Sun Setting for NSW bike riders?

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I gotta say the relationship between most NSW bike riders and car drivers is pretty toxic, the sheer anger that both expend towards one another is pretty crazy, you only have to look on the various social media and article sites with comments to get a sense of the feeling out there. Now couple that with some pretty interesting changes in the rules which come into force in March this year and its a all heating up 🙂

As a disclaimer, I ride a bike and I drive a car, I have used the bike to commute to work and I use the car to commute to work, I also use public transport – geez aren't I a model citizen 🙂 – i think i have a pretty balanced view on the situation but I can't really see how the introduction of these hefty fines is gonna make the roads (and footpaths) safer for everyone. I think possibly the 300 buck fine for not wearing your helmet might be the only one, note I am an advocate for wearing helmets anyway. The increase in fines might encourage more police to actually fine people for not wearing a helmet, while they are there, why not actually fine people for the other things which are illegal.. um like riding on the footpath, not using a light at night, i reckon if they nailed all the bike riders in Newtown the police could fund their next big polair chopper 😉

All jokes aside, the one aspect I find really interesting is the one where cars must give clearance to bike riders when over taking.. technically, if they fined everyone driving a car for not giving 1 metre clearance from the bike rider in the innerwest of sydney we could get rid of all the parking meters with all the funds generated from the fines 🙂 no, really seriously… how are they gonna enforce that rule 😉 I wonder if a bike rider records a number plate then says the driver did not give adequate clearance whether that would be enough ? or would hard evidence be needed? bike cams anyone.

Anyway, I really digress, onto the the photo, this is a great cycle way down at Sans Souci which runs along the foreshore there, one day i will get to it on my bike 🙂

10 thoughts on “Sun Setting for NSW bike riders?”

  1. +Gerard Blacklock​ top shot mate! There are some narrow back roads around here that are popular with cyclists and I can tell you that giving 1m clearance, especially when they insist on riding 2 abreast is virtually impossible. I'd be in the paddocks! Some roads here aren't much wider than that cycleway! 😕

  3. As a very occasional bike rider, I can see that some of the laws are trying to increase safety of the rider, helmets, lights, warning device, fair enough. But the changes particularly the thing about mandatory to carry photo id, is just daft. There are a lot of different kinds of people ride bikes, like kids. So now 10 year olds have to queue up at the RMS service centre and get a photo id, ummm really??
    Someone hasn't really thought through some of this stuff, it just sounds hastily cobbled together to placate the Shooters party or Fred Nile or something.
    Here are some links to a number of campaigns against the changes;
    https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/general/policy-and-campaigns/3845/
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/photo-id-for-cyclists-in-nsw-what-would-this-law-achieve-20150714-gicgkd.html
    https://www.communityrun.org/petitions/a-cost-too-high-for-cyclist-safety
    https://www.change.org/p/nsw-government-stop-the-nsw-law-requiring-cyclists-to-carry-id?
    http://www.sydneypush.org/push-back/

  4. +Tom Testone
    exactly, and I am sure some rider with a bent attitude towards drivers would love to nail your ass to the wall.
    I just about never ride with anyone else (commuting) but the whole idea of 2 abreast is weird… I think there needs to be a distinction between commuters and the fitness dudes out on a Saturday morning , the latter seem to be the ones who generate alot of angst for drivers ?

  6. +Scott Hamilton
    the thing i find strange is that the laws already exist (mostly, ie ID carrying is new) .. but the want to smash them with bigger fines – your comment about it being cobbled up to appease a certain party kinda sounds legit.
    I gotta say that its rarely the bike rider that loses out in a accident / incident so this whole notion/impression that given about riders avoiding responsibility because they can't be identified seems to be like 0.001% of cases? in any case where the coppers are gonna question a rider over something serious they are going to find out who they are irrespective of whether they are carrying ID or not.

  7. +Gerard Blacklock​ yeah it is the fitness guys mainly, though most tend to ride single file when they have a car behind them. The odd one has an attitude problem. They know if they get hit you get the book thrown at you, so some try and abuse what little power they think they have. It is much like little man syndrome, and it affects those on both sides of the issue unfortunately! 😕

  8. Great image.
    My two pennies worth to this debate.
    We live in the UK, about 20 miles north east of London, In 2014 we visited relatives in Collaroy and as our means of transport we cycled or used public transport…not coz we are cheap but we enjoy cycling. We found getting around easy and had no problems even on the busy roads cycling around. We didn't get to cycle in Sydney itself but all around north of Sydney, Manley and north of that. We noticed a different attitude to cyclist not seen in the UK, there were cycle paths, lanes on busy roads that could be used , dual use footpaths etc and for the most part I would say consideration given to cyclists throughout our stay. We loved it and even on the busy main roads my wife felt safe….so you must be doing something right. There was also an explosion of road signs reminding motorists that cyclists are around.
    This is not the only place we have experienced this attitude towards cyclist having cycled on Majorca and Crete they also seem to have a better relationship with cyclists which is very encouraging.
    Our experience was a very positive one and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Loved it.
    Rob

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