www.watoday.com.au/national/cyclist-hit-by-car-challenges-police-over-fine-video-evidence-20130906-2tb68.html
The Lady in a Rush hits the cyclist and his lycra provided very little protection.
I would never cycle on the roads. Footpath is considerably safer and if you do have an accident considerably less serious!
My dads brothers son was at waiting at an intersection on a push bike to turn left. A very large truck was also turning left. The driver could not see the
bicycle due to the height he was at and ran over him causing death. Never was allowed a bike after that.
The cyclist was lucky not to get injured more and by him having some space on the left helped. I know this section of road and what has happened is the driver is trying to shoot past the other lanes by going up the left lane that ends just ahead of the accident. You can see the speed difference of the white car relative to the other lanes. I think if the cops catch this idiot they should be charged with attempted man slaughter. Like bikes or not this is just plain stupidity and to think this person is still driving the roads.
Select to expand quotepetermac33 said..
Footpath is considerably safer and if you do have an accident considerably less serious!
Illegal to ride on the footpath.
Select to expand quoteJfunk said..petermac33 said..
Footpath is considerably safer and if you do have an accident considerably less serious!
Illegal to ride on the footpath.
Not in all states. I think in WA its allowed.
I find cycling there is a happy medium that everyone should adhere to. I cycle to and from work every day. I cycle but I don't call myself a cyclist because their behaviour is often terrible. A select few if them are so arrogant. Last week I had two cars pull out in me, but we all make mistakes, we are human! That's why there are speed limits. Both cars waved to say sorry but I let them know it's okay too. Accept you are hard to see and cycle safely.
Secondly, the cars. Too many people think they have the right to drive fast. The road is for everyone not just the quick witted and smart wannabe race drivers. The old boys have paid tax for 50+ years. Now their mind is not quite all there but in my opinion they still have every right to drive. The road is for everyone. So the cars need to learn to settle down and share. I haven't had a speeding fine in 11 years. I got kids in the back if the car too so drive safe.
So both the cyclists and the cars need to improve their behaviour in my opinion
This is an old story. The Qld report into cycling laws came out soon after. It recommended a $2800.00 fine and 8 demerit pts for passing less than 1m from a cyclist, which the gov't said they would adopt. For my 2c worth, the penalty is over the top. I would say graded, maybe $300 for 1m $1000 for less than 1/2m and culpable driving with prison if you actually come from behind and hit a cyclist (unless you can show that the rider did something totally unpredictable)
The report also recommended the abolition of helmet laws, citing experience in the NT, where helmets are optional on suburban roads, and injury rates are lower, except on roads with a speed limit over 80kph. The suggestion is that the public health benefit of getting more people doing short trips by bike outweighs the detriment from crashes.
To me the requirement to keep using them on the highway looks like a political compromise with the helmet lobby. You get hit by a car or truck on a highway at 80+, a helmet does not make a lot of difference, and most busy arterial roads have a good size shoulder to keep clear of traffic anyway.
Select to expand quoteJfunk said..petermac33 said..
Footpath is considerably safer and if you do have an accident considerably less serious!
Illegal to ride on the footpath.
Not illegal in Queensland.
Select to expand quoteTowny said..
I pay a yearly registration to drive my car on the road
If your referring to the fact that because you pay rego you can drive on the road but cyclist should not. Then the argument can apply that you stay on NSW roads and I stay on QLD roads because that's what we have paid rego to use.
Select to expand quoteTowny said..
I pay a yearly registration to drive my car on the road
I pay two yearly registrations for cars, and 3 for trailers. Does that make me superior to you? I can't drive two cars at once, so someone is getting extra money for nothing. If I ride on the road, it means that I am not even doing any damage to the road surface.
So, as an obviously superior person to you, and paying more registration than you 'get off my road!'.
I dont cycle, but drive my car wearing lycra and go and hang at the coffee cafe to show my twig and berry's to all that dont want to see while they are having their morning coffee . Is that ok or do I need to pay extra on my rego??
