Mounting toll of pedestrians and cyclists

WA Police last week urged all users of local roads to be more respectful of each other after figures showed 163 cyclists, pedestrians and other road users who were not driving or riding in a motorised vehicle have died on WA roads since 2008.

The figures show that since 2008 there has been 415 vulnerable road users who had received fatal or serious injuries in WA and of those, 72 were cyclists and 329 were pedestrians.

Assistant Commissioner Nick Anticich said there was too much community debate over who should use the roads and in what way, but advised people that all road users had to be more respectful towards each other.

‘Irrespective of this, there is no debate over the devastating consequences that can come as a result of a crash involving a vulnerable road user,’ he said.

‘Those consequences affect countless people: the motorist, their family and friends, the vulnerable road user and their loved ones.

‘All community members should put the debate aside and remember what’s really important: lives and wellbeing.’