The Burnett Inland Rail Trail is a work in progress, and sometimes that means connecting via roads that were never designed with cyclists in mind. For these two touring riders, a 3km stretch of the Bunya Highway was unavoidable. What happened on that stretch was entirely avoidable.
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Every UpRider has a story. Here is David’s.
What happened prior to this incident and why do you record your ride?
My friend and I were following the Queensland Burnett Inland Rail Trail route in Australia, specifically from Proston to Murgon. The trail is not fully developed and required us to connect from Silverleaf Road along the Bunya Highway for 3km into Murgon itself. The Bunya Highway is a 100km/h road with slim shoulders, but it would not be unusual for touring cyclists to use this route.
When do you feel most vulnerable as a cyclist?
Riding on any road carries real risk. Most motorists do the right thing, giving a wide berth, slowing down, or both.
What do you think are the most important things that can be done to improve safety for cyclists on the road?
Cyclist signage and decent road shoulders would go a long way towards mitigating poor driver behaviour. In this instance, the driver of the loader had options, the oncoming car even went off the road to create space. The driver also had ample opportunity to slow down upon seeing the rear flashing lights of the cyclists ahead. There was simply no excuse.
Did you report your incident? What was the reporting process?
Cycliq has a blog post detailing how to report incidents in each Australian state, which was a helpful starting point. Lodging the report online in Queensland was not difficult. The more challenging part was generating the video from the Fly12 Sport camera, as this cannot easily be done on a mobile device and required a PC or laptop.
What is your advice for other cyclists?
Lobby authorities to provide suitable, safe cycling standards on high-profile roads. We need strong advocacy and real change to prevent a tragedy. Reporting incidents like this one is an excellent place to start.
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