[bikeqld] Fwd: Crikey today: "Footpaths are danger zones for
pedestrians"
Ben Guymer
ben at ultramotive.com.au
Thu Oct 1 00:51:08 CDT 2009
Judging by the lack of use of the mega wide bikeway through the tennis
centre (everyone uses the road instead), probably don't have much to
worry about!! They've usefully managed to have an entrance point only
at the beginning and end of the path really..
Still getting from Paddington to southbank / west end will still be
disastrous by bike even with the new bridge I think. A mountain bike,
stairs and footpaths are the go. hmm Are stairs outlawed? anyone yet
tried riding down the flight of stairs at the back of the barracks
there?!! I just use the bus lane then jump across roma st (three lanes)
instead.
PS Anyone intending to cycle out past Samford way they've put concrete
blocks for a few km on one of the shoulders on Dayboro Rd., pretty bad I
reckon. Some kind of earthworks going on there...
Ben.
Michael Yeates wrote:
> Gee Crikey ...
>
> This following (and correct argument BTW) might stir some thought ...
> hopefully useful thought .. given it seems BCC and MR (no longer sure
> where QT stands or sits in relation to cyclists and motorists "Share
> the Road" campaigns) is determined to build off-road paths and even
> build bike lanes where arguably unnecessary ... in order to at least
> imply that cyclists should comply with the following edict (and I
> quote) "... responsible cycling is to use bike paths where possible
> and if it's not possible, to be extra careful on the roads ..."
> completely ignoring the fact that cyclists are legitimate road users
> under Australian road rules and in most cases, it is the motorist that
> is not complying with the law aka ARRs.
>
> It is clear that pedestrians don't enjoy cyclists overtaking or coming
> in the opposite direction at 20, 30 or 40 or more km/h ...far too
> close ... yet "shared paths" by design, permit this. Clearly there
> should be NO shared paths and footpath cycling should be banned ... as
> in most of the rest of Oz or subject to a condition that places the
> onus on cyclists.
>
> For Queensland, perhaps the solution is a "10km/h speed limit within
> 20m of a pedestrian on a shared or any other footpath" such that in
> the event of an injury collision, the onus is on the cyclist ... so
> the cyclist can try to explain how a collision occurred and could not
> be avoided.
>
> MY...................
>
> Subject: Crikey today: "Footpaths are danger zones for pedestrians"
>> Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 13:45:03 +1000
>>
>>
>> *15 . Footpaths are danger zones for pedestrians
>> *
>> /Ava Hubble writes:/
>>
>> It's/ Walk to Work/ and /Walk to School Day/ tomorrow and no doubt
>> politicians will be out and about supporting the enterprise.
>>
>> Yet the authorities have allowed Australia's footpaths to become
>> danger zones for pedestrians. Despite a law that prohibits anyone
>> over the age of 12 from riding a bike on a footpath, that law is
>> blatantly and increasingly flouted by many cyclists. Meanwhile,
>> despite this law, the chairman of the Pedestrian Council, Harold
>> Scruby, reports that local councils are converting more and more
>> footpaths into "shared pathways" for the use of cyclists and
>> pedestrians. The trouble is many cyclists seem to ignore the "Give
>> way to pedestrians" signs and proceed at speed, dodging and weaving
>> along shared pathways as though they were ahead and nearing the
>> finish line in the Tour de France. Scruby says that pedestrians are
>> losing a sacred right that dates back to Roman times: the right to
>> the exclusive use of the footpath.
>>
>> Despite the growing concern about the environment and obesity,
>> intolerant, menacing motorists are believed to have been primarily
>> responsible for the retreat by many cyclists from the roads to the
>> footpaths. Why, when it became obvious a decade or more ago, that
>> Australians were taking up cycling in huge numbers, was so
>> lixÍ!È0/00óÿÿÿÿlZb ttle, apparently, done by the authorities to
>> protect cyclists from the intimidating, life-threatening behaviour of
>> thuggish drivers? As Scruby notes, the authorities can "spot an
>> illegally parked car from Mars". So why, given 21st-century
>> detection/deterrent techniques, did our politicians and bureaucrats
>> fail so miserably to ensure a fair go for cyclists on our roads?
>>
>> Now, of course, it's the pedestrians who are complaining about being
>> the victims of intimidating cyclists. There is plenty of anecdotal
>> evidence to suggest that all too often the reaction of cyclists to
>> shouted objections about their recklessness is an obscene gesture as
>> they ride off and/or a torrent of foul-mouthed abuse and calls for
>> more dedicated cycleways. Do steriods sometimes prompt this type of
>> behaviour, or is it possible that cycling clubs coach their members
>> to show aggression in an effort to discourage pedestrians from
>> speaking up after a frightening encounter?
