Sounds fair to me. It’s pretty fucking low to run into someone/something and then bugger off to avoid responsibility.
I’m just confused why the government has chosen to target cyclists? I mean the only real precedent was the Hell ride incident, but this was an isolated case.
I read a statistic that there have been only two bicycle-caused fatalities in a decade.
So aren’t these measures completely disproportionate to the reality?
Is there some secret lobby group that is pushing this or something? :?
Yes, His name is Tim Pallas and he’s a fully signed up, card carrying C-U-N-T.
The Victorian Government has introduced higher penalties for drivers caught using a hand held mobile phone while driving.
The previous penalty was 3 units. (One penalty unit is $113.42 in the 2008-09 financial year). The new penalty is 10 units or $1,134.
Bring it on!
Please expound.
Wasn’t there a courier who hit and killed someone in the Melbourne CBD (although not his fault) almost 10 years ago?
Are the new laws too tough on cyclists?
Yes
50% (986 votes)
No
49% (958 votes)
Total of 1944 votes
I haven’t heard about that incident.
The latest incident was when one of the Hell riders brought down and killed an elderly man on Beach Rd two years ago i think.
Apparantely after the accident, the courier took some time off, and then hit someone again on his first day back. This could be complete rumour, but I’m not making up what I heard. Maybe someone here who was in Melbourne courier scene in 1999 can confirm? Wasn’t a Minuteman courier, perhaps Snap?
Holy shit, when 50% of Herald Sun readers think the new laws are too harsh on cyclists you know you’ve gone too far.
I’ll ask Ronasaurus tomorrow about the courier incident but I hadn’t heard it before, and we talked on the two way about this sort of thing when those douche roadies killed that dude.
It’s gone up.
Are the new laws too tough on cyclists?
Yes
55% (1400 votes)
No
44% (1127 votes)
Total votes
Total of 2527 votes
Thats better.
Still, you’re not gonna get charged with Dangerous Riding for running a red. We’re talking standing over an unconscious body near a zebra crossing while holding an open bottle of coopers green after you binned it riding the wrong way down a one way street with no lights type action.
I’m curious to see what sort of stuff would get you charged with the careless riding $681 fine one though.
I’m curious to see what sort of stuff would get you charged with the careless riding $681 fine one though
Me too. This is VERY open to interpretation and will be used often by the fuzz I’d say.
Dangerous.
From elsewhere, and just for some perspective … cars are now killing more than 1,200,000 people annually around the world.
[center]
what does 1.2 million look like?
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where l = llllllllll llllllllll llllllllll llllllllll llllllllll llllllllll llllllllll llllllllll llllllllll llllllllll
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And l = Someone speeding. Drink-driving. Texting. Driving outside their ability. Driving without factoring in the conditions. Combinations thereof.
[left]Our government has been slurping away at the car industry trough for decades with petrol taxes, car sales taxes and duties, GST, the income tax from everyone working in the industry, and wasted other revenue providing incentives to manufacturers who are now going broke and pissing off (Mitsubishi, GM?) – not to mention the rorts and palm-greasing with ‘private-public partnerships’ building toll-roads and other ‘essential’ infrastructure.
They’re just looking for somewhere else to jab the syringe and get another fix - and also to placate all the squawking chickens in that great rolling metal battery-farm.
I like the idea of demanding that the pollies ban lightning. (A lightning bolt would make a good ‘protest’ symbol, if you’re into that kind of thing … just cut a strip of reflective tape into two triangles) But put the spotlight back on motorists - what about mandatory helmets in cars? The only reason cars are tricked out with so many airbags is because the seppos won’t put on their seatbelts - and how many kids a year does that kill? Helmets in cars would save lives - and be a good reminder to people that they’re about to start operating a machine that is potentially lethal to themselves, other people in the car, and people they don’t even know. Your boss wouldn’t let you operate a lathe or a press on the piss. If they’re serious about road safety, how about a 0% BAC for all motorists?
I reckon it’s more important than ever, now, to be seen to be riding safely - I’m not saying everyone should go and put on a fluoro jacket, but motorists and pedestrians will be paying more attention than usual (a blessing really!) to cyclists - and they’ll be terribly disappointed when they can’t fault you, and that’s when they’ll realise this crackdown is bullshit.[/left]
Friggin hell. I hate it when bikes make the news. I got honked at twice today for a couple of minor infractions. I fucking love Herald Sun readers. First time was for hopping a pedestrian only red light, no one there. The second time I rolled about a wheels length into a pedestrian crossing at the lights (no-one there to obstruct) and I think the woman who honked was watching me again at the next set of lights to see if I was going to be bad again and not at where she was going coz she completely ran the red.
actually,yesterday i was riding into the city in the morning, and some guy crossing at the pedestrian crossing was gvng me the death stare as i rode up and trackstanded on the line. i was planning on stopping, but when he told me to obey the signals, i got annoyed at his attitude and rode through the light. he was pretty pissed off. i guess he read the article on his way into work.
Was wondering why an old guy in a commodore yelled at me today for simply riding out of a side street and crossing the road 60 meters in front of him while he was going about 10kph. How dare I be so dangerous.
some dude, rev’d his engine etc for no reason the other week. he used an angry tone of voice and told us to fuck off move. i simply replyed ‘‘wtf are you going to do its a red light.’’ serisouly. we werent even in front of him at all. just next to him at the lights.
This has turned form getting fined thread to pedestrian and daily driver hatred thread. but i’ll roll with it… Its getting pretty shit of late in Brisbane. Just waiting for the day someone really goes to far and starts to continually honk/ creep forward at an intersecion and try nudge me. That will be the day i will throw a D-lock at a car windscreen. I do mainly ride with others when the abuse happens. Safety in numbers kids 
At this stage i have kept it pretty calm in these situation. The occassional passenger rear-view mirror punch isnt violent. Just a warning 
I havent gone all Hamster Style yet.
A motorist gave me some flowers the other day and told me i was special.
I dont get it, they all love me.
must be my musk
That was screwed, that dude just had a terrible attitude… he actually swerved his car towards me.
Also, Gypsy, Prolly II and myself were riding in the bike lane in west end and some woman behind us needed to turn left and honked us because she couldn’t accelerate into the side street… i bet she was blind and didn’t even see us until last minute.
That will be the day i will throw a D-lock at a car windscreen.
hahaha