Adelaide’s most dangerous suburbs for cyclists

South Aussie cyclists are fed up with safety solutions that go nowhere – as the RAA reveals the worst spots for cyclist crashes in Adelaide.

Dozens on cyclist deaths in recent years has prompted the RAA to survey riders about what can be done to stop the road carnage.

The RAA Risky Rides survey, which opens Sunday, aims to help all road users negotiate a safer outcome on the roads.

The motoring organisation is lobbying to improve cycling infrastructure, releasing figures that show between 2017 and 2021, there were 3734 reported crashes involving cyclists in SA,

Of these 2259 resulted in injury and 24 in deaths;

FOUR in every five between a cyclist and a motor vehicle.

SEVENTY four per cent blamed on the motor vehicle driver.

EIGHTY per cent of the crashes resulting in injury were attributed to the motor

vehicle driver.

FIFTY six per cent of the crashes were at intersections

ONE in every ten of the cyclists involved in crashes were children.

A boom in e-bikes and passenger-carrying bikes is making pedal transport far more common on the roads.

A heatmap showing where the most cyclist crashes occurred in Adelaide between 2017 and 2021.

Martijn van der Merwe and partner Jacquie have room for their young son Ferdi and family dog Murray in their cargo compartment.

The couple said the cargo makes them even more safety conscious when it comes to cycling around Adelaide.

They also want other road users to heed the messages of cyclists in the RAA Risky Rides survey which will provide feedback on how to enhance safety for cyclists on our roads.

The couple from Brompton said they loved riding in Adelaide’s parklands as well as the bike trails in the famous wine regions of Clare and McLaren Vale.

Martijn said he was most confident riding along routes he had already found relatively safe from experience.

Cyclists Martijn van der Merwe with partner Jacquie, their son Ferdi and dog Murray from Brompton. Picture: Matt Turner

One issue likely to feature prominently in answers to the survey as a focus this year, is SA’s poor bike infrastructure.

“There are roads where bike lanes suddenly disappear and that’s a worry,’’ Martijn said.

“So, it would be better to have more consistency of which roads have non-stop bike lanes, and more investment in dedicated cycling tracks would be welcome.’’

RAA spokesman Matt Vertudaches said the surveys had already produced positive results for infrastructure.

“We will use the results to advocate for safer infrastructure for RAA members and other South Australians who choose to cycle,’’ he said.

“And we are happy to report some positive news for cyclists, with all seven roads identified in the top ten riskiest due to their poor condition in the 2020 survey have subsequently received maintenance works.”

Jacquie said she didn’t think every road had to have a bike lane but there needed to be a network of roads that could cater to cyclists.

“The parklands are fantastic, for example, as they have extended bike lanes,’’ she said.

“There is a lot of goodwill from motorists who do the right thing and give cyclists space and Adelaide is such a great place to cycle because it’s a beautiful city and pretty flat.’’

RAA launched its first Risky Rides survey in 2020, and this year’s survey is asking cyclists to nominate up to five gaps on regular rides which lack cycling infrastructure.

This includes on-road cycle lanes, road crossings, off-road paths, painted or protected space for cyclists, bike racks or lockers, and structures like bridges or tunnels.

You can fill in the survey here

Originally published as Adelaide’s most dangerous suburbs for cyclists