But I do wear boardies over my wetsuit.
Select to expand quoteTowny said...
I pay a yearly registration to drive my car on the road
Good on you. I would say that at a guess 99% of people on bikes would also pay rego.
You should be thanking every one of them that you pass as
A. One less car on the road to make your trip quicker and
B. Less of your tax payer $ being spent on health care with these people getting out and doing some form of exercise.
Select to expand quoteTowny said..
I pay a yearly registration to drive my car on the road
!
Select to expand quoteSWE said..Towny said...
I pay a yearly registration to drive my car on the road
Good on you. I would say that at a guess 99% of people on bikes would also pay rego.
You should be thanking every one of them that you pass as
A. One less car on the road to make your trip quicker and
B. Less of your tax payer $ being spent on health care with these people getting out and doing some form of exercise.
I pay rego for the specific car I'm driving.
I think cyclists should have to pay for rego for the bike they ride and display a form of registration and plate so there is more consequence on them when they brake the regular road laws.
I live in just off beach road Melbourne, they way some of these people behave is nothing short of disgraceful, they have the right to use the road, but It would be nice if they showed a bit more respect, and more consequences were put on their heads.
Even they way they behave at the coffee shops is questionable.
Select to expand quoteMr Milk said..
This is an old story. The Qld report into cycling laws came out soon after. It recommended a $2800.00 fine and 8 demerit pts for passing less than 1m from a cyclist, which the gov't said they would adopt. For my 2c worth, the penalty is over the top.
"The penalty is over the top", eh?
LOL
Lets do the maths shall we?
Truck hits and kills a cyclist, police turn up (2 constables at a rate of $35 an hour), stay for 2 hours doing paper work and other tasks, plus another hmm lets say 2 weeks with court appearances and other desk duties whilst they could be out there on the beat. All up over a few months I would fathom to guess.. hmmm about $20,000 there alone.
Council gets involved and dept of transport - plus traffic accident commission on their stats and other govt departments: I would guess hmmm about $250,000 all up.
Media gets involved - reports, time, media formatting, prepwork, etc. Hmmm about $10,000 assuming one reporter
*we have not even got to the cost to the family members and funerals etc*
Shall I go on? yes lets! 
Road Traffic Insurance and claims: could be tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands.
Oh and I forgot - police detective work trying to find the bastard that caused the accident: add another $50,000.. hmm actually make it $100K for any other unforseen matters such as false reporting from witnesses or a review of the investigation, auditors, etc.
And the cost to the family... $$$$
So you still think a mere $2,800 is too much to fine idiots out there on the road!? 
That would not even pay the excess the government will have to pay to claim on the insurance bill alone!
A fine is a fine, but really... punks on roads should do jail time.
Select to expand quotethomas11 said..SWE said..Towny said...
I pay a yearly registration to drive my car on the road
Good on you. I would say that at a guess 99% of people on bikes would also pay rego.
You should be thanking every one of them that you pass as
A. One less car on the road to make your trip quicker and
B. Less of your tax payer $ being spent on health care with these people getting out and doing some form of exercise.
I pay rego for the specific car I'm driving.
I think cyclists should have to pay for rego for the bike they ride and display a form of registration and plate so there is more consequence on them when they brake the regular road laws.
I live in just off beach road Melbourne, they way some of these people behave is nothing short of disgraceful, they have the right to use the road, but It would be nice if they showed a bit more respect, and more consequences were put on their heads.
Even they way they behave at the coffee shops is questionable.
The consequences are that they are very exposed and can easily be killed by some inconsiderate driver that just happened to think they were in more of a hurry, or were more important than 'that guy that doesn't even pay rego'.
More consequences? I think they have the same consequences, its just that speeding seems to be the easy thing to police, so it gets the attention. When was the last time you saw someone pulled over for not indicating or tailgating?
I do get annoyed too when riders do dumb things, in the same way that motorists doing dumb things annoy me.
