Potholes not a ‘down-the-road’ problem

Driving up arguably one of Victoria’s most dangerous roads, a cyclist hit a pothole and lost control. Within a second she was skidding across the bitumen towards my car.

It was on Heidelberg-Kinglake Rd where a cyclist wobbled and came off her bike in front of me. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

I almost killed someone this weekend.

It’s a shocking sentence I’d never thought I’d write.

I was driving up Heidelberg-Kinglake Rd — arguably one of the most dangerous roads in Victoria with its tight turns and cliffside drop off — and, thankfully, I was going really slowly.

The mountain climb is popular among cyclists and I’d already seen dozens when I rounded a bend and saw about eight riders coming back down the mountain towards me.

All was well, they were spread out and there was no risk.

Until the trailing woman hit a pothole.

Suddenly her bike wobbled — right, left, right again — and the tyre slid.

The road is filled with blind bends and drop off cliffs. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

In the space of a second or two, she had hit the road, sliding along the bitumen towards my oncoming car.

My brakes slammed on, her momentum slowing, we came to a stop about half a metre apart.

The pothole wasn’t that big. It was wide, sure, but only a centimetre or two deep — the type you vaguely feel when you drive over them but not enough to do damage to a car.

It was enough to do damage to a body.

Blood was pouring from the rider’s arm and her helmet had a large dint.

It’s certainly not the first incident on the dangerous stretch of road.

Kinglake resident Donovan — on his way down the mountain — also slammed on his brakes to avoid our fallen cyclist.

It wasn’t his first time dealing with a crash on this dangerous road, he said as he pulled a large first aid kit from his boot, shrugged on a high vis vest and put out warning signs.

For half an hour I directed dozens of cars, motorbikes and cyclists along the already narrow road now reduced to one lane — with no shoulder or curb Donovan was administering first-aid on the bitumen itself.

Patching her up, he then drove her back down the mountain to meet family who would get her checked up properly.

The pothole, similar to this one, wasn’t even that big. Picture: John Appleyard

Last year, road repair crews were filling almost 700 potholes a day across Victoria.

Over five years it was one for every 100m of road.

You can bet potholes like this one weren’t the priority.

Perhaps they should be.

I didn’t get the rider’s number, nor Donovan’s. I wish I had.

I’d like to know she ended up all right. I’d like to thank him for his calm leadership of the situation.

But most of all, I’d like the hazard to be fixed so no one else faces this situation — one that could have been so much worse.

Phillippa Butt is the Herald Sun’s Community News Director for Victoria