A study has found the junction of Welshpool Road and Lesmurdie Road is the worst blackspot in Perth for cycling accidents.
Camera IconA study has found the junction of Welshpool Road and Lesmurdie Road is the worst blackspot in Perth for cycling accidents. Credit: Supplied/David Baylis        d441699

Crash course in hotspots

Lucy JarvisMidland Kalamunda Reporter

UWA computer scientist Daniel Wedge analysed Main Roads WA data from 2010 to 2014 and created a list of hotspots where there were three or more crashes involving cyclists.

Topping the list was 11 crashes where Lesmurdie Road meets Welshpool Road East.

A keen cyclist, Dr Wedge said he decided to analyse the Main Roads data made available through the GovHack data-sharing event in July after discussions with cycling friends.

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The Yokine resident said the data only showed where crashes occurred and whether someone involved needed hospital or other medical treatment, but it did not show who was at fault.

"All these hotspots, they are all intersections," he said. "Roundabouts are particularly bad; some of the roundabouts don't have great visibility."

Dr Wedge said cycle lanes often vanished at roundabouts and traffic signals, making cyclists more vulnerable as they moved through intersections with cars.

At the Lesmurdie junction, someone involved in a 2013 crash required hospital treatment, while others needed other medical treatment at crashes in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and twice in 2014.

He said several organisations had shown an interest in using the data for advocacy, and it was publicly available online at bikecrash.info