Select to expand quoteLoftywinds said..Mr Milk said..
This is an old story. The Qld report into cycling laws came out soon after. It recommended a $2800.00 fine and 8 demerit pts for passing less than 1m from a cyclist, which the gov't said they would adopt. For my 2c worth, the penalty is over the top.
"The penalty is over the top", eh?
LOL
Lets do the maths shall we?
Truck hits and kills a cyclist, police turn up (2 constables at a rate of $35 an hour), stay for 2 hours doing paper work and other tasks, plus another hmm lets say 2 weeks with court appearances and other desk duties whilst they could be out there on the beat. All up over a few months I would fathom to guess.. hmmm about $20,000 there alone.
Council gets involved and dept of transport - plus traffic accident commission on their stats and other govt departments: I would guess hmmm about $250,000 all up.
Media gets involved - reports, time, media formatting, prepwork, etc. Hmmm about $10,000 assuming one reporter
*we have not even got to the cost to the family members and funerals etc*
Shall I go on? yes lets!
Road Traffic Insurance and claims: could be tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands.
Oh and I forgot - police detective work trying to find the bastard that caused the accident: add another $50,000.. hmm actually make it $100K for any other unforseen matters such as false reporting from witnesses or a review of the investigation, auditors, etc.
And the cost to the family... $$$$
So you still think a mere $2,800 is too much to fine idiots out there on the road!?
That would not even pay the excess the government will have to pay to claim on the insurance bill alone!
A fine is a fine, but really... punks on roads should do jail time.
Why do I think it is over the top?
Because it is such a change in the law that it looks like a political wedge to me. Just think how much more reason it gives anti cyclist drivers to hate cyclists. Especially if they get charged on the basis of evidence from the rider's own helmet camera.
It is a bigger fine than normally gets imposed for 1st time drunk driving. It is so big that I would hope that reasonable cops would be reluctant to issue the ticket.
Which is why I think that a graded system of fines would be better. $ 300 for being a bit frightening, $1000 for seriously scary, and loss of licence, fine, prison if you hit someone from behind. A bit like speeding and DUI are graded offences.
Your fantasy about the driver leaving the scene of the accident is covered by other laws.
And I ride a lot, up and down largish hills on roughly repaired rural roads.
Select to expand quoteLoftywinds said..Mr Milk said..
This is an old story. The Qld report into cycling laws came out soon after. It recommended a $2800.00 fine and 8 demerit pts for passing less than 1m from a cyclist, which the gov't said they would adopt. For my 2c worth, the penalty is over the top.
"The penalty is over the top", eh?
LOL
Lets do the maths shall we?
Truck hits and kills a cyclist, police turn up (2 constables at a rate of $35 an hour), stay for 2 hours doing paper work and other tasks, plus another hmm lets say 2 weeks with court appearances and other desk duties whilst they could be out there on the beat. All up over a few months I would fathom to guess.. hmmm about $20,000 there alone.
Council gets involved and dept of transport - plus traffic accident commission on their stats and other govt departments: I would guess hmmm about $250,000 all up.
Media gets involved - reports, time, media formatting, prepwork, etc. Hmmm about $10,000 assuming one reporter
*we have not even got to the cost to the family members and funerals etc*
Shall I go on? yes lets!
Road Traffic Insurance and claims: could be tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands.
Oh and I forgot - police detective work trying to find the bastard that caused the accident: add another $50,000.. hmm actually make it $100K for any other unforseen matters such as false reporting from witnesses or a review of the investigation, auditors, etc.
And the cost to the family... $$$$
So you still think a mere $2,800 is too much to fine idiots out there on the road!?
That would not even pay the excess the government will have to pay to claim on the insurance bill alone!
A fine is a fine, but really... punks on roads should do jail time.
yeah, the fines very big.....and could be completely avoidable if motorists and cyclists weren't sharing the same space,. what next, humans and sharks swimming together
As someone who travels along Beach Rd Bayside Melbourne regularly..... I don't really mind the cyclists for the most part they do the right thing and as do most of the drivers........
