A video recently surfaced and went viral, taken by a driver's dashcam, that reignited the conversation surrounding safe cycling on the main road.
The driver with the dashcam appeared to be sitting in traffic. Behind the car, one lane of oncoming traffic was visible, and the lane was totally empty. A cyclist came into view, and they easily crossed the lane with no traffic.
The cyclist then crossed through the line the driver with the dashcam was waiting in. But as the cyclist tried to cross through the final lane of traffic, which was in-motion, the cyclist ran into trouble.
As the cyclist rode out into the lane, they were in the way of an oncoming car, which hit the bicycle. The cyclist flipped up over the hood of the car before tumbling to the ground.
The cyclist got up and started to engage with the driver of the car before people exited a building behind the cyclist, coming to check and see if everyone was okay.
You can watch the video here:
The viral video stirred up debate surrounding the role of cyclists on the main road.
Most of the comments were quick to blame the cyclist for riding through the traffic.
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
Others agreed and preached the importance of properly wearing a helmet.
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
A few said there were exceptions, however.
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
Some also discussed the importance of everyone on the road having some form of insurance, whether everyone had traditional car insurance or if cyclists had their own.
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
Others were also concerned at how the cyclist was doing, whether or not the collision was his fault.
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
Dash Cam Owners Australia/Facebook
The cyclist later went to the hospital to take care of his injuries, which were minor and mostly involved bruises and cuts to his legs. He reportedly did not sustain any head injuries or a concussion.
The driver also appears to be doing well, and their car was not damaged.
It's fortunate everyone was okay after an impact like this, and it's clear we need to continue the conversation around appropriate insurance coverage and proper road safety.