>>
>> Meantime, although Scruby stresses that many cyclists do behave well,
>> he is continuing to campaign for the introduction of a 10km/h speed
>> limit on bike paths. He also insists bike paths should be separated
>> from footpaths. In January he was reported in the /Port Phillip
>> Leader /as saying that councils have exposed themselves to massive
>> damages claims from people who are injured as a result of using
>> shared bike and pedestrians paths. It was also reported that this
>> assertion was supported by legal advice from leading Sydney law firm
>> Slater & Gordon, which also said the RTA could be sued as it was part
>> of the cycleway approval process.
>>
>> Scruby has put forward a plan that includes fines for cyclists who
>> speed and are otherwise guilty of negligent cycling,xÍ!È0/00óÿÿÿÿlZb
>> as well as a comprehensive identification system for cyclists and
>> number plates for their bikes.
>>
>> One of the main complaints at present is that cyclists who hit and
>> run are often able to escape any redress or punishment because they
>> cannot be identified. They are not presently obliged to display any
>> kind of identification and because most do seem to comply with the
>> requirement to wear protective helmets (and sometimes goggles) it's
>> almost impossible to identify them.
>>
>>
>> /
>> http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/01/footpaths-are-danger-zones-for-pedestrians/#comment-39422
>>
>> /
>> /SEE: http://www.walk.com.au/pedestriancouncil/page.asp?pageid=3194
>> /
>> /and
>> /
>> /
>> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15903157?ordinalpos=4&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultxÍ!È0/00óÿÿÿÿlZb
>> ReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15903157?ordinalpos=4&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum>
>> /
>> /
>> *1: *Annu Proc Assoc Adv Automot Med. 2008 Oct;52:215-23.
>>
>> /
>>
>>
>> *Teaching young children to cross roads safely.*
>>
>> /
>>
>> * Oxley J
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Oxley%20J%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>*,
>> *Congiu M*
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Congiu%20M%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>,
>> *Whelan M*
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Whelan%20M%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>,
>> *D'Elio A*
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22D%27Elio%20A%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmx%CD%21%01%C8%3F%F3%01%FF%FF%FF%FFlZb+ed_RVAbstractPlus>,
>> *Charlton J*
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Charlton%20J%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>.
>>
>> Monash University Accident Research Centre, Melbourne, Australia.
>>
>> Road safety education is considered essential to teach children to
>> interact with traffic safely. Many programs, however, do not consider
>> the separate component skills of the road-crossing task, the
>> functional and behavioural factors that may put some children at
>> increased risk, and the most beneficial methods to transfer knowledge
>> to improved behaviour in real-world environments. A targeted and
>> practical training program using a simulated road environment has
>> been developed and evaluated amongst primary school children using a
>> randomised controlled trial. Significant reductions in proportion of
>> critically incorrect road-crossing responses were found immediately
>> after training (56%) and one-month post-training (47%) by the case
>> group compared with pre-training responses, and relative to any
>> changes in responses of the control group. The beneficial effects
>> were greater for younger children, females, children with less well
>> developed perceptual, attentional and cognitive skills, and those
>> with little traffic exposure. The effects of the training program on
>> other outcome measures (proportion of missed opportunity responses,
>> decision time and safety rating responses) were less clear but showed
>> some beneficial effects. This paper discusses the use of the
>> simulated training program, a novel and safe way, to improve road
>> crossing decisions. It is suggested that improvements can be made to
>> child pedestrian education by providing tailored and practical
>> programs that target the component skills of road-crossing decisions
>> and improve essential skills through intensive training and feedback
>> on known risk factors.
>>
>>
>>
>> *1: *Br J Educ Psychol. 1998 Dec;68 ( Pt 4):475-91.Links
>>
>> /
>>
>>
>> *The effectiveness of parents in promoting the development of
>> road crossing skills in young children.*
>>
>> /
>>
>> * Thomson JA
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Thomson%20JA%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>*,
>> *AmpxÍ!È0/00óÿÿÿÿlZb ofo-Boateng K*
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Ampofo-Boateng%20K%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>,
>> *Lee DN*
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Lee%20DN%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>,
>> *Grieve R*
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Grieve%20R%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>,
>> *Pitcairn TK*
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Pitcairn%20TK%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>,
>> *Demetre JD*
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Demetre%20JD%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>.
>>
>> Department of Psychology, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland.
>>
>> BACKGROUND: Young children show poor judgment when asked to select a
>> safe place to cross the road, frequently considering dangerous sites
>> to be safe. Correspondingly, child pedestrian accidents are
>> over-represented at such locations. Increasing the child's ability to
>> recognise such dangers is a central challenge for road safety
>> education. AIMS: Practical training methods have proved effective in
>> improving such judgments but are labour-intensive, time-consuming and
>> therefore difficult to implement on a realistic scale. The study
>> examined the possibility that volunteers from the local community
>> might be capable of using such methods to promote children's
>> pedestrian competence. SAMPLE: Sixty children from the Primary 1
>> (Reception) classes of three Glasgow schools took part. Volunteers
>> were ordinary parents from the same areas. None had 'formal'
>> experience of working with children other than through being parents.
