Cyclists, Lycra and the Lady in a Rush

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Mr Milk said..

Loftywinds 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?
<SNIP>

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.

So what you're saying is that the fine is too high for the price of being inconvinienced and frustrated at having hit a cyclist and not giving the rider enough space in the first place.

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Mr Milk said..

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.

I hope not! Cops would be breaking the law ignoring - the law. Helmet cams would be ideal for this, so that if the cyclist gets hit further down and can prove cops saw how close the driver was initially, then the cops would have a lot to answer for. Cops must report and fine those that break the law and not be nitty-picky just because it was a close call - "he'll live" mentality.

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Mr Milk said..
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.

Nah! You get too close to me whilst I am on the road, that instantly implies you don't give a **** for other road users and should be fined heavily to discourage you from doing it again. That's the point of the 1-metre matters campaign: to make drivers angry and conciousness enough next time. I think the fine is too low. Should be over $10K.

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Mr Milk said..
Your fantasy about the driver leaving the scene of the accident is covered by other laws.

If they get caught that is! Again a lame excuse, because if the cop had stopped and fined the driver for coming too close then that driver will most likely (mostly) hit a cyclist and run off. More like they will drive home and catch public transport!

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Mr Milk said..
And I ride a lot, up and down largish hills on roughly repaired rural roads.

Meh. Rural roads are "safer".

the lycra supermen can be very annoying, but amongst the most annoying
road users I would put them on the third place.
On the second are soccer moms in big 4X4s.
On the first... the winners are....
the ones with collingwood bumper stickers.

Also there are zombie road users who can't get off
of their smart phones, but I am not rating them since
they are not humans. They just need to be shot in the head.

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jusavina said..So you must think because every yachts and power boats pay a rego, windsurfers and kitesurfers should pay a rego too...

I wouldnt say that too loud,

big brother is always looking for new ways to raise money

stephen

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thomas11 said..

jusavina 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.

So you must think because every yachts and power boats pay a rego, windsurfers and kitesurfers should pay a rego too...

Totally irrelevant

Can you explain why?

Here is my thought:
-Cyclist break rules (traffic lights, overtake in traffic...) = people wants them to have an identification and pay rego (which I find a stupid idea and wouldn't change anything by the way).
- Windsurfers and kitesurfers break the rules (crossing harbour channel, going to fast near the shore where it's limited at 6 knts speeed for the windsurfers and risk of injury to the beach goers when launching kites or jumping...) = identification and rego to be paid.

So it was a joke but I think it was relevant.

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jusavina said..

thomas11 said..

jusavina 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.

So you must think because every yachts and power boats pay a rego, windsurfers and kitesurfers should pay a rego too...

Totally irrelevant

Can you explain why?

Here is my thought:
-Cyclist break rules (traffic lights, overtake in traffic...) = people wants them to have an identification and pay rego (which I find a stupid idea and wouldn't change anything by the way).
- Windsurfers and kitesurfers break the rules (crossing harbour channel, going to fast near the shore where it's limited at 6 knts speeed for the windsurfers and risk of injury to the beach goers when launching kites or jumping...) = identification and rego to be paid.

So it was a joke but I think it was relevant.

Whole different carn of worms. Ratio of accidents/deaths would be a major difference
These guys aren't creating anywhere near the havoc our lycra friends are.

Lucky there arent any sharks on the road

There are too many ignorant self righteous drivers out there on the road.

I see it regularly not just with cyclists but with scooter riders as well.

Kids who are riding road registered bikes, who have passed there driving license, who are not breaking any laws, it's just their speed limited scooters aren't able to sit with the flow of the traffic.

The amount of times I've seen ignorant FLICKS on a dual carriage way overtake them without changing lanes or even moving over beggars belief.

Drivers like that should not be allowed anywhere near a car

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thomas11 said..
Do you think you should be able to use a motorised vehicle on a road that is incapable of doing the designated speed limit?

