Glen Galea will never ride a motorcycle again. Even if he wanted to, his battered body won’t allow it.
The Sunshine North resident, who was knocked off his bike on Ballarat Road in January 2011, says he suffered more than extreme physical injuries. He lost his marriage in the process.
“I broke every rib on my right side, ripped an artery out of my kidney, cracked my shoulder blade in two,” said Mr Galea, 35.
‘‘The crash really affected my marriage. The after-effects are just as big as the injuries.”
Mr Galea was struck by a vehicle crossing a road from a median strip when the driver didn’t see him.
But, despite his pain, Mr Galea is one of the lucky ones.
Latest Transport Accident Commission data shows Brimbank had the state’s highest number of motorcycle deaths in the past four years, with 11 riders killed. Eight fatalities were caused by drivers not seeing motorbikes.
Slater and Gordon lawyer Craig Lynch said it’s a tragically high rate but population growth is partly to blame.
“The last five to 10 years has seen the biggest increase, but it’s proportional to the population growth in the area,’’ he said.
‘‘And it’s a popular mode of transport in Brimbank. Many of the roads are high-speed and injuries are more likely to be fatal than those in car accidents.”
Mr Lynch said the Western Ring Road was a also major factor in the number of motorcycle deaths in Brimbank.
“It’s notorious for accidents, motorcycle accidents in particular,” he said.
Mr Galea urged riders and drivers to travel at a safe speed and be aware of each other.
“I’m still at it [recovery],’’ he said. ‘‘It took me four and a half months to be able to lie down properly. I have another operation coming up. But I’m still here and I’ve got my kids.”
» Rider safety tips: spokes.com.au
