Drivers need to expect the unexpected on our roads when it comes to young children on bikes or dirt bikes. This Queensland Road Safety Week is a timely reminder for us to remember that being safe on the roads is everyone’s responsibility.
I have represented people who have been left with significant injuries after being involved in road crashes.
A client of mine who was primary school age at the time, suffered a head injury, facial fractures and a fractured forearm and leg, after a car ploughed into him as he attempted to cross a major highway on his dirt bike.
Thankfully, the rider was wearing a helmet and it could have been a lot worse had he not been wearing the right safety gear. He looked one way and did not look the other before attempting to cross the road. The driver approaching was a Learner and saw him slow down as he approached the intersection, so assumed he was stopping.
It’s these assumptions – that a car is not heading at 100km towards you, or that the person on the bike will slow down and stop to properly give way, that lead us to life-changing incidents.
Although the car was driving below the speed limit, there were questions around whether the driver could have slowed down earlier to avoid the crash.
The driver and passenger of the car were unharmed, but the accident caused damage to the car. It was lucky there were no fatalities in this accident.
Road and transport accidents don’t just affect drivers and passengers of cars. Pedestrians and cyclists can also be injured by a vehicle.
As a lawyer who sees the devastating results of road trauma, I encourage all road users to put road safety first.
The contents of this blog post are considered accurate as at the date of publication. However the applicable laws may be subject to change, thereby affecting the accuracy of the article. The information contained in this blog post is of a general nature only and is not specific to anyone’s personal circumstances. Please seek legal advice before acting on any of the information contained in this post.
