Letter to Minister Corbell re driver harrassing cyclists on Uriarra Rd

From: Greg Cunningham [mailto:gjclr@bigpond.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2011 9:24 AM
To: 'corbell@act.gov.au'
Subject: Disturbing & recurring road rage incidents by a driver against cyclists

Mr Simon Corbell

Minister for Police and Emergency Services

GPO Box 1020

Canberra ACT 2601

Dear Minister

I write concerning a very disturbing road rage incident by the male driver of registered vehicle YBW 68P (a white Falcon sedan) that occurred while our group of four was cycling on the Uriarra Rd last Sunday morning (25 September 2011).  One of our friends (Lex Cogle) reported the incident to Woden police station later that morning, but since I was very nearly hit by the vehicle I feel sufficiently strongly to bring this incident to your attention because it is not an isolated one – we have been harassed by this driver on several previous occasions on our Sunday morning rides.  It’s hard not to conclude that the driver in question travels around the Cotter-Uriarra circuit, which is heavily used by cyclists, deliberately to harass cyclists.   

This is what happened on Sunday morning:  After cycling up the second of the two hills after Uriarra Crossing heading east, we heard a car horn used very loudly somewhere down the hill behind us – we later learned that another group of cyclists were being harassed.  A short time later we became the subject of harassment.  My partner Toni & I were riding single file on a relatively straight section of road (our two friends were 20 metres or so ahead), less than half a metre from the white line on the edge of the road.  There was no oncoming traffic.  As a car approached us from behind the driver used the horn again loudly and deliberately swerved closer to us – I could see what this because I use a rear vision mirror.  The vehicle skidded and came very close to colliding with us.  The male driver then proceeded to yell furiously at us by putting his head outside the driver side window, using language such as “get off the f…n road you idiots”.

There was absolutely no need for this behaviour.  As I said, we were riding single file (though we are entitled to ride double abreast) close to the edge of the road, the road was straight and there was no traffic coming the other way (there is very little traffic on that road on Sunday mornings).  The driver could have easily passed us without any incident.  But he deliberately chose to make an irrational fuss.  While we were stopped after the incident the other group of cyclists came by and told us that the same thing had happened to them.

Later on the ride, after I had turned off to Stromlo Forest Park, my partner Toni was harassed again by the same driver while she was waiting to make the right turn.  The driver had turned around and was headed back towards Uriarra Crossing. 

Since we’ve been harassed by this same driver before, it seems clear that he deliberately drives around that area on Sundays so that he can make a fuss about cyclists on the road.   The difference this time is that we were able to get his registration number.  The driver was male with a short beard and was wearing a blue flannelette shirt.

As I said, this is not an isolated incident and because of this driver’s irrational behavior I fear that a cyclist is eventually going to get hit by the car and badly injured – this very nearly happened to me on Sunday morning.  I am writing to you because I want this account to go on the record so that there is no doubt that the authorities are aware of this dangerous driver.

Regards,

Greg Cunningham

79 Somerset St

DUFFY  ACT  2611   

Ph: 6288 6997 (h); 0438 249 112 (m)