Fatal Oudshoorn accident

[Guest Big H]

I dont want to blame anybody but that road seems to be a no no to road cyclists. Its so narrow and even a big vehicle from behind can take you out' date=' when another car is coming from the front, and it cant swerve to the right to avoid you. With all due respect, they should not ride on a road with no yellow line on the left anyway. I would not. I dont know the driver, but he must probably also feel bad tonight having killed innocent people. [/quote']

 

Kona, all the roads outside Oudtshoorn look like this one. There is not one road with enough distance for a road cyclist that has a shoulder. Well at least as far as my knowledge stretches.

 

I feel the cycling community of Oudtshoorn should appeal to the District Roads Engineer (as this road is their responsibility and not the Municipality's) for the lack of a safe cycling area. The road between George and Oudtshoorn looks exactly the same and every week there are numerous vehicle accidents. Surely they should have a valid case now...

 

Other option is for everyone to start mountain biking, which I feel is the long term safety solution for cycling in SA.

 

RIP for the victims. Their families will be in my prayers

 

You seem to know the area...... did the Isuzu driver really have to cope with the rising sun at 6:05 in the morning??????

[StilletoX]

... that road seems to be a no no to road cyclists. Its so narrow and even a big vehicle from behind can take you out' date=' when another car is coming from the front, and it cant swerve to the right to avoid you. [/quote']

i toured in ireland once. on a bike with panniers, it was wide. sometimes there was no other option than to take very narrow roads - narrower than these. the cars WAITED BEHIND ME till it was safe to pass - and when they did so, they waved at me.

why could the irish drivers patiently wait?

might have had something to do with the county of mayo being in the hurly (or whatever the sport was) final for the first time in years, and that i was sporting a mayo-flag on the paniers

but the curteous behaviour continued long after the match was over and i out of the county of meigho.

mind you, i toured that particular bit of road as well once ... on a bike with panniers. Can't remember any close calls or vehicles passing too close for comfort - it was a while ago - is it just my memory that faded, or were human lives more valuable 10 years ago?

 

I read in the Ride the other day that if a motorist would hit a cyclist in London, that the driver would never be allowed to drive again.

 

Maybe because it's a law-abiding country and not the "wilde weste" like Africa, where anything goes without proper punishment

 

[Guest Big H]

Does anyone know what the email address for the supercycling show is? Somebody needs to send them a mail so they can mention the request about the armbands and the cause. I would do it but not sure on the address is it info@supercycling.co.za?

 

I sent an email to Andrew requesting this.

[Slipstream Sean]

Ah thanks man

[StilletoX]

... that road seems to be a no no to road cyclists. Its so narrow and even a big vehicle from behind can take you out' date=' when another car is coming from the front, and it cant swerve to the right to avoid you. [/quote']

i toured in ireland once. on a bike with panniers, it was wide. sometimes there was no other option than to take very narrow roads - narrower than these. the cars WAITED BEHIND ME till it was safe to pass - and when they did so, they waved at me.

why could the irish drivers patiently wait?

might have had something to do with the county of mayo being in the hurly (or whatever the sport was) final for the first time in years, and that i was sporting a mayo-flag on the paniers

but the curteous behaviour continued long after the match was over and i out of the county of meigho.

mind you, i toured that particular bit of road as well once ... on a bike with panniers. Can't remember any close calls or vehicles passing too close for comfort - it was a while ago - is it just my memory that faded, or were human lives more valuable 10 years ago?

 

I read in the Ride the other day that if a motorist would hit a cyclist in London, that the driver would never be allowed to drive again.

 

Maybe because it's a law-abiding country and not the "wilde weste" like Africa, where anything goes without proper punishment

 

Yes that road from Calitzdorp to Oudtshoorn is directly East.

I often drive on it, but it in the other direction for business in Ladismith.

 

I dont want to come up for the driver here, but if you sit behind a big lorry it may throw it's shadow over you before overtaking it. It could've been that as he started passing the lorry the sun came out behind the lorry. On the photos it also looks like quite an old Isuzu bakkie so I cant imagine that it raced past the lorry. Thus instead of ducking in behind the lorry it continued and took its chances.

 

I still think the driver was irresponsible and should be brought to justice

[X-Gear]

Life is so fragile... This can happen to any one of us any day. Question to all should be, "if it is you tomorrow, are you ready to go?"

 

 

 

Pray that the families and friends of riders killed will remember them every day and find the peace only Jesus can give.

 

 

 

Black arm band for me the rest of March on any ride.

[Konaman]

Big H. I dont blame anybody, but this is South Africa. If you cross a robot you have to look left and right although it green. Anything can happen here. We have taxi and lorry drivers that drive through the night. You have to have eyes behind, on the side and in front to survive. We will not change the culture.

If you look at the tyre marks in that picture, then you can see that the road is very narrow. I use to stay in a small town with very similar roads and only used my mtb, so that i could pull off the road when cars approached. I use to almost wet myself when vehicles came from behind because you dont always hear them, and the next moment you just feel this sucking wind passing you, within a meter or so.

This old gentleman slipped up badly and 4 persons paid the price.

I think there should be clearer rules about cyclists and vehicles on roads like this. It must be a win-win situation. 

[Guest Big H]

Ah thanks man

 

Reply from Andrew is that he will SMS Owen and Gerald and ask them to mention the wearing of the black armbands at ARGUS on the show tomorrow night. Andrew will not be on the show.

