Better be careful, if you hit a ped… off to the big house! I can sort of see where the government is coming from, but adjusting existing road laws as opposed to creating a special cyclist specific law would be the answer. All this will do is generate another excuse for the persecution of cycling by the Tabloid media, which is slightly ironic since the Little Paper sponsors the states premier cycling event. Education for all parties on the road is a better solution.
Personally I wouldn’t expect anymore from a 10 year old government that is devoid of any policy and credible opposition. Leaving Brumby to rely on knee jerk popularism to curry favor with the outer suburban marginal voters and the roads Lobby. Doesn’t he realise that most cyclists live in the inner suburbs? The same seats the state ALP is at risk of loosing to the Greens. End Political Rant.
I’d hate to see the outrage if the pedestrian hit in Swanston St on Monday night was collected by someone riding a brakless.
It’ll be interesting to see the Redneck replys on the Herald forums.
i saw someone get run over by a guy in a wheelchair last night! the wheelie then came into a 7-11 told me i was a fucking dickhead and punched me in the guts. not too sure why, i don’t think he targeted me, just wanted to get stabby with the first person he saw. don’t see that in the hun.
I think the pedestrian walked behind a tram, but yes your right leaving the scene is wrong. She has made the situation so much worse for herself.
They want people on bikes and politically it makes sense, less wear on roads, less congestion and alleviates future health expenditure. This sort of approach, as has been mentioned, won’t encourage people to ride.
Now with my architects hat on - The announcement of the land releases in the outer suburban growth corridors without appropriate expenditure on infrastructure will simply put more cars on the road and will exacerbate the current problems. Densification of the inner city (Melbourne 2030, which seems to be canned) with appropriate transport policy would actually help encourage cycling. If more people live in town, they’ll soon realize cycling is cheaper and quicker. The problem stems from 50 years of suburbanization, Australia’s car culture and peoples feeling of their god given right to drive on our roads. Cycle commuting, though only a relatively new phenomenon, is exponentially increasing, shame the attitudes in government and the general population is 20 years behind.
This mishap occurred around 5:15? Commuter muppet hour, when every knob-end with a backpack and a peaked helmet morphs into Anna Meares or Flyin’ Ryan for the 5k trip to brunswick or prahran. This daily fuckwittage doesn’t do the rest of us any favours. It’s a wonder people don’t get hurt more often.
Let’s not forget what the bay dredging is going to do to the volume of truck traffic - I might have to HTFU and start track riding so I’ll have somewhere halfway safe to ride.
[“Do we believe there should be comparable levels of accountability for all road users including cyclists? The answer is yes,” he said.]
Hmm, does “he” also say that a comparable level of accountability means you can get HAMMERED, DRIVE up plenty road, KILL a guy, and GO FREE (basically) with a good lawyer?
I had this very same thought in my head today as I was preparing for the usual cyclist vs everyone else argument(somehow it never came) with my boss.
Its a pretty major point too, when you think of the number of pedestrians, and cyclists killed or injured my motorists, but cars arent the current menace plotting to steal your job and rape your babies.