South Australian cyclist blamed after nasty accident with 4WD

A South Australian cyclist who had a nasty fall after being knocked off his bike at an intersection is being blamed for the accident, from which he was fortunate to walk away.

Dashcam video of the incident in Blackwood, in the foothills of Adelaide, shows the rider attempt to push past a four-wheel-drive, which has paused at a two-lane roundabout.

The cyclist reaches the broken white lines just as the driver, no doubt more focussed on what's happening on the right hand side of the vehicle, judges it safe to turn left.

The timing couldn't be worse. As both road users enter the turn at the same time, the four-wheel-drive runs over one of the cyclist's wheels, causing him to drop sharply and painfully onto the bitumen.

Thankfully the rider, perilously close to the four-wheel-drive's tyres, tumbles towards the kerb and is able to get to his feet a few moments later.

But despite apparently being lucky enough to dodge serious injury, many online are saying the accident was all his fault, with some commenters have pointed out what they perceive to be a double standard regarding road regulations.

And they may be right: in South Australia, cyclists are bound by law to follow all the same rules a motorist must. Bike riders are at risk of losing licence demerit points if they fail to comply with the law.

Additionally, the SA government's website includes a "safety tip" reminding riders to "never assume" a driver has seen them, while another handout states that a cyclist "must not cause a hazard by riding into the path of a driver or pedestrian".