>> METHOD: Volunteers rxÍ!È0/00óÿÿÿÿlZb eceived experience of training
>> children at courses organised in each school. Children learned in
>> small groups, receiving two sessions of roadside training followed by
>> four on a table-top model. Pre- and post-tests allowed the
>> effectiveness of training to be assessed. RESULTS: Significant
>> improvements relative to controls were found in all children
>> following training. Improvements proved robust and no deterioration
>> was observed two months after the programme ended. Comparison with a
>> previous study in which training was undertaken by highly qualified
>> staff showed that the volunteers were as effective as 'expert'
>> trainers. CONCLUSIONS: Parent volunteers can significantly increase
>> the pedestrian competence of children as young as five years. They
>> constitute a most valuable 'resource' in road safety education. The
>> opportunities afforded by involving the local community in
>> educational interventions should be further explored.
>>
>>
>> *: *Am J Public Health. 2003 Sep;93(9):1456-63. Click here to read
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/utils/fref.fcgi?PrId=3051&itool=AbstractPlus-def&uid=12948963&nlmid=1254074&db=pubmed&url=http://www.ajph.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=12948963>
>> Click here to read
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/utils/fref.fcgi?PrId=3494&itool=AbstractPlus-nondef&uid=12948963&nlmid=1254074&db=pubmed&url=http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=12948963>
>> Links
>>
>> /
>>
>>
>> *A review of evidence-based traffic engineering measures designed
>> to reduce pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes.*
>>
>> /
>>
>> * Retting RA
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Retting%20RA%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>*,
>> *Ferguson SA*
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Ferguson%20SA%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>,
>> *McCartt AT*
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22McCartt%20AT%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>.
>>
>> Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 1005 N. Glebe Road,
>> Arlington, VA 22201, USA. rretting at iihs.org <mailto:rretting at iihs.org>
>>
>> We provide a brief critical review and assessment of engineering
>> modifications to the built environment that can reduce the risk of
>> pedestrian injuries. In our review, we used the Transportation
>> Research Information Services database to conduct a search for
>> studies on engineering countermeasures documented in the scientific
>> literature. We classified countermeasures into 3 categories-speed
>> control, separation of pedestrians from vehicles, and measures that
>> increase the visibility and conspicuity of pedestrians. We determined
>> the measures and settings with the greatest potential for crash
>> prevention. Our review, which emphasized inclusion of studies with
>> adequate methodological designs, showed that modification of the
>> built environment can substantially reduce the risk of
>> pedestrian-vehicle crashes.
>>
>>
>> *: *Inj Control Saf Promot. <x%CD%21.htm> 2004 Dec;11(4):231-7.Links
>>
>> /
>>
>>
>> *Community-based programmes to prevent pedestrian injuries in
>> children 0-14 years: a systematic review.*
>>
>> /
>>
>> * Turner C
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Turner%20C%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>*,
>> *McClure R*
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22McClure%20R%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>,
>> *Nixon J*
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Nixon%20J%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmedx%CD%21%01%C8%3F%F3%01%FF%FF%FF%FFlZb+_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>,
>> *Spinks A*
>> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Spinks%20A%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>.
>>
>> School of Population Health, Mayne Medical School, University of
>> Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. C.turner at nursing.uq.edu.au
>> <mailto:C.turner at nursing.uq.edu.au>
>>
>> BACKGROUND: Community-based models for injury prevention have become
>> an accepted part of the overall injury control strategy. This
>> systematic review of the scientific literature examines the evidence
>> for their effectiveness in reducing pedestrian injury in children
>> 0-14 years of age. METHODS: A comprehensive search of the literature
>> was performed using the following study selection criteria:
>> community-based intervention study; target population was children
>> under 14 years; outcome measure is either pedestrian injury rates or
>> observed child pedestrian or vehicle driver behaviour; and use of a
>> community control or an historical control in the study design.
>> Quality assessment and data abstraction was guided by a standardized
>> procedure and performed independently by two authors. Data synthesis
>> was in tabular and text form with meta-analysis not being possible
>> due to the discrepancy in methods and measures between the studies.
>> RESULTS: The review found four studies that met all the inclusion
>> criteria. The three studies using injury as their outcome measure
>> found a 12%, 45% and 54% reduction for all childhood injuries with
>> the fourth showing improved traffic control at child pedestrian sites
>> (9% reduction in traffic flow) and sustainable community safety
>> promotion activity. CONCLUSION: There is a paucity of research
>> studies in the literature from which evidence regarding the
>> effectiveness of community-based programmes for the prevention of
>> pedestrian injury in children can be drawn. However, the hypothesis
>> txÍ!È0/00óÿÿÿÿlZb hat community-based interventions are effective in
>> reducing the incidence of childhood pedestrian injury would appear to
>> be supported, with the degree of success being cumulative depending
>> on the complexity of individual strategies employed.
>> /
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--
Ben Guymer
RPEQ
Ultramotive Technologies P/L
5 / 148 Tennyson Memorial Drive
Tennyson Q 4104
Ph. 07-3217 1175
Mob.:0414 759 907
Fx. 07-3217 1165
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