Victorian cyclists being injured in record numbers

Victorian cyclists are being hospitalised at a rate of more than one a day, as the number of serious crashes ­involving bicycles soars. So what’s to blame for the alarming trend?

Chris Horne is still in a halo neck brace after being hit by a car. Picture: Tony Gough

Victorian cyclists are being hospitalised at a rate of more than one a day, as the number of serious crashes ­involving bicycles soars.

In 2017, the number of ­riders needing hospital treatment was a record 510, ­compared with 360 in 2012.

The final three months of data for 2018 is still being ­collected, but the total to September 30 last year was 385.

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Six cyclists have lost their lives on Victorian roads in 2019, compared to just one in the first four months of 2018.

Stuart Le Grand, of Le Grand Margalit lawyers, said his firm had recorded a spike in claims relating to cycling injuries.

“The vast majority of these cases involve motorists not keeping a proper lookout,” he said. “The injuries that we see are often life-threatening.

Chris Horne in hospital after being struck by a car. Picture: Supplied

“We have seen a surge in serious orthopaedic injuries arising from contact between vehicles and cyclists.”

Chris Horne of Armadale could easily have been a more serious statistic. He is stuck at home in a halo neck brace and facing months of rehab after being hit by a car at a roundabout in Toorak on March 1, knocking him off and breaking his neck.

He recalls it in chilling ­detail: “They didn’t stop at the roundabout and sped up. I was knocked off my bike and broke my neck. I was knocked out for five or 10 minutes.”

“What scared me the most was it came out of nowhere … I cycle to work every day and even if you’re aware of your surroundings it could happen.

“Wearing a helmet saved my life,” he said.

Bicycle Network CEO Craig Richards said cyclists deserved better. ”It’s not good enough for our loved ones to just be seen as another statistic,” he said. “We need to make significant changes to our built environment, our laws and people’s behaviour.

“These include more separated places for people to ride, lower vehicle speeds, laws that prioritise bike riders and improved safety standards for vehicles.”

The number of claims made by ­cyclists to the TAC has surged year on year. TAC lead director of road safety, Samantha Cockfield, said ­cyclists should ensure they were highly visible. But drivers had to play their part.

“When a motorist passes a cyclist in a 60kmh zone, they should leave a metre between their side mirror and the ­cyclist, and 1.5m in higher speed zones. This may require people to slow down and be ­patient until it is safe to pass,” she said.

A total of 108 people have died on Victorian roads so far in 2019, compared to 67 at this time in 2018.

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