BUT ..... I absolutely hate the idiots that lane split or come up alongside you at the traffic lights only to stop directly in front of you causing you to have to go around them a second time.... only to repeat the scenario at the next set of lights...
It is dangerous to force the whole row of cars to go around you and merge again and again at each set of lights ... by all means ride in the middle of the left hand lane but for fks sake stay behind the cars in front of you at the lights...
Im opening my door on the next one that does it ...... rant over
Select to expand quotethomas11 said..SWE said..Towny said...
I pay a yearly registration to drive my car on the road
Good on you. I would say that at a guess 99% of people on bikes would also pay rego.
You should be thanking every one of them that you pass as
A. One less car on the road to make your trip quicker and
B. Less of your tax payer $ being spent on health care with these people getting out and doing some form of exercise.
I pay rego for the specific car I'm driving.
I think cyclists should have to pay for rego for the bike they ride and display a form of registration and plate so there is more consequence on them when they brake the regular road laws.
I live in just off beach road Melbourne, they way some of these people behave is nothing short of disgraceful, they have the right to use the road, but It would be nice if they showed a bit more respect, and more consequences were put on their heads.
Even they way they behave at the coffee shops is questionable.
Hi Thomas, just for interest do you have kids? If what you suggest were to happen (rego on bikes), then all those families who go out cycling together probably 3 or 4 times a year would have pay for four+ regos. That is ridiculous that a kid aged 3 years old needs a rego. Would a balance bike need to be rego'd or is it bikes without stabilisers only?
I don't disagree at all that cyclists should get fined/points for running red lights etc. I have said many times on here (this topic is getting pretty boring to be honest) that I commute to work most days and I get very frustrated with bad cyclists. The good thing is that the police are often at the bottom of the Harbour Bridge steps pulling people up without helmets, people who had run lights etc.. Still not enough if you ask me.
Select to expand quoteSWE said..Towny said...
I pay a yearly registration to drive my car on the road
Good on you. I would say that at a guess 99% of people on bikes would also pay rego.
You should be thanking every one of them that you pass as
A. One less car on the road to make your trip quicker and
B. Less of your tax payer $ being spent on health care with these people getting out and doing some form of exercise.
really, you think you take a car off the road and replace it with a cyclists that makes the trip quicker? FAIL, a cyclists is a massive inconvenience to a motorist and to the flow of traffic, if your lucky you can literately get stuck behind a gang off them on a windy single lane rd, or perhaps the cyclists can force all traffic into a bottleneck, as all cars stuck behind one now come out into the next lane, riding is fun, but motorists shouldn't have to suffer them, ive also had a few cyclists be pretty aggressive at me, one resulted with me punching this guy, but he was still tied to the pedals, so, that went well for him
Select to expand quoteBenKirk said..thomas11 said..SWE said..Towny said...
I pay a yearly registration to drive my car on the road
Good on you. I would say that at a guess 99% of people on bikes would also pay rego.
You should be thanking every one of them that you pass as
A. One less car on the road to make your trip quicker and
B. Less of your tax payer $ being spent on health care with these people getting out and doing some form of exercise.
I pay rego for the specific car I'm driving.
I think cyclists should have to pay for rego for the bike they ride and display a form of registration and plate so there is more consequence on them when they brake the regular road laws.
I live in just off beach road Melbourne, they way some of these people behave is nothing short of disgraceful, they have the right to use the road, but It would be nice if they showed a bit more respect, and more consequences were put on their heads.
Even they way they behave at the coffee shops is questionable.
Hi Thomas, just for interest do you have kids? If what you suggest were to happen (rego on bikes), then all those families who go out cycling together probably 3 or 4 times a year would have pay for four+ regos. That is ridiculous that a kid aged 3 years old needs a rego. Would a balance bike need to be rego'd or is it bikes without stabilisers only?
