Aussie drivers warned over 'unacceptable' act after young woman's horrific injuries

Yahoo

10-02-2025

Aussie motorists are being urged to be vigilant and respectful of other road users – even if they're on just two wheels.
Close to eighty motorcyclists hit the road on Sunday to protest against aggressive drivers, taking a powerful stand in solidarity with a young woman who suffered traumatic injuries in an alleged road rage incident when a driver targeted her motorbike.
Rachel Secker was back on her beloved motorcycle for the 'Ride Against Road Rage' event in Adelaide yesterday. But every time she throws the leg over, she is haunted by the incident that took place two years ago when she was knocked off her bike, completely decimating one of her legs.
"Even though I love riding, it's put a bit of a dampener on it for me," the 23-year-old said.
"Every time I get on the bike, it's like ... Is this going to be the last ride?"
Speaking to 7News, she said she had to have her right leg completely rebuilt by doctors and "stoped counting after 20 surgeries" following the disturbing incident.
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Others who joined the ride said they have all experienced road rage from drivers in cars, with some lamenting that it happens on a "daily basis".
"Many of us have experienced road rage to the point of fearing for personal safety. This behaviour needs to be publicly declared unacceptable," event organisers said.
Motorcyclist Bronwyn Ridge who organised the ride told Yahoo that aggressive driving "is an ongoing theme within the motorcycle community".
"We generally experience poor driving, distracted drivers looking at their phones ... We know what it's like to be tailgated, for cars to change lanes without looking.
"There's people who don't understand that lane filtering is legal, and sometimes they will try and block us," she said.
Even the event yesterday wasn't without such an incident, despite the group's strength in numbers.
"We had a rider yesterday on the ride when a car came through a giveaway sign without stopping, right in front a rider fresh off her Ls," Bronwyn said.
It comes as motorcycle deaths hit an alarming new high on the country's roads last year. Motorcyclist fatalities increased from 252 in 2023 to 278 in 2024 – a rise of 10.3 per cent – making last year the deadliest calendar year for motorbike riders since 1989.
In total, 1,300 people died on Australian roads in 2024 — up from 1,258 in 2023, according to research conducted by the federal Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE).
The motorist responsible for Rachel's injuries has pleaded guilty to running her down and will be sentenced tomorrow.
"She'll face him for the first time when she reads her victim impact statement in court," Bronwyn told Yahoo.
"He really went out of his way to ram a car into a motorcycle ... We just hope the crime is treated seriously."
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