Yes, I do. Being able to travel on anything other than your own two feet is a privilege. Being able to do it on good roads is also a privilege. Some people need to visit third world countries and see how they manage to share the roads, with donkeys and oxen still pulling carts in some places. I doubt anyone here will take up the whatever and cart option, so really, keeping a mindful eye out for the odd pushbike or scooter really shouldn't be a problem.

The problem is that giving bikes and scooters space when passing them is common sense and basic courtesy, and that stuff is in short supply these days.

"Yes. It is a maximum speed after all and the roads don't belong to the cars, they are just one of the users"

But they pay a Registration...

Yeah but if every car takes a minute to get past and there are 30 cars in front of you it will take just as long to get to work as the 5 lanes into 2, the accident and the road works day................


just saying

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elmo said..

There are too many ignorant self righteous drivers out there on the road.

I see it regularly not just with cyclists but with scooter riders as well.

Kids who are riding road registered bikes, who have passed there driving license, who are not breaking any laws, it's just their speed limited scooters aren't able to sit with the flow of the traffic.

The amount of times I've seen ignorant FLICKS on a dual carriage way overtake them without changing lanes or even moving over beggars belief.

Drivers like that should not be allowed anywhere near a car

Ive seen this as well. Just a thought, should we let the slow scooters in the bike lanes?

I am one(no exposed lycra and saggy bollocks here though).

I believe it should be illegal for us(cyclists) to do this and fines should apply.

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youngbull said..

ok so 5 bikes are peddling away on a 2 lane same direction road, front 2 bikes are side by side the remaining 3 are following behind.
Distance traveled approx 3km's with 4 sets of lights. I use the overtaking lane to go around and pull up to first set of lights. 3 bikes
are now in front of my car at the lights and 2 beside me, second lane also has cars in it. all 3 take off slowly compared to any car, finally get
around them only to happen 2 more times. Now I'm fkn pissed. Where is the law that prevents this.

This happens several times a week in Strathpine. Seriously sometimes people have no-one to blame but themselves yet we all have to pay.
I don't wish hurt or pain on anything or anyone yet push bikes certainly know how to push buttons and think that only certain laws apply to them.
More designated bike lanes are the only way to go simple as that.

It common courtesy if a car has passed you on a bike, dont undertake them at the lights, i fully get this and never do it unless i am in a cycle lane.
I ride with other people occasionally and yes do ride side by side when the road permits, low or no traffic, wide road, everyone just needs to settle down if you cant allow enough time to get to work because of a couple of cyclists, get up earlier dumbass.
And yes i pay two car rego's

I am a seafarer and I travel the world aboard ships. I take a mountain bike on the ships for getting around in different ports. There are not many countries with a sea port I have not been to at least once. I am back in Australia on leave after a year away.

I would say that Australia is probably the most difficult country to use a bike in. It comes down to the culture of drivers here. Car drivers here don't realise they are just a person trying to get somewhere same as someone on a bike, some drivers consider cyclists to be some sort of sub-species of human, and no different to any other roadkill. I don't know how these people would get on in European counties such as Ireland where the roads are so narrow its not uncommon to sit behind a group on bikes for hours in a car. Some Asian places there are more bikes than cars, That would totally freak some Aussies. I guess that kind of person never leaves Australia anyway.

While I'm on the subject Australia and New Zealand are the only places on the planet where cops will scope out and enforce retard helmet laws. Free country, that's a joke.

I think I figured out part if the problem!! As I said in an earlier post, I ride my bike everyday to work but it's not a road bike and I try hard to behave properly, expecting cars to make faults sometimes. We all make mistakes..

Anyway, fast forward a month or so.. A friend told me about an app called map my ride. Well well well, big mistake! I used it once but never again! I rode so fast and averaged a speed of 30km an hour including red lights etc. but what u realised was, with my ride being monitored, my riding behaviour in hind sight was disgraceful !!

In a world where people are working harder and people get confirmation and recognition by posts on social media, an app such as map my ride is a death trap. You think the cyclist is going to look twice at the round about, stop at the stop sign or forgive a car that it's them off when they are racing the app to post in facebook? No. I' used the app once and never again, I'd rather arrive safely.