Increase in people bike riding during lockdown leads to warning for motorists to take extra care to avoid tragedy
An increase in the number of Victorians bike riding during the COVID-19 crisis has prompted a warning for motorists to take extra care when sharing roads with them to avoid any further tragedies.
Road injuries lawyer Katie Minogue, from Maurice Blackburn, said given many people had dusted off their old bikes or bought new ones so they could continue exercising after gyms were closed, there were a lot more inexperienced riders taking to the streets.
More children and families were also riding on roads and footpaths, adding to the need for drivers to exercise caution from the moment they were reversing from their driveways, she added.
“Cyclists are much more vulnerable than people driving vehicles, making them far more likely to suffer serious injuries or even death if something goes unexpectedly wrong,” she said.
“Many people who are getting back on their bikes for the first time in years, as well as children who might be just learning how to ride, are not going to be experienced in traffic or certain weather conditions, so motorists need to be careful around them.
“Already this year, more than 80 people had been killed on Victorian roads, seven of them cyclists, so it is vital that all road users slow down, obey road rules and avoid taking risks so that no more lives are lost.”
She also urged cyclists riding on shared paths to be mindful of others because they too could cause serious injuries if they collided with a pedestrian or another cyclist.
