Cycling Fatalities in WA

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CycleSnail
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Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby CycleSnail » Wed Jan 28, 2015 5:11 pm

I have so far avoided keeping a register of cycling fatalities and serious injuries of cyclists in WA, I find it depressing. But with the a Police Minister stating in the West Australian that:
""The vast majority of cycling accidents where there's been a very serious injury appear to be the cyclist's error in contravening signals and contravening stop signs and those sorts of things," she said. A spokesman for the Minster said an analysis of seven fatal cycling accidents in 2014 showed five appeared to be the fault of the cyclist."

It seems relevant to keep track what is happening.

I have started to compile some of the fatalities of last year, as well as some of the serious crashes that might have resulted in later death. The list is not complete. Anybody got a better memory than me? (I wish this would copy/paste as a table....)

Serious and fatal cycling crashes in WA 2014
Currambine Death 21.3.2014 Cyclist in his 60’s died after collision with a car on Moore Drive
Mt. Lawley Death 15.5.2014 43 year old women rode from footpath onto the road and collided with a bus http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western ... 6919193902" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Nollamara Death 17.6.2014 11 year old boy riding on footpath to school hit by car backing out of driveway http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/witne ... 2od8k.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Welshpool Death 13.10.2014 31 year old hit by white ute. Brynt McSwain triathlete. Hit and run. Car later found and 38 year old driver charged
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/ ... to-horror/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Kings Park Road Death 5.11.2014 70 year old Paola Ferroni hit by 41 year old women driving an SUV. Car was driving in the same direction. Women has been charged with dangerous driving causing the death of a cyclist
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-13/w ... th/6014630" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Iluka Injury 18.3.2014 Male cyclist hit by car and Burns Beach roundabout and taken to hospital
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/ ... oundabout/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

South Perth Injury 22.3.2014 Two men aged 57 and 42 hit by car and taken to Royal Perth Hospital
http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/cycli ... 35a3i.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Attadale Injury 30.7.2014 Ian Beard 43 year old run into car that pulled out unexpectedly. 73 year old driver pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/ ... to-horror/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Osborne Park Injury 13.10.2014 30 year old male crashed with a car at intersection

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/ ... -injuries/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Orelia Injury 9.12.2014 26 year old man on motorised push bike in hit-and-run, driver failed to give way
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Robinho
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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby Robinho » Wed Jan 28, 2015 5:34 pm

I have real issues with the term "vast majority" being used to show trends in a sample size of 7, and even bigger problems with such poor research being used to inform policy

Scott_C
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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby Scott_C » Wed Jan 28, 2015 6:29 pm

CycleSnail wrote:I have started to compile some of the fatalities of last year, as well as some of the serious crashes that might have resulted in later death. The list is not complete. Anybody got a better memory than me? (I wish this would copy/paste as a table....)
The Federal Government publish a national database of road fatalities updated on a monthly basis that can be found here: http://www.bitre.gov.au/statistics/safe ... abase.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Filtering the 2014 data for bicyclist fatalities in WA gives the 9 following fatal crashes (data has been retyped by me and may have errors):

Code: Select all

 Date    Time     Type       Speed Limit   Gender   Age
14/02   18:00    Single       Unknown       Male     51
18/03   18:12    Multi         50kph        Male     33
21/03   11:12    Multi         80kph        Male     71
10/04   06:05    Multi         80kph        Male     35
09/05   21:20    Single        70kph        Male     38
15/05   14:20    Multi(Bus)    40kph        Female   43
26/08   11:10    Multi(Truck)  80kph        Male     18
11/10   07:33    Multi         70kph        Male     31
05/11   09:50    Multi         60kph        Female   70

Hugor
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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby Hugor » Wed Jan 28, 2015 6:40 pm

The true number of serious cycling injuries will be extraordinarily difficult to obtain.
All significant injuries presenting to RPH are logged in the trauma database, but most other hospitals do not collect these statistics.
The spinal injuries unit at RPH treats 2 - 3 cases per week on average. There may be 5 or 6 on occasions.
Some of these are paralysed. The majority of these cases do not make the media.
There are many others with major limb injuries looked after by the orthopaedic and plastic units.
RPH alone might treat up to 10 per week.

Unlike car vs car accidents these are not reported to the RTA so this data goes missing.

I am not certain, but I do not believe there is a requirement to report car vs bicycle accidents to the RTA like there is in car vs car.

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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby CycleSnail » Wed Jan 28, 2015 8:50 pm

Scott_C wrote: Filtering the 2014 data for bicyclist fatalities in WA gives the 9 following fatal crashes (data has been retyped by me and may have errors):
[/code]
Thanks, Scott_C. I now x-referenced what I had with the Bitre data. Very useful
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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby moosterbounce » Wed Jan 28, 2015 10:52 pm

Hugor wrote:The true number of serious cycling injuries will be extraordinarily difficult to obtain.
All significant injuries presenting to RPH are logged in the trauma database, but most other hospitals do not collect these statistics.
The spinal injuries unit at RPH treats 2 - 3 cases per week on average. There may be 5 or 6 on occasions.
Some of these are paralysed. The majority of these cases do not make the media.
There are many others with major limb injuries looked after by the orthopaedic and plastic units.
RPH alone might treat up to 10 per week.

