Canberra's new cycling laws

[greeneyed]

"Heard about our new laws? Must keep 1.5m away from cyclists on the road or face a $215 fine and 2 demerit points. So what to we do in this situation when they don't want to use a bike path? Sitin the right hand lane? Not drive on the road at all?"

https://www.facebook.com/CanberraDrivers

Canberra Drivers Facebook page

[greeneyed]

Two things about these new laws...

It constantly happens that cyclists refuse to use the designated bike paths. I drive along a busy road every day, which has cars regularly parked on the side of the road, room only for two cars going either way, bike path available 5m to the left of the road through a park... and the cyclists are on the road. The new laws mean you have to drive at their pace.

The new laws also allow cyclists to go across pedestrian crossings, as if they are pedestrians, without getting off their bikes. They are supposed to pause, and go slowly across. The whip across. Of course, this is no change from earlier behaviour, when they were supposed to walk their cycles across the pedestrian crossing.

I'm all for treating cyclists as vulnerable on the roads, but they could do more to play their part, and make some sensible choices.

[The Nickman]

Cyclists are morons. They should all be EDIT.

[Botman]

Concerned by the wording of that. Possibly EDIT? What other possibility should we consider but to EDIT?
Scourge of society

[The Nickman]

Listen, fair point, but I was trying to be polite about it.

[Raidersrawesome]

We have had these or similar in QLD for awhile now. The cyclist can ride in the middle of the road and they have the right of way.

Common sense from both parties seems to happen in my experience. Ie they don't ride in the middle of the road

[greeneyed]

That doesn't seem to happen in Canberra, that is, they do ride in the middle of the road.

[Raidersrawesome]

Must admit I don't drive into a city.

Laws are weighted in favour of the cyclists , which is entirely stupid

[-TW-]

Get on the **** bike paths

It's a joke when it's busy and there's a cyclist holding up a queue of cars

[papabear]

laws should be weighted around cyclist.

Just like the are around pedestrians.

You always legislate to protect the weaker in case of conflict.

* I now drive to work every day since moving to the suburbs, however I used to do a lovely ride to work through darling harbour.

[simo]

Cyclists would have to have the lowest mental capacity of all road users. Theyre the greens of road users. Hand out for everything, bleeding hearts, pointless to argue with and smell of urine

[The Nickman]

Cyclists would have to have the lowest mental capacity of all road users. Theyre the greens of road users. Hand out for everything, bleeding hearts, pointless to argue with and smell of urine

Yeah, nailed it, simo

[bonehead]

Isnt lycra great though, keeps all the gooey stuff off your car when they get in your way

[Raidersrawesome]

[simo]

Also lowers your wind resistance as you come flying out of that closet