ONE-HUNDRED cyclists will wear miniature video cameras on their helmets as part of a landmark study into bike-versus-car crashes on Perth roads.

Researchers will also interview 100 other cyclists who have survived collisions with cars.



The aim of the study is to identify improvements to roads and intersections.



New figures reveal seven cyclists were killed in Perth in the past two years and a record number of cyclists were seriously injured last year. Main Roads says 111 cyclists were seriously injured in the metropolitan area, up from 93 in 2011.



It's estimated that cyclist fatalities and serious injuries cost Australian taxpayers $10.5 million a year.



The new study, which is expected to run for three years, will be led by teams from the Curtin-Monash Accident Research Centre in WA and the Monash University Accident Research Centre in Victoria.



Lynn Meuleners, who will lead the WA team, said researchers would recruit 100 Perth cyclists this year to wear cameras for several weeks. They would also be given an extensive questionnaire, asking them about their experiences. Another 100 cyclists involved in crashes would be sought through Perth's hospital emergency departments.



Dr Meuleners said vision and the questionnaires would be analysed to determine where cyclists had the most conflict and difficulty on roads.



"This increase in cycling has seen an increase in serious-injury crashes for cyclists and because of this we were keen to start a project which examines the issues surrounding cyclist safety," Dr Meuleners said.



Vision from a similar study in Melbourne several years ago recorded two collisions, six near-collisions and 46 "other incidents". Motorists were deemed to be at fault in 87 per cent of those incidents.



Bicycling WA chief executive Jeremey Murray said: "There is a lack of research in terms of road design and the road environment for cyclists, so the more that we've got the better."

Originally published as Cyclists to wear cameras