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Two riders die in intersection crashes

Two riders die in intersection crashes

Two riders died in separate intersection crashes in South East Queensland yesterday (3 July 2019) where it appears a vehicle has crossed the rider’s path to turn into a side street.

Details are not clear in the first incident early yesterday morning on the Brisbane Valley Highway.

However, in the second incident about 6pm yesterday, police say a utility crossed the path of the rider to turn into a side street.

It is identical to another crash on Monday in Brisbane’s north where a rider was injured when a ute crossed his path to turn into a side street.

A Sydney rider also died in a similar crash with an approaching truck turning into a side street last month.

In the latest sad fatality at Regency Downs near Gatton, west of Brisbane, the rider was travelling south on Gehrke Road when a utility travelling north turned into Lorikeet Road.

Two riders die in intersection crashes
Intersection of Gehrke Rd and Lorikeet Rd. (This satellite image and the photo at the top of the page of this intersection are from Google Maps.)

 

“As the ute turned, it struck the motorcycle causing the rider and pillion passenger to be thrown from the bike,” Queensland Police say.

“The motorcycle rider, a man in his 30s, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

“The pillion passenger, a woman in her thirties, was taken to Ipswich Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.”

The ute’s driver, a 17-year-old girl, and her 17-year-old male passenger were not injured.

The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating.

No charges have yet been laid in any of the above incidents.

Our condolences to the family and friends of those riders who passed away and our best wishes to injured riders and pillions.

Intersection crashes

This recurring crash scenario is not coincidence.

It is one of the most common accidents involving motorcycles and other vehicles.

In fact, it is the first of four common crashes with other vehicles depicted in this NSW TRansport vidoe.

The result can be lethal as the rider hits the car in a t-bone fashion, rather than a glancing blow.

Be suspicious of any approaching vehicle if there is a side street they could turn into.

If the approaching vehicle has its indicators on, assume the driver may turn without giving way to you.

Be suspicious of any approaching vehicles that slow down. Even if they don’t have their indicators on, they could still be about to turn across your path.

Slow down and prepare to take evasive action.

You can alert the driver to your presence by blowing your horn or flashing your lights, although the latter jay appear an invitation for them to proceed.

In such a crash the rider may be completely blameless.

However, it doesn’t matter whose fault it is if the rider is dead.

  1. I queried whether Motorbike Writer needed to put up so many articles about bike crashes. I’ve changed my mind. This is important. Change will only come by education. There is so much more riders can be doing to stay safe. Good work Mark. You will be making a difference.

  2. It’s just bullshit! I almost tboned some idiot this morning while ‘driving to work. Pulled out in his 4×4 Ute with tradie trailer into a large round about I was 3 parts through (auto head lights in my car still on). I hit the skids & so did he then I managed to swerve around him.
    If I was on my bike, I would’ve been leaned over & not stood a chance of not hitting him.
    It’s because non riders have a very large lack of eyesight.

    1. “If I was on my bike, I would’ve…not stood a chance of not hitting him…”

      Yeah you would’ve. Because you’re a smart rider. And smart riders ANTICIPATE such things.

  3. We need stronger penalties for drivers who hit motorcyclists.

    Not just a paltry fine.

    My son recently was side struck as he was going straight through a roundabout, and the female driver on his left, after discovering she was in the wrong lane, turned right, straight across his path.

    Two broken bones and a leg full of metal later, not to forget the loss of work for 6 weeks and the continuing rehabilitation!!!!!

    We should have a law that makes the drivers in such cases actually responsible for the physical day to day care of the people they hit. Maybe that would make people more aware.

  4. My best friend was killed in the Wanora accident, Ute pulled out on him and he crashed straight into it, having no chance at all to avoid it. Another typical car driver just not even having a check at anything coming in his way. My friend was a 30 year veteran on a bike, owning at least 4 bikes currently and has ridden all over this state. I bet this Ute driver will get out of this quite lightly, the law does need to be more strict when it comes to these idiots on the road. How many motorcyclists die because someone is not looking at what they’re doing. Sadly it won’t bring my friend back to us. RIP JS.

  5. ” Here lies the body of Willie Grey,
    Who died whilst proving his Right of Way.
    He was right, dead right, as he rode along
    but now he’s as dead as if he’d been wrong.”
    JMB

  6. Seems to me that drivers will always either -not see an approaching bike- misjudge the distance speed – or just try it on. As with smoking, drink driving – I see that changing our behaviour needs to change as has the behaviour of the drivers. It has been proved that we do in fact have blind spots in our vision, We have all cut someone off- so it could be an unintentional error. The end result is the same. What do riders do who stay upright -as opposed to those who don’t?
    Even a slight weave across the lane gives a driver some perception of movement.
    Looking for an escape route, behind the car , is also worthwhile and planning an evasive action. Not always possible ., Checking your mirrors and then slowing, flashing your lights will t also help. We are doing 100 kph at some point we pass the failsafe too late to stop then.

