Driver fumes as lawn mowing causes little-known road 'danger'
A motorbike rider struggled to keep control of his bike after grass cuttings were strewn over the road.
A motorbike rider has erupted after he was almost thrown off his bike on a winding regional road, blasting others for a little-known road hazard caused by not tidying up after mowing the lawn.
The rider was travelling along Conway Road situated near Whitsundays in Queensland when he reached a corner with loose grass cuttings strewn across it, causing him to momentarily lose control of his vehicle. He managed to remain on his bike and was uninjured but stopped to take a picture, blasting whoever left the debris there.
"Why is this allowed on public roads, [I] nearly came off my bike," the rider wrote. "What dumb f**k mows grass onto a road on a corner."
Grass clippings are 'dangerous' for motorbike riders
Like anything lying on the road grass clippings pose a hazard to bike riders as they change the surface texture underneath the vehicle's wheels. Drivers may drive over the grass cuttings, which can often become slippery, or attempt to swerve them, with both situations reducing the driver's control of the bike.
"There shouldn't have any gravel or grass or anything that's slippery that reduces the coefficient of friction," road safety expert from UNSW Raphael Grzebieta told Yahoo News. "When you go bushwalking and there's lots of leaves you slip, it's the same."
Online fellow drivers flagged how "dangerous" grass cuttings on roads can be for motorbike riders — yet many Aussies admitted they were previously oblivious to the fact it can heighten the risk of road accidents.
"Sadly whoever did the mowing possibly did not realise consequences that could arise," one wrote, while another said it is "very frustrating" that it often takes someone getting seriously hurt before authorities educate residents on the risks.
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In Queensland, any person who drops 'matter, substance or thing' on a road which could cause injury or damage to a rider or their vehicle is guilty of an offence, with the maximum penalty being $6,192 or up to six months imprisonment in the state, according to the Transport Operations Road Use Management Act.
Yahoo News reached out to Whitsundays council for comment.
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