Dashcam footage shows driver hitting young cyclist

A traumatised driver has shared terrifying footage of the moment he hit a young cyclist, after he rode out onto the road without looking.

The horrific moment a driver hits a young cyclist, who rode out onto the road without looking, has been caught on camera.

The driver, who had a dashcam in his car when the terrifying incident occurred, posted the footage to Dashcam Owners Australia.

“I spotted them about a moment after you see them on the dashcam. If (you) look closely, they never even looked over to check for oncoming cars” the driver wrote on Facebook.

“The cyclist was able to get up ok and ambo’s checked them over and didn’t appear to have any broken bones but still went to get checked.”

In the footage, the driver can be seen cruising down a residential road, barely hitting 50km/h.

As he passes a number of stopped cars, it quickly becomes clear that a driver in the left lane has stopped to wave through the young cyclist.

The cyclist rode out without looking. Picture: Dashcam Owners Australia

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The cyclist, who is wearing a helmet, jacket and backpack, is looking towards the other side of the street when he rides out onto the road, in the path of the oncoming car.

“Woah, holy f**k, oh my god,” the driver yells as he smashes into the cyclist.

A horrifying crunch can be heard when the young rider is thrown up onto the man’s car and into the windshield before he rolls onto the road.

The boy is lying on the road, slightly moving his hands, as the driver quickly jumps out of the car.

According to the video’s timestamp, the incident occurred just before 5.30pm on Friday.

The driver said police had cleared him of any wrongdoing after seeing the dashcam video.

“I wasn’t at fault but it was a massive scare for me,” he said.

The cyclist being hit. Picture: Dashcam Owners Australia

The cyclist lying on the ground. Picture: Dashcam Owners Australia

Replying to the dashcam footage, hundreds of people offered their condolences to the driver.

“OMG — Lucky you weren’t speeding AND you had dashcam proof,” one wrote. “This is why I got a dashcam so I can prove it’s not my fault. It also forces me to drive safely knowing I’m being recorded.”

A number of commenters said the incident was tragic because the driver on the left had clearly signalled to the young cyclist he was free to cross.

“While it’s obviously the riders fault for crossing without looking, my bet is the white car probably waved them through, and I can also see the rationality behind the people saying the (dashcam) driver was going too fast past traffic that is stopped, but it was the good intentions of the white car that actually caused this and the (dashcam) driver is actually a victim of circumstances,” one said.

“I have seen drivers stop and wave us across a road even in a quiet residential street. I always politely decline their offer,” another said. “I want to teach my child not to presume that drivers will stop or offer this or that is it safe beyond the one car that has stopped and there is nothing coming on the other side of the road. Always wait til it is clear both ways, even when crossing at lights or ped crossings.”

According to recent safety report released by the Australian Automobile Association, cyclists are being hit and killed on Australian roads more than ever before.

In the 12 months to June 2020, 48 cyclists were killed, an increase from the 34 who died in the year before.

Originally published as Dashcam footage shows driver hitting young cyclist