NSW cyclist critically injured when hit by a bus

scotty72 · #1 11-14.-2006

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/nsw-cyclist-critically-injured-when-hit-by-a-bus/2006/11/14/1163266531790.html

NSW cyclist critically injured when hit by a bus
November 14, 2006 - 2:19PM

A woman cyclist was critically injured today when she was hit by a bus on the NSW Central Coast.

The 40-year-old suffered head injuries in the collision in Scenic Circuit, Budgewoi, about 8.45am today.

The NSW Ambulance Service said the woman was airlifted to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition.

AAP

46kgToDate · #2 11-14.-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by scotty72

The 40-year-old suffered head injuries in the collision in Scenic Circuit, Budgewoi, about 8.45am today.

Bloody bus drivers! - probably trying the "teach her a lesson".

Archibald · #3 11-14.-2006

surprisingly enough, I had a bus be very cautious of me the other day. gave me room and actually waited before making his left turn!
gave him a thankyou wave.
hopefully he can pass on such behaviour to his counterparts/workmates...

thomas_cho · #4 11-14.-2006

Stories like this make me really sad. Bicycling should not be a life and death event.

Somehow I think that we (cyclists) will always get the shorter end. The relative abundance of bike lanes/paths in Canberra seems to make drivers less tolerant of cyclists on the roads(ie some drivers think that you either ride on path or I am going to run you off the road, if there is no path, then that just means cyclists not allowed). The lack of bike lanes in Sydney results in accidents.

Whats the solution?

alfeng · #5 11-14.-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by scotty72

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/nsw-cyclist-critically-injured-when-hit-by-a-bus/2006/11/14/1163266531790.html

NSW cyclist critically injured when hit by a bus
November 14, 2006 - 2:19PM

A woman cyclist was critically injured today when she was hit by a bus on the NSW Central Coast.

The 40-year-old suffered head injuries in the collision in Scenic Circuit, Budgewoi, about 8.45am today.

The NSW Ambulance Service said the woman was airlifted to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition.

AAP

Helmet? No Helmet?

Unfortunately, probably the latter ...

matagi · #6 11-14.-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by alfeng

Helmet? No Helmet?

Unfortunately, probably the latter ...

No, not necessarily - a helmet will not protect you from all head injuries. If you believe that you are deluding yourself. Yes, they are effective in protecting from mild to moderate impacts but once you get into severe impacts, there is a huge component of luck.

alfeng · #7 11-14.-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by matagi

No, not necessarily - a helmet will not protect you from all head injuries. If you believe that you are deluding yourself. Yes, they are effective in protecting from mild to moderate impacts but once you get into severe impacts, there is a huge component of luck.

ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!

But, the rider is woefully naked without a helmet ... and, lacking other information, I presume the bus was NOT going more than a few miles an hour ... didn't see the rider ... she was probably going only a moderate rate of speed BUT was knocked off her bike and onto the pavement.

Broken bones? Internal injuries?

"The 40-year-old suffered head injuries ..."

Feel free to investigate further for all of us ...

Archibald · #8 11-14.-2006

i know of one case where a rider split their helmet from front to back. survived, but was completely ga-ga. couldn't even remember his own name...

agree with you Thomas. Riding should be about enjoyment, not survival.

alfeng · #9 11-15.-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archibald

i know of one case where a rider split their helmet from front to back. survived, but was completely ga-ga. couldn't even remember his own name...

agree with you Thomas. Riding should be about enjoyment, not survival.

Not to be political for a moment, but there are thousands of head trauma cases amongst returning Iraqi War combatants (aka "cannon fodder" for the NWO) ... because the concussion was more severe than the shock absorption capability of the(ir) helmet(s).

Fortunately-or-Unfortunately, as one perceives it, while a helmet can be beneficial in an accident, a helmet is NOT (as noted) the final solution to precluding head injuries ... the rider who hit hard enough to split his helmet would undoubtedly be dead, now, had he not been wearing a helmet.

FWIW -- for the non-professional rider (who take-it-to-the-limit), I agree that recreational riding should not be survival riding (except for unskilled or low-IQ riders who choose to go downhilling!) ... BUT, a cyclist MUST be what I refer to as defensive-aggressive and realize the s/he is a gnat when compared with a motorized vehicle ... so, whether the rider is commuting or sight-seeing or on a training ride, s/he must yield to vehicles when there is any question of right-of-way ...

ALWAYS PRESUME THAT THE DRIVER IN THE VEHICLE DOESN'T KNOW YOU ARE IN THEIR PROXIMITY.

daviddd · #10 11-16.-2006

It's quite a concern the way that cyclists are disregarded. I feel strongly about keeping fit and healthy, and most rational people see the need for this, as well as the need to use less fossil fuel and protect the planet, but in reality we are becoming less tolerant of others. We think we have a right to do whatever we want to do even though it sometimes results in harming others. It would be easy to get cycnical about this stuff. I'm kinda lucky I live in the N or Scotland where I believe there is more consideration, but it is getting worse, and it's younger drivers that are most at fault I think - doesn't bode well for the future.

