson had almost exited the roundabout on Sunday 8 September when a car hit him, throwing him up to the height of the roof before he landed on his back, suffering a compression in his lower spine.
Mr Donaldson said he tried to make eye contact with the driver, who stopped to help after the accident, but couldn’t see through the car’s tinted windows.
“I wasn’t able to get up initially, I was badly wounded and after I got my breath back, I dragged myself off the centre of the road into the middle of the roundabout where I felt a bit safer, then gradually I realised things were still working, my feet and legs,” he said.
Mr Donaldson said he has had numerous close calls with vehicles when riding his bike, as well as being abused by drivers and having objects thrown at him.
“Drivers do not see cyclists as legitimate road users in a lot of cases,” he said.
“They see us as a nuisance that we could be slowing them down, but I think for the tiny bit we may slow them down to get room to go around us they don’t seem to realise that we’ve got a family, we’ve got children.”
Bicycle Network Victoria Facilities Development manager Jason den Hollander said cycling accidents were very common in the middle to outer suburbs.
“There are a lot of high speed roads in these areas. That’s not only reflected in speed zones but also the conditions of the road … ” Mr den Hollander said.
“What used to be country roads are now trying to be urban roads.”
Mr den Hollander also said roundabouts were high risk areas for cyclists.
“While roundabouts do direct vehicles and curb vehicle accidents, there are statistics that show they increase the likelihood of pedestrian and bike accidents compared to a (traffic-signalled) controlled intersection,” he said.
According to the City of Casey’s Paths and Trails Strategy, the safety and convenience of cyclists and pedestrians in the area is paramount in order to encourage active transport.
“Good path and trail networks also increase the connectivity for members of the community who do not own or drive private vehicles,” it said.
“Approximately, a third of Casey residents do not have access to private vehicle. Good provision of paths and trails will also contribute to reducing car dependence.”
Mr Donaldson thanked everyone who assisted him after the crash, including two other cyclists, a driver and ambulance staff.
