Viral video of crash between cyclist and car sparks debate about who is to blame

A teenage cyclist was sent flying through the air following a collision with a car in a shocking collision captured on camera.

The ordeal took place in Petersham, a suburb of Sydney in Australia, while the 15-year-old was attempting to cross the road.

The cyclist is seen weaving through vehicles in one lane of traffic, before cutting into the next lane, which appears to be empty. But the cyclist is then hit by an oncoming car and flipped into the air.

New South Wales told 9News the cyclist, who landed on the pavement, was admitted to hospital with injuries to the legs. They were not believed to be non-life-threatening.

Since the footage was posted on the Facebook page Dash Cam Owners of Australia, people have been debating about who was at fault.

One person commented: “It’s not always the cyclists' fault. The car driver should always give way to pedestrians and cyclists. Even if they unexpectedly come out of nowhere. Even if you don’t have time to stop, you should still give way to them. Also, I’m pretty sure that wasn’t a 1-metre gap between the Nissan and the cyclist.”

Another said: “It really was the bicycle’s fault.”

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Some users made the point that street cyclists ought to be insured as the cost would land at the driver’s feet.

“Another reason why cyclists should be registered and insured!” one said.

However, a local with knowledge of the area said: “What you can’t see in this footage is that there is a pedestrian island in the middle of the road that is very unsafe.”