October 24th 2024.
The loss of a young cyclist's life in a tragic collision with a bus has been attributed to a combination of blind spots and a flaw in the design of traffic lights, according to a coroner's investigation. The victim, 20-year-old Max Patrick McDowall, was fatally struck by a bus on May 27, 2021 while crossing an intersection on a bike path in the inner-Brisbane suburb of Woolloongabba. The bus driver, Andrew Rudnicki, who had over 30 years of experience, stated that he did not see McDowall approaching from behind and proceeded to turn left on a green light after yielding to pedestrians and a cyclist.
Coroner Donald MacKenzie presented his findings today in Brisbane Coroners Court after conducting inquest hearings in April. He noted that the diagram of blind spots was particularly striking, with extensive areas where Rudnicki would have been unable to see McDowall on his bicycle. While the intersection met standards at the time, the design of the traffic lights failed to account for the significant blind spots on the passenger side of council buses, leaving pedestrians and cyclists vulnerable.
The intersection where McDowall lost his life was equipped with a dedicated busway, meaning the only vehicles turning left would have been buses. However, the traffic lights have since been upgraded to separate vehicles from people crossing the busway. MacKenzie acknowledged the submission from McDowall's family, stating that if the light sequencing had been changed before the accident, it is unlikely that McDowall would have died. He wholeheartedly agreed with their assessment.
In his investigation, the coroner determined that McDowall also played a minor role in his own death by failing to notice the flashing indicators on the bus as he looked down and pedaled harder to navigate an uphill section of the intersection. Despite having the right of way, Rudnicki was initially charged with failing to yield, but the case was dropped by police prosecutors in March 2022.
As a result of this tragedy, MacKenzie made several recommendations to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. He urged Brisbane City Council to review its incident reporting system and driver training, as well as install external cameras on all 1260 buses in their fleet to reduce blind spots. He also called on the council and Queensland government to review every intersection in the Brisbane metropolitan area and consider implementing red arrow traffic lights to prohibit vehicles from turning when pedestrians have a "green man" signal.
MacKenzie acknowledged the challenges and costs associated with implementing these recommendations, including a review of 1000 intersections. However, he emphasized that the ultimate goal is to save lives. The loss of Max McDowall, a beloved young man, has shed light on a dangerous issue with pedestrian and bicycle safety at Brisbane intersections. Thankfully, the changes to traffic light sequencing should prevent a similar tragedy from occurring in the future.
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