Injured cyclists speak out after three big crashes in one week

The 32-year-old, who suffers chronic pain after being struck while cycling on Pleasant Street last August, is now speaking out in the hope road users look out for each other.

“It’s going to be life changing for those three to be honest,” she said.

“I feel there’s a lot of blaming – motorists blaming cyclists that they should be wearing high vis or have better lights.

“I think we need to change this negative behaviour towards cyclists – that has to be the main message. 

“We need to be able to go about things with each other.”

Her impassioned plea comes after a boy, 17, was thrown from his bike after being struck by a car on Humffray Street in Ballarat East on Thursday.

This followed two other collisions involving cyclists on Webster Street in Ballarat Central on Wednesday and on Learmonth Road in Wendouree on May 10.

Ballarat police officer Ken Birch, 59, was off duty when he was struck by a reversing car on Webster Street.

The car’s bike rack punctured his arm, drawing blood as he fell face-first onto the road’s bitumen.

“All I remember was looking at an ambo’s face who I know and then nothing for about three hours,” he said.

“I’ve since called the driver of the car, I wanted to make sure she was ok.”

Both Ms Shields and Mr Birch have urged residents to help stop trolls criticising cyclists on social media.

“It’s not them against us,” Mr Birch said. 

“We’re all on the roads together and we all want to get home safely. 

“Yeah, we don’t pay rego, insurance and all that and by law we’re not required to, so get over that and just be patient, that’s all I can say.”

In November, the TAC launched a television advertisement campaign, calling on motorists to keep a gap of at least one metre when passing cyclists on roads in a bid to reduce the number of collisions. 

But the campaign was blasted by leading cyclists such as Ballarat Roadies founder Matthew Kaess, who said a one-metre passing law should be enshrined in law.

Ballarat councillor Belinda Coates had a near miss with a car when riding her bicycle at the intersection of Eastwood and Humffray streets last Tuesday.

She said she would support the introduction of a one-metre passing law.

“It was a pretty scary experience and a reminder to me and others that there’s often just a split second between a person being well and being seriously injured,” she said.

“It’s important to note that it shouldn't be an opportunity for people to think about an ‘us and them’ attitude.

“People on bikes are people’s partners, sons, daughters, fathers, mothers – it’s a really bad culture of blame to think about a person riding a bike whose safety doesn't matter.”

Mr Kaess previously said Victoria was the only state without a minimum passing law after the state government slapped down a bill to introduce the rule in March, 2017.

“I am happy to see the TAC campaign … however, education is only part of the equation with legislation, or enforcement, being another critical part,” he said. 

“If there is a (crash) and the driver didn't allow enough passing room, there needs to be legal consequences too. 

“The Andrews government needs to show some leadership and pass a minimum passing distance law like other states have.”

The “a metre matters” campaign, which has helped changed the law in all Australian states except Victoria, has been spearheaded by Ballarat’s Simon Gillett following the death of his wife, champion cyclist and rower Amy Gillett in Germany in 2005. 

Earlier this year, Mr Gillett told The Courier the law helps raise awareness of cyclists using roads.

“We believe it needs to be legislated, so it doesn’t matter what people think, it’s part of the law,” Mr Gillett said.

“What we’ve found in other states is that just the introduction of the legislation results in a huge amount of social media discussion, both positive and negative, which is a good thing because it’s one of the few road law changes that everyone knows because everyone is talking about it.”