Who is at fault when cars and bikes collide
There is a common perception amongst motorists that cyclists tend of have crashes because of the way they ride, but new research suggests this might not be the case.
A report which examined cyclist crashes from 2011 to 2015 in the great Adelaide region, suggests that when it comes to collisions with motor vehicles more often than not it’s the motorists who are the ones which are at fault.
Royal Automobile Association of South Australia’s (RAA) Charles Mountain spoke on the data, "Most of the crashes occurred at intersections across popular cycling routes and were deemed not to be the fault of the cyclists. This points to the fact that people driving through are not as aware as they should be of cyclists."
Across five busy roads where there were often incidents, research showed that injured bike riders were not at fault in 191 out of 245 crashes, or 76 per cent.
Charles Mountain says the report ,"does highlight overall that there is a need for a high level of awareness amongst motorists".
"Motorists and cyclists need to watch out for each other, particularly at intersections and when turning. Motorists should also be checking for cyclists before opening their doors," Mountain said, while cyclists should "do things to make sure they are as visible as possible".
Do you think more should be done to protect cyclists?