Unlike car vs car accidents these are not reported to the RTA so this data goes missing.

I am not certain, but I do not believe there is a requirement to report car vs bicycle accidents to the RTA like there is in car vs car.
Being in a situation where I suffered a serious shoulder injury such that I may be staring down the barrel of a shoulder replacement, I can tell you that unless Murdoch A%E or the Ambo's reported it to anyone, no-one will know. I came off my bike with no car or other bike involved, on a bike path. Me, myself, and I. That's it.

I looked at the WAPOL website wondering if I needed to report it in case an incident number was required by insurance companies, but there is no provision for reporting an accident where a motor vehicle is not involved. Unless I'm a numpty and was looking in the wrong place.

So how to gather information on serious injuries where cars aren't involved or are you only interested in those that do involve them? the OP doesn't specify car involvement only.

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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby Aushiker » Thu Jan 29, 2015 12:48 am

Robinho wrote:I have real issues with the term "vast majority" being used to show trends in a sample size of 7, and even bigger problems with such poor research being used to inform policy
I suspect the Minister's comment which is actually referring to serious incidents which is not limited to deaths is based on either this report from May 2014 or a later report (request has gone into the Minister's office for clarification). The background to the May report can be found in my blog post from July 2014

As to the spokespersons' comment .. that one is interesting indeed and needs further clarification for sure. What is interesting is that Australian Road Deaths Database shows nine deaths of which two where single vehicle incidents, which leaves seven which need clarification as to the cause. I wonder why the spokeperson has been quoted as saying seven deaths.

Andrew
Last edited by Aushiker on Thu Jan 29, 2015 1:33 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby Aushiker » Thu Jan 29, 2015 1:30 am

CycleSnail wrote:Orelia Injury 9.12.2014 26 year old man on motorised push bike in hit-and-run, driver failed to give way
The BITRE database shows only single vehicle crash with a death of a driver. Is this one correct?

Andrew

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rolandp
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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby rolandp » Thu Jan 29, 2015 9:23 am

Will we even get a look in, with The West - Motorbike death toll study which reports the first think tank occurred yesterday.
Office of Road Safety executive director Iain Cameron said motorcyclists were very vulnerable in crashes and the problem was increasing as more people rode motorbikes.
This could also be changed to be:
Daily Commuting Cyclists rolandp said cyclists were very vulnerable in crashes and the problem was increasing as more people rode bikes.
Either way, death on roads is not good news, and maybe some common lessons can be applied to motorbike and cyclists.

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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby northboy » Thu Jan 29, 2015 1:43 pm

I think what the pollies etc miss from the 1M rule being brought in is not related to cyclists wanting to prosecute for breaches of the 1m rule, but rather the value that comes about as a result of the required education process for all concerned. Motorists and Cyclists - all road users.

In most instances after implementation the number of charges laid is relatively low if none, but cyclists have expressed a greater level of "perceived safety" after the implementation.

Northy

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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby Scott_C » Thu Feb 19, 2015 2:49 pm

2 things to add here.

Firstly, to unfortunately note the death of Kaleb Smith, 25, struck by a truck travelling in the same direction on Toodyay Road on the 15th of February 2015.

Secondly, I wrote to Liza Harvey querying the quote in the OP on the day it was published. The response I received yesterday included the following:
Liza Harvey MLA wrote:It is my understanding that six of the eight cyclist fatalities in 2014 were as a result of crashes with a motor vehicle. While these and other crashes in 2014 are still subject to investigation, based on information available to me to date, the cyclist appears to have been primarily at fault in four of these six crashes, either because of inattention, failing to give way or contravening traffic lights.
So when Ms Harvey says "very serious injury" she apparently means fatality. I wonder what Ian Beard's reaction would be to the fact that the Minister for Road Safety doesn't consider his injuries "very serious"? The next time I see either of the 2 SPR riders who were knocked down from behind on Canning Highway and spent months wearing back braces I might put the same question to them.

Further to the above, I have investigated the locations of the fatal motorist/cyclist incidents in 2014 and none of them appear to have involved an intersection with a stop sign so the "contravening stop signs" portion of the quote appears to be wholly without basis if Ms Harvey is only referring to fatalities. Moore Drive & Christchurch Terrace is a give-way sign, Ennis & Patterson and Thomas & Tonkin are traffic lights. The other 3 accidents were not at intersections.

So Ms Harvey believes a 1-m passing law should not be considered as it would have only been applicable in 2 of the 6 fatal accidents while simultaneously providing examples of bad cyclist behaviour that apparently apply to 2 of the 6 fatal accidents or does not apply to any of them.

PS:
CycleSnail wrote:Serious and fatal cycling crashes in WA 2014
Nollamara Death 17.6.2014 11 year old boy riding on footpath to school hit by car backing out of driveway http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/witne ... 2od8k.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Heinrich, I was going back through these to prepare a response to Ms Harvey's letter and the linked article says this was 2013, not 2014.