Why don't politicians support us and introduce more draconian penalties for careless / dangerous drivers? - probably becasue they think it'll cost them votes. They pander to the majority.

As for practical measures to alert drivers - would any of these help:

lights or flashing lights day and night
brighter colours
those brightly-coloured bar-things that you sometimes see stuck out from the rear of a bike that are supposed to make motorists keep further away

Archibald · #11 11-17.-2006

i personally try and use yellow as often as i can as it is retina retentive and therefore more noticable to the eye.

unfortunately, it doesn't matter who's in the right or wrong - we're the ones who'll come off second best every time.

46kgToDate · #12 11-17.-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archibald

i personally try and use yellow as often as i can

I like yellow but it makes me look fat....

alfeng · #13 11-17.-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by daviddd

It's quite a concern the way that cyclists are disregarded. I feel strongly about keeping fit and healthy, and most rational people see the need for this, as well as the need to use less fossil fuel and protect the planet, but in reality we are becoming less tolerant of others. We think we have a right to do whatever we want to do even though it sometimes results in harming others. It would be easy to get cycnical about this stuff. I'm kinda lucky I live in the N or Scotland where I believe there is more consideration, but it is getting worse, and it's younger drivers that are most at fault I think - doesn't bode well for the future.

Why don't politicians support us and introduce more draconian penalties for careless / dangerous drivers? - probably becasue they think it'll cost them votes. They pander to the majority.

As for practical measures to alert drivers - would any of these help:

lights or flashing lights day and night
brighter colours
those brightly-coloured bar-things that you sometimes see stuck out from the rear of a bike that are supposed to make motorists keep further away

Being highly visible is ONE key ... BUT, as I hope I suggested, the rider must not presume they are being seen, particularly at intersections -- yield the right of way to larger vehicles!

UNFORTUNATELY, some drivers (a minuscule minority) have so much disdain for cyclists that it doesn't matter ...

AND, the problem with the irregular drivers begins in their youth ... issues of one sort or another -- mostly socio-economic, by my reckoning.

For example, a couple of seasons ago, I was coasting along on a hard shoulder on a section of the famed Route 66 (well away from "white line" which separates the roadway from the shoulder) because I was approaching an intersection which feeds to freeway "entrance" when a pickup truck passed me and some young (probably, 8-to-11 year old) kid (could have been a girl!) stuck his/her head out the window and screamed "get off the f**king road" -- nice parenting skills involved in bringing up that kid, huh?

As the Rogers & Hammerstein lyric states:

"you've got to be taught to hate & fear ..."

The learning begins at the kitchen table ... legislation only effects the law abiding majority & the legislation would only result in more Red Neck resentment ...

There is undoubtedly a group of people in the American South who still resent the Civil Rights movement & subsequent legislation FORTY YEARS after the fact and undoubtedly the expression is subsequently covert ...

No doubt, that kid-in-the-pickup is going to be as much of a credit to our society as his/her parents already are if s/he doesn't huff him-/herself to death or become a meth addict.

daviddd · #14 11-23.-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by alfeng

Being highly visible is ONE key ... BUT, as I hope I suggested, the rider must not presume they are being seen, particularly at intersections -- yield the right of way to larger vehicles!

UNFORTUNATELY, some drivers (a minuscule minority) have so much disdain for cyclists that it doesn't matter ...

AND, the problem with the irregular drivers begins in their youth ... issues of one sort or another -- mostly socio-economic, by my reckoning.

For example, a couple of seasons ago, I was coasting along on a hard shoulder on a section of the famed Route 66 (well away from "white line" which separates the roadway from the shoulder) because I was approaching an intersection which feeds to freeway "entrance" when a pickup truck passed me and some young (probably, 8-to-11 year old) kid (could have been a girl!) stuck his/her head out the window and screamed "get off the f**king road" -- nice parenting skills involved in bringing up that kid, huh?

As the Rogers & Hammerstein lyric states:

"you've got to be taught to hate & fear ..."

The learning begins at the kitchen table ... legislation only effects the law abiding majority & the legislation would only result in more Red Neck resentment ...

There is undoubtedly a group of people in the American South who still resent the Civil Rights movement & subsequent legislation FORTY YEARS after the fact and undoubtedly the expression is subsequently covert ...

No doubt, that kid-in-the-pickup is going to be as much of a credit to our society as his/her parents already are if s/he doesn't huff him-/herself to death or become a meth addict.

I agree - it's amazing how some kids are brought up. I often get 'stared down' by many a small kid when cycling past them - feels like they need to have someone or something to hate and just then it's a 'minority' cyclist, It could have been a gay, a black, or a bird, a cat or even a a rose in someone's front garden.

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