Comment by Ride2Wk on February 14, 2012 at 11:00am

Note this cyclists death report that DOESN"T mention helmet even though he was wearing one and it failed to protect him at all. The cyclist was a sports race cyclist with a helmet. He was giving way to the cars and waiting to turn right. From what I hear, it was a frangible light pole not a solid power pole - pity as a solid pole would probably have stopped or at least slowed the car and might have prevent the car from crashing into the cyclist. Such light poles are typical of car centric road safety designed to protect idiots from themselves but don't help protect other road users.

Also notice how the report is softly written NOT to put the blame squarely on the ute driver that lost control on a dead straight 80kmh road and killed a completely innocent cyclist obeying the road rules! The headline could have been "Cyclist killed by crashing ute" to instantly proportion blame but it just says a collision - that doesn't say who was at fault. If it had been a cyclist running over a school kid or little old lady it would have been front page new with calls to ban cyclists.

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2012/02/12/389971_gold-coast-ne...

Cyclist dies after collision with ute

Mackenzie Ravn   |  12:01am February 12, 2012

A CYCLIST struck by a ute on a Gold Coast road yesterday morning died of his injuries last night.

Just before 11am a ute travelling north on Oxley Drive hit a power pole, causing it to fall.

The ute continued across the median strip into the southbound lane where it hit the cyclist who was attempting to turn right into Brady Drive.

The cyclist, 26, was rushed to Gold Coast Hospital with a serious head injury, but later died from his injuries.

Police blocked off the road for several hours while investigations continued into the cause of the accident.

Comment by Geoff McLeod on February 15, 2012 at 7:55am

This is just my opinion from personal observations. I find 'the culture of fear' is stronger in Australia than anywhere else. 20 years of bicycle helmet laws have made many people believe that cycling is dangerous. You can also see this in parents who are more fearful about the safety of their children now. I know many parents won't let their kids walk or ride home from school. Yet when I was at school it was normal to walk or ride. 

I think is that Alan Davis is only right about his observation that we are fearful. It's a symptom of MHLs. But attitudes can change if people are given (what we call in advertising) 'permission to believe'. Attitudes can change quite quickly. For instance, our attitudes towards swimming pools changed when Brisbane almost ran out of water during the drought, they went from being a desirable item to being regarded as a wasteful indulgence. Drink driving was something that people did regularly in the early eighties. After the RBT campaigns were launched it was no longer socially acceptable. Having a Daniel Morcome Day at our school added further to parental paranoia, reinforcing the false belief that our children were sure to go missing if they went out alone. And of course there's changing attitudes towards the preserving environment. The term 'Green' is now everywhere, whereas once you'd be labeled a 'greenie' if you were worried about the environment.

So I think Alan is only right about fear, but our helmet laws created the fear. He is observing attitudinal effects of our nanny-state laws. But he is wrong if he thinks this is permanent. Australia's attitudes can change quickly. We weren't born this way and our heads are not softer than people's heads in the rest of the world. The culture of fear must be changed first. As a film maker I'll do what I can by making ads about this.

Interestingly, scooter riders are also going through a similar problem to cyclists. The Australian government has omitted scooters as one of the green transport options, possibly because they don't think scooters are safe.

http://www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au/GVGPublicUI/home.aspx

We definitely have an irrational fear of everything the has two wheels. It's like some kind paranoid feedback mechanism. But it can change.

If we establish a strong utility riding culture in our country, then Bike Share will be a success like it is in other countries. Unfortunately, our nanny-state creates fear, limiting utility riding culture which also limits Bike Share. 

Comment by Dan on February 15, 2012 at 9:05am

And in other news, I got the fine through from my latest ticket.

I pleaded guilty in writing as I can't afford another day in court, and submitted all the usual arguments in mitigation.

I copped a $50 fine, $81 in costs(?) and $67 VCL - $198 in total. That brings my total fines this year to $621.

The VCL component is wrong, as it should be $64, so once again I shall have to raise a stink. The Downing Centre must hate me...

Still, at least the cops seem to have given up on Pyrmont Bridge.

Comment by Dasher on February 15, 2012 at 9:56am

Geoff I love your comment "...our heads are not softer than people's heads in the rest of the world." I will be using that in the future!

Speaking of advertising and 'permission to believe' I think there is a correlation between advertising promoting the 4WD as the big, safe family vehicle and our view of smaller, 2 wheeled vehicles as being unsafe. I have been a part of the UNSW Safer Cycling Study and was contacted by them recently to ask why I haven't been riding lately. I advised it was due to giving birth and though I rode for most of my pregnancy I wouldn't be riding now until my daughter was big/old enough for a child seat on my bike or until I could afford a cargo bike. I thought it was rather curious the researcher needed to respond with "...As I am sure you already know, the munchkins need to be old enough/strong enough to wear a helmet to ride on our bikes." It seemed a rather unnecessary comment and again, designed to instil fear? Bikes not a suitable family vehicle? And I wonder what she meant by 'our bikes'?

Dan I am always astounded by the speed at which the police manage to get your fines through and court cases up. I'm still waiting to hear what happened to the pedestrian who assaulted me when I was six months pregnant. I know he was charged with assault (it took them a couple of months just to do that) but I haven't heard anything since. My baby is now two months old so it's been a while! And yes I have called numerous times chasing  them but apparently matters involving cyclists are a bit further down the priority list when they're the victim. In fact I doubt he would have been charged at all if it hadn't been witnessed by an off-duty officer (who was lovely and chased the bastard down) and my pregnant state hadn't resulted in women running over to see if I was ok = more witnesses willing to testify. 

Anyway I have tried to do my bit to counter this culture of fear by appearing in the next City of Sydney cycleway advertising riding whilst pregnant. I haven't seen the ad yet so I hope you can tell I'm pregnant rather than just fat! Unfortunately they made me wear a helmet but hey, baby steps! 

Comment by robflyte on February 15, 2012 at 10:54am

this weeks Hills Shire times, http://digitaledition.hillsshiretimes.com.au/#folio=001, Twin Creeks advert.  2 young helmet free riders :o)

Comment by Neil Alexander on February 15, 2012 at 1:02pm

@ Dan: I copped a $50 fine, $81 in costs(?) and $67 VCL - $198 in total. That brings my total fines this year to $621.

Wow. That's a heck of a lot more than you would have paid to register your bike(s) under an Alan-Jones-approved bike rego scheme. You must be getting a lot more respect from motorists these days by paying so much for your "right" to use the road, eh? ;-)

Comment by Dan on February 15, 2012 at 2:20pm

Undoubtedly! I am sure that $621 not only pays for my rego, but also my share of road repairs, medicare insurance premiums to cover me in the case of injury and the installation of bike racks around the place.

Yes, I ride with head held high, whilst motorists make room for me on the roads I now have the right to ride on...

Comment by Paul Martin on February 16, 2012 at 6:05am

Comment by Alan Todd on February 16, 2012 at 7:30am

Love it.

Comment by Paul Martin on February 16, 2012 at 12:22pm

Excellent post there, Etienne. Here is another good one from New Zealand.

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