I don't disagree at all that cyclists should get fined/points for running red lights etc. I have said many times on here (this topic is getting pretty boring to be honest) that I commute to work most days and I get very frustrated with bad cyclists. The good thing is that the police are often at the bottom of the Harbour Bridge steps pulling people up without helmets, people who had run lights etc.. Still not enough if you ask me.
Hey mate no I don't have any children.
However the last placed id ever take my children is riding on the road, bike paths away from idiot drivers would be the place to be I believe. No need to pay rego for riding on a bike path, that's what it is there for.
I'm only suggesting the "roadbike" users pay rego.
My yearly car registration includes insurance which covers me for any injury i cause to other road users while using the road.
Select to expand quoteTowny said..
My yearly car registration includes insurance which covers me for any injury i cause to other road users while using the road.
As a cyclist I find that totally reassuring
There's a section of road similar to the video that I ride to work on (Terry Hills Rd), 3 lanes turn to 2 straight and 1 left turn lane. Gets a little interesting at times because you need to merge out in to the middle lane on a road where the speed limits 70. Best one I had is after merging and stoping for the red light a car pulled into the left turn only lane after/as the light went green and decided to go straight and gun it up the inside to beat the traffic, came far closer to me then I'd rather and almost cleaned up the car behind/next to me as well.
Interesting thing is you can go ah your on a bike, if I was driving and dropping my daughter off of the day and he'd hit me he would have wiped out the passenger side of the car which is the side the car seats on for my 11 month old daughter.
Simple thing is with instances like the one in the linked video is that you wouldn't do that to another car or a motor bike so don't do it to a cyclist.
5 month old story, why now OP??
As I said 5 months ago when this was news, if he wasn't repeatedly lane splitting and creeping up the outside then this wouldn't have happened. It's the 3rd time -on cam- that the car is passing him how many before that.
Also you can't really tell in the vid but that's one of brisbane's tightest traffic spots - 2 lanes each way and so tight that you have to hold your breath going round a corner next to a bus. No verges, no room for error, walls on each side, and a main truck route. The guy is an idiot to be forcing himself into the middle of that - and inconveniencing everyone else in the process on an already tricky section of road, in peak hour traffic as well.
If he tries it under the proposed law, every single motorist that passes him will be liable for up to $4400. Every single time they pass him at the next set of lights. There isn't a metre spare. Another stupid Newman brainfart of a law.
I pay rego for 2 cars and I ride a bike, i would prefer to ride my pushbike a lot more if I thought it was safe enough to do so on the roads.
Also I would be happy to pay a registration to ride my bike on the road if they were made safer or if there were safer, better cycleways available.
Riding a bike on the footpath (wether legal or not) is not an option for anyone who wants to commute any sort of distance, for a start there is the very real danger of being hit by cars reversing out of driveways as the drivers and cyclist vision is often block by vegetation, also they are usually way to rough for a road bike.
Only a few weeks ago I was riding my bike home from the shops just up the road, I approached a roundabout, where I was going straight and a road enters from the left, I approached the roundabout with caution at about 20km/h and saw a car approaching on the road to my left, it looked to me as though the driver was looking straight at me so I thought I was safe to continue, the car then accelerated and ran straight into me and knocked me for 6.
I was extremely lucky that I wasn't seriously hurt, however I took a bit of skin off here and there and had a bruised heal for a week or so, I still have a sore leg weeks later which I suspect may be a hairline fracture of my fibula.
I also know of another Breezer who was knock off his bike a week or so back and I believe has fractured his fibula and has other complications due to the accident.
P.S. I don't wear lycra or ride in groups to the coffee shop.
A case of hit cyclist and run from Sydney's Royal National Park during the Christmas break has made it into court
www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/driver-24-accused-of-cyclist-hitandrun-faces-court-20140219-33046.html
I think prison time might be appropriate
It looks like the magistrate can impose fines up to $5500 for a first set of offences, ie neg driving and leave the scene and up to 18 months gaol.
