A CYCLIST left with serious injuries after being hit by a truck on Somerville Road in Yarraville says the crash would never happened if the stalled Federation Trail had been finished.
Stephen Deague commuted by bike from his home in Werribee to Docklands until he was hit by a truck in late 2010.
Because the Federation Trail – a 24-kilometre cycle path connecting the Maltby Bypass in Werribee and Millers Road in Brooklyn – is incomplete, part of Mr Deague’s trip was on Somerville Road.
“If the Federation Trail was finished I would never have been on Somerville Road,” he said.
As reported in the Weekly last week, the missing link in the trail, providing an off-road route to the city, was to be built along the same alignment as a truck route linking Williamstown Road and Hyde Street.
“I was aware of this big truck next to me, which is not unusual on that road, but this truck swerved into the bike lane [to turn] and I didn’t have time to react,” Mr Deague said.’
“I’m sure the driver [who hit me] looked, but I was in his blind spot.”
Mr Deague suffered broken bones but it was a pinched artery that had medical staff considering amputation.
After months of rehabilitation and surgery he regained enough movement to ride again.
Mr Deague said he was just about physically ready to ride to work again, but it was out of the question until the Federation Trail was finished and cyclists did not have to share the road with trucks.
“I still don’t ride on any busy roads and when I ride to the station it’s along the river edge trail,” he said.
“I was getting around in taxis after the accident and when you were next to a truck I’d get nervous because I felt like it was going to happen again. That lasted a good 12 to 18 months and even now I’m wary about it.
“Why do they allow trucks on Somerville Road and Francis Street? Nominate one road and trucks can use that, but not both.”
VicRoads regional director Patricia Liew said full-time truck bans on either road could divert trucks onto other residential streets in the area and would be detrimental to local industries which relied on these roads to transport goods to and from their business premises.
She said many trucks had a legitimate reason for using those roads, such as garbage trucks and those making deliveries to local businesses.
“It is important that drivers and bike riders take shared responsibility for staying safe on Victoria’s roads. It is important for all drivers to give sufficient distance to avoid a collision when overtaking other vehicles, including bicycles. Leave at least one metre when overtaking bike riders at lower speeds, more distance if you are travelling at higher speeds.
“Bike riders are advised not to ride on the driver’s side of larger vehicles such as buses and trucks – the driver may not be able to see you and these vehicles may be turning which will require more space than a normal passenger car.”