Further, I have the following additions to the list for 2014:
Rockingham Death 10.04.2014 Peter Angus Hagson, 35 hit by Mazda 3 at signalised intersection of Ennis Avenue and Patterson Road.

Oakford Death 26.08.2014 18-year old male on (petrol) motorised bicycle struck by truck at signalised intersection of Tonkin Highway and Thomas Road.

With the removal and additions above we have details of 6 fatal crashes involving cyclists and motorists in 2014, the same as the Minister's letter. I cannot find any other reference to the 18th March crash listed in the BITRE database.

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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby CycleSnail » Thu Feb 19, 2015 7:20 pm

Scott_C wrote:2 things to add here.

With the removal and additions above we have details of 6 fatal crashes involving cyclists and motorists in 2014, the same as the Minister's letter. I cannot find any other reference to the 18th March crash listed in the BITRE database.
Thanks, Scott_C.

I think the crash on the 18th of March is covered here

Send me an email (Heinrich dot Benz at btawa.org.au), I have a small table with the fatalities of 2014
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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby Grev » Fri Feb 20, 2015 10:35 am

Scott C - I got a very similar reply signed by Minister Harvey, including the exact paragraph you quote in your post.

My reading was that the Minister's office is looking for any excuse to do nothing, and if you can blame the victim into the bargain, so much the better.

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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby Thoglette » Fri Feb 20, 2015 10:57 am

Grev wrote:My reading was that the Minister's office is looking for any excuse to do nothing, and if you can blame the victim into the bargain, so much the better.
ditto. Very specific questions asked were not answered - it seems like a form letter went out.

It appears that the minister's advisers could not or would not do any basic research but grabbed a sound bite from some unpublished data that matched a particular agenda.
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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby wellington_street » Fri Feb 20, 2015 12:45 pm

Thoglette wrote:Very specific questions asked were not answered - it seems like a form letter went out.
A common problem with Government responses. For those who have been around the block before, what is the best strategy to get them to answer the actual question?

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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby Thoglette » Fri Feb 20, 2015 12:53 pm

wellington_street wrote:.. what is the best strategy to get them to answer the actual question?
Have the shadow minister ask during question time.
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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby wellington_street » Fri Feb 20, 2015 12:56 pm

Thoglette wrote:
wellington_street wrote:.. what is the best strategy to get them to answer the actual question?
Have the shadow minister ask during question time.
Fair call. Gotta be really tight with your wording too, otherwise you'll end up with a host of "YES" "NO" and "See Answer 1"

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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby Aushiker » Fri Feb 20, 2015 1:33 pm

wellington_street wrote:
Thoglette wrote:Very specific questions asked were not answered - it seems like a form letter went out.
A common problem with Government responses. For those who have been around the block before, what is the best strategy to get them to answer the actual question?
Don't worry about it ... the message is getting through ... the bigger issue is the message being listened to or not.

I don't expect much in the way of a direct response to raising issues with the Minister but I aim for change down the track.

You can see one example of this with Neatstreets and Main Roads. The Director General was emphatic ... well they now accept Neatstreet reports :) Of course there is a big jump between Neatstreets and minimum safe passing legislation but it illustrates the "process" and what can happen over time.

Andrew

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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby CycleSnail » Fri Feb 20, 2015 3:44 pm

Grev wrote:Scott C - I got a very similar reply signed by Minister Harvey, including the exact paragraph you quote in your post.

My reading was that the Minister's office is looking for any excuse to do nothing, and if you can blame the victim into the bargain, so much the better.
The data that was supplied to the Minister, and forms the basis of her inaccurate and misguided statements, is linked tothe analysis I posted on our website.

Just scroll down to the comparison table and click on the TEACIS text
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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby 88mph » Thu Feb 26, 2015 4:44 am

I know it's not a competition, but I'd be interested to know the number of cyclists killed by vehicles vs people killed by sharks.

I'd also like to know the $$ spent per death by the State Government.

Without knowing the figures myself, I've got a feeling that there should have been a Car Cull long ago.

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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby Hugor » Thu Feb 26, 2015 2:51 pm

11 fatal shark deaths in the last 10 years. 9 Cyclists died on our roads last year alone. Whats the tally so far this year?
The shark deaths were thought to be excessive and warrant a multimillion dollar campaign to reduce the local shark population.
Agree I suspect the Premier will be calling for a car cull any time now.

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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby archetuthus » Fri Mar 27, 2015 3:58 pm

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-27/d ... te/6353602" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

an update has come in about Brynt McSwain's hit and run back in october last year.

The Driver has been sentenced to five and a half years' jail. but it seems the judge only imposed this so that it deterred others from drink-driving..

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Re: Cycling Fatalities in WA

Postby archetuthus » Fri Mar 27, 2015 3:58 pm

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-27/d ... te/6353602" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

an update has come in about Brynt McSwain's hit and run back in october last year.

The Driver has been sentenced to five and a half years' jail. but it seems the judge only imposed this so that it deterred others from drink-driving..

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