 

Thanx Andrew!!!!!!!!

Big H2010-03-08 16:02:32

[firewalker]

 

this thought has been bothering me for ages. the United States lost 58000 odd soldiers in a roughly ten year period in the Vietnam war. thats 5800 a year averaged. in South Africa, according to arrive alive stats, we lose on average 9900 people a year on the roads... [ nearly twice the amount of great britian, 6 times australia, and just less than japan! ] im sure my figures could be slightly disputed, but the point is glaringly obvious, we have a total disregard for human life shown by our actions on our roads. to struggle so far to reach a point in our beautiful country where humanity is celebrated, only to destroy ourselves daily. and the governments response is to create a metro police organisation that is corrupt, inefficient, and frankly laughable... i'm glad that the lives of all this countries people matter so.  somebody should be very very ashamed.

firewalker2010-03-08 16:12:34

[ianrodger]

Armbands? For Pete's sake. No, for the victims' sake. This is ridiculous - 3 people die in an incident refelcting all that is wrong with our driving culture and the response is to wear an armband?

 

This is pointless and to my mind, disrespectful. Black armbands just say will always be powerless to make a change.

 

So, instead of futile symbolism, how about coming up with actions instead that will make a difference. Join or form a lobbying group, find out from any of the various cycling bodies where to begin. Bid for funds from PPA, Lotto, CSA, corporates, whoever, to run ads at prime time, not during cycling tv shows to remind motorists of the law and to educate them on how to not knock over cyclists.

 

 

Lobby via MECs or whoever for changes to laws that increase penalties and make prosecution and conviction more likely. Donate time. expertise or money to an organisation that can make a difference.

 

But armbands? Give me a break.

 

Interestingly, i see the "accident" happened at 6.05 - 6.15 supposedly due to being blinded by the sun. Sunrise: 6.24.

 

And the narrow-roads-is-asking-to-get-hit refrain is the same logic as wearing-mini-skirts-is-asking-to-get-raped. Yes, busy narrow winding roads with poor forward visibility should be avoided, but the R62 there hardly falls into that category, but its more the mindset i object to, because it's a short hop from there to, "stay off the roads because they're dangerous". Its not the roads that knock cyclists over, its drivers.

 

 

[Guest Big H]

Armbands? For Pete's sake. No' date=' for the victims' sake. This is ridiculous - 3 people die in an incident refelcting all that is wrong with our driving culture and the response is to wear an armband?

 

This is pointless and to my mind, disrespectful. Black armbands just say will always be powerless to make a change.

 

So, instead of futile symbolism, how about coming up with actions instead that will make a difference. Join or form a lobbying group, find out from any of the various cycling bodies where to begin. Bid for funds from PPA, Lotto, CSA, corporates, whoever, to run ads at prime time, not during cycling tv shows to remind motorists of the law and to educate them on how to not knock over cyclists.

 

 

Lobby via MECs or whoever for changes to laws that increase penalties and make prosecution and conviction more likely. Donate time. expertise or money to an organisation that can make a difference.

 

But armbands? Give me a break.

 

Interestingly, i see the "accident" happened at 6.05 - 6.15 supposedly due to being blinded by the sun. Sunrise: 6.24.

 

And the narrow-roads-is-asking-to-get-hit refrain is the same logic as wearing-mini-skirts-is-asking-to-get-raped. Yes, busy narrow winding roads with poor forward visibility should be avoided, but the R62 there hardly falls into that category, but its more the mindset i object to, because it's a short hop from there to, "stay off the roads because they're dangerous". Its not the roads that knock cyclists over, its drivers.

 

 

[/quote']

 

Dream on ianrodger

[cat-i]

this is why i'm gonna wear one, on sunday and for the rest of the month

- to remind me of what i can do to make it safer - we are not powerless.

 

https://www.bikehub.co.za/forum_posts.asp?TID=79070

[Capricorn]

what's wrong with a show of solidarity. Of itself, it's useless. However,it's a start, and it's the next step that defines the value of showing a sign of solidarity and commiseration with the victims of road accidents.

 

That said, what is the next step?

[Stepping stones]

what's wrong with a show of solidarity. Of itself' date=' it's useless. However,it's a start, and it's the next step that defines the value of showing a sign of solidarity and commiseration with the victims of road accidents.

That said, what is the next step?

[/quote']

 

 

I must agree with you. The arm bands are the proof of the solidarity between cyclists but it must not stop here. We need the cyclists that know the politicians, news papers and the CSA to help to drive this further. The politicians for better conditions and roads. The CSA to keep reminding and focusing the media and politicians and the media to keep reminding the public, which include the cyclist, of the one goal. This goal is to make the roads better for all.

[xak1]

I was doing some trail running close to the accident, and yes, the sun was in my eyes just before I heard the emergency vehicles come past.  But, it is no excuse.  Riders were single file - the driver in fact hit the back of the group - the front guys are all ok.  I think the driver initially maybe had the sun in his eyes - then you do not pass!  When he saw the riders, he then thought he will be able to squeeze through, but unfortunately did not make it.  I guess this is the reason why i do not even own a road bike.  Oudtshoorn's roads for road riding are bad, but for MTB it is close to some of the best in SA.

[Mastazee]

 

The Fourth cyclist has made it through his operation 

Mastazee2010-03-09 01:09:01