    I always give the stationary motorist a friendly wave, under my breath saying;” thanks mate for not killing me” .this is a way we could actually change a drivers behaviour. Imagine if 5000 riders every weekend gave a wave to stationary cars at an intersection. could be even more. I do this all the time no matter if I am in the city or the country,, Let’s do this as a motorbike community. We all do this when cars pull over for us on the twisties,, maybe that’s why they pull over as for us .. Perhaps drivers actually enjoy the recognition. maybe we start a ‘thank the driver campaign’ wave to those who move over when we lane split, give us right of way, do anything that helps us get home safely, We can contribute to driver education, who knows it may save a life. My life, your life. I’ll do it for you, you do it for me .. A bIt like carrying a first aid kit, we do this for someone else, an anonymous rider. let’s help each other stay alive by giving a simple wave,
    would welcome other suggestions — I am always keen to get home in one piece.

    1. I’ve lived and worked, ridden and driven for around forty years across four Continents in countries where they drive on the right, on the left and in the shade. You can find ‘bad’ drivers most places but you’d expect to find less in first world countries. In this case Australia but it ain’t necessarily so. If I had to throw a blanket over the reason we are discussing this subject of accident causation I would say one word….”Attitude. Make that two words…bad attitude, it applies to too many drivers. It is IMO the reason for disregard of road rules and etiquette, speeding, changing lanes with out signals, not giving way to the right, unwillingness to merge, mobile phone use, drink driving….you can put all down to attitude. What to do about it ?
      Stick and carrot might work if the stick is big enough and the carrot sweet.
      FWIW
      JMB

  7. Not sure what the point is of increasing a penalty after the event.. How about we
    1. Demand that some of our rego goes towards continued TV , media advertising
    2. Educate learner drivers before they get their licence
    3 erect signs at known intersections to watch for bikes ,
    4. Encourage riders to wav ‘thanks’ to all friendly drivers
    5.Understand that if the sun is not in front of us , the drivers may not see us
    6. Take responsibility to ride defensively
    7, Make staggered/ tandem riding illegal over 60 kph
    8. Reduce rego for riders who have completed comprehensive and approved courses .
    9. accept that riding is extremely dangerous,that drivers will pull out in front of us , the roads get slippery after rain , and tyre re-tread castings are not uncommon on the highways , plus 100 more facts of life.
    10. Accept that red light running is rampant and we always come off second best

    We also need to internalise one final point.
    The only way to mitigate these risks -is to stop riding , Implicit in riding is the acceptance of undertaking a high risk activity . Beyond me how increasing penalties will revive a dead rider. I wish that it would .

    I ride 50-0 km per week on all types of roads , twisties , highway ., (on a sports bike ),so I see these events regularly, sometimes I am just lucky.. I just hope that mu lucky escapes are few and far between.

    As for penalty’s

    1, immediately suspend any rider riding in a dangerous manner (3o kph plus , hooning)
    2. big fines for staggered riding on highways or over 60kph
    3. Big fines for drivers who are an obstruction to lane splitters ( tv .media)
    4. Big fines for drivers who cut us off deliberately
    5. Publicity around the ability for the cops to accept bike cam evidence against drivers. This could be really valuable as in effect driver behaviour would be monitored by ‘unmarked ‘ surveillance . thanks alan

  8. Ironic is n’t it . While some accidents cannot be avoided..Unexpected collision with a disorientated cockatoo, the unexpected veering of oncoming traffic, or mobile phone distracted driver causing a rear-ender., we are aware of these possibilities, yet still, choose to ride. I agree though that deliberate acts such as obstructing lane filtering and particularly mobile phone using should attract a huge penalty. The results of these actions are specifically detrimental to us as riders, Los of licence should be the immediate result, This would change behaviour, Despite previous posts ,It would be discriminatory to have a penalty higher for the act of cutting of bike as opposed to a car. However some; dual penalty’ situations do exist, ie assaulting a cop attracts a higher penalty than the assault of a civilian, Assaulting a senior also attracts a higher penalty, So tjese precedents do exist .

    Overall though we know about the (mis) behaviours (dis) regard shown to us by drivers, yet we choose to accept this risk.These risks will always be present, so we put ourselves into this position, as does a parachutist, a speedway driver and a footballer. We need to accept our choice and accept the risks , mitigate these via rider training and more defensive riding. Most fatal bike accidents are single vehicle, so what does that say ? If we act like idiots we can hardly criticise others ,It up to us ,we can only control our actions . !!

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