Thread: Cyclists.

courtesy doesn't save lives.
following the road rules safes lives.
some of the rules are not well defined.


the likelihood of an event is the same for bikes and cars.
possibly higher for a bike due to the smaller cross section

the consequences of an event occurring are much higher for a bike.
only you can mitigate risk, you can only be responsible for yourself. you cant rely on the other guy.

If the consequences are higher for a bike, they are caused by a car. Hence the car driver needs to be more careful, courteous and follow the road rules which clearly state that a cyclist has equal right to be on the road and that the car must give the bike space.

The more you guys tell us that bike riders need to take the responsibility and defend the drivers who don't the bigger hole you are digging for yourself as a driver.

I hope I'm never riding anywhere near you and your bad and frankly dangerous attitude.

courtesy doesn't save lives. of course it does
following the road rules safes lives.obviously
some of the rules are not well defined exactly why courtesy saves lives

Courtesy absolutely does save lives, as its akin to defensive (pre-empting situations) driving. As opposed to aggressive driving, which is all too common and does result in injury, some of which are fatal.

Originally Posted by bee utey

I hope you passed these cyclists with a sufficient amount of room without honking angrily and screaming insults out of your window, like the dumber bogans do.

Anyway, on the subject of verges and bike paths, they tend to be the collecting zone for all the tek screws, broken bottles, busted crates, rocks, tree branches, tripwires, old chairs, furniture tacks etc that the thoughtful bogans amongst us feel the need to deposit there. Car and truck tyres tend to sweep the sharper bits up. I can fully understand why a road bike rider (seriously, "window lickers", grow up) would prefer to trust the drivers on the carriageway to know the road rules and hope to get to their destination without a zillion flats. My trusty MTB has armour plated tyres, thornproof tubes WITH slime in them so I can survive these zones but I can understand the riders who like a lighter and more nimble steed.

Fed-up Melbourne cyclists turn private investigators in bid to catch Yarra Boulevard tack culprit - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Oh and on the subject of bogans, I have a fairly reliable technique for recognising them on my travels around the local hills. It's the engine note. If I hear a vehicle momentarily slow I know that they've acknowledged my presence and will give me space. This is 90% of the drivers I meet. Boneheads in soft roaders (the 9%) don't slow down and the bogans just roar past as fast and close as possible. Ute tray rattle is a bad sign too. It's not a perfectly reliable technique but it helps forward planning. It also changes my hand signals to them from a friendly wave to nothing then to a two finger salute.

Surprising the best behaved motor bikers are the Harley riders, probably because they can't manage the corners too well and just like cruising. I give them all a cheery thumbs up as they thunder by, they are pretty friendly as a rule. Worst are the Ninja Warriors, some of these death wish stinkers are really dense. Luckily you can hear them coming for miles and I can look for a safe spot on the verge to wait them out.

Share the road people, it's not that hard.

The road is brand new... smooth wide sides. Lovely completely separated bicycle lane. Completely separate service roads. If the poor tax payer had built a nice path just for me where I would be safe ...... Guess where I'd ride/drive/be.

I liken them to people that swim at a boat ramps viciously complaining about all the assholes in boats everywhere

BTW: I ride bikes too. It'll be a frozen day in hell before you would find me riding an expensive brand name bike, wearing a shiny costume that must be an "indestructibility costume"..... That I test daily by trying to get cars to run me down by lane sharing on country roads through dips, crests and corners.

What ever happened to common sense

seeya,
Shane L.

walking to work last thursday, i had a green man to walk.
a bike ran the red light n hit me.

its not hard, red means stop.

In December 2015, the NSW Minister for Roads Duncan Gay announced a new package of rules for cyclists and drivers.

These new rules start on 1st March 2016 and include:

? Drivers must leave a minimum distance when passing bicycle riders ? at least one metre when travelling up to 60km/h and at least 1.5 metres when travelling faster than 60km/h.
o Failure to comply with this rule will attract a penalty of $319 and 2 demerit points.
o To help drivers provide the minimum distance some exemptions to the road rules will apply. Eg, sometimes this may mean you need to cross an unbroken line or use a painted median, etc. More details about exemptions are on this page Go Together - Campaigns - NSW Centre for Road Safety

? Penalties will increase for bicycle riders who are:
o Not a wearing helmet (from $71 to $319)
o Running a red light (from $71 to $425)
o Riding dangerously (from $71 to $425)
o Holding on to a moving vehicle (from $71 to $319)
o Not stopping at children's/pedestrian crossing ($71 to $425).
o Penalties for other bicycle rider offences will also increase from $71 to $106, including the offence of riding at night without lights

Bicycle riders aged 18 years and over will need to carry photo ID so that they can be identified in an emergency or if they break the road rules. Bicycle riders will have 12 months to adjust to the new law. From 1st March 2017, riders stopped by police for breaking the road rules could face an additional $106 fine if they do not have the required photo ID.

Bicycle riders will also need to provide a minimum distance of one metre when passing pedestrians on a shared path, where practical.

More information is available at gotogether.transport.nsw.gov.au.
Go Together - Campaigns - NSW Centre for Road Safety

Why do they need 12 months to adjust? How hard is it to carry ID and observe the new laws. Not many car road rules have a 12 month grace period

Originally Posted by Chenz

In December 2015, the NSW Minister for Roads Duncan Gay announced a new package of rules for cyclists and drivers.

These new rules start on 1st March 2016 and include:

? Drivers must leave a minimum distance when passing bicycle riders ? at least one metre when travelling up to 60km/h and at least 1.5 metres when travelling faster than 60km/h.
o Failure to comply with this rule will attract a penalty of $319 and 2 demerit points.
o To help drivers provide the minimum distance some exemptions to the road rules will apply. Eg, sometimes this may mean you need to cross an unbroken line or use a painted median, etc. More details about exemptions are on this page Go Together - Campaigns - NSW Centre for Road Safety

? Penalties will increase for bicycle riders who are:
o Not a wearing helmet (from $71 to $319)
o Running a red light (from $71 to $425)
o Riding dangerously (from $71 to $425)
o Holding on to a moving vehicle (from $71 to $319)
o Not stopping at children's/pedestrian crossing ($71 to $425).
o Penalties for other bicycle rider offences will also increase from $71 to $106, including the offence of riding at night without lights

Bicycle riders aged 18 years and over will need to carry photo ID so that they can be identified in an emergency or if they break the road rules. Bicycle riders will have 12 months to adjust to the new law. From 1st March 2017, riders stopped by police for breaking the road rules could face an additional $106 fine if they do not have the required photo ID.

Bicycle riders will also need to provide a minimum distance of one metre when passing pedestrians on a shared path, where practical.

More information is available at gotogether.transport.nsw.gov.au.
Go Together - Campaigns - NSW Centre for Road Safety

Why do they need 12 months to adjust? How hard is it to carry ID and observe the new laws. Not many car road rules have a 12 month grace period

Can't say I bother with wearing a helmet ... I've been riding a bike for 35years without one... Then again I don't ride where I'm 100% likely to get squished either. Everyone scream at once "REVENUE RAISING".

seeya,
shane L.