Reminder...new pushbike rules from April 7th

[2011G6E]

http://qld.gov.au/transport/news/fea...les/index.html

Just a reminder about the ludicrous new laws which are coming in here in Queensland on April the 7th, regarding how far away YOu have to stay from pushbikes...who should actually be the ones being told "Make sure you stay meter away from traffic".

$330 fine, 3 points, cyclists allowed to take video or photos of you and get you into trouble for an alleged offence. Also the little gem that now, somehow, it is magically safe to overtake on double white lines to go around a pushbike.

Now, drivers have had it drummed into them for decades that it is absolutely not on, is very unsafe, is dangerous, to overtake on double white lines...a section of road that we have always been told is a dangerous section.

Motorists will be allowed to cross centre lines, including double unbroken centre lines, straddle lane-lines or drive on painted islands to pass cyclists provided the driver has a clear view of any approaching traffic and it is safe to do so.

Any guesses how many accidents this will cause? You had just better damn well hope that the guy coming the other way has judged distances properly...


This is going to lead to massive traffic issues...what do you do on a lot of normal narrow city and town roads, where you simply cannot overtake with that much distance? Cyclists are already taking to heart the stupid brainless information release from the police up here who told them "You are entitled to as much of the lane as you wish". Do we all just sit behind a pig headed cyclists who decides to sit in the middle of the lane at 15kph until he decides to get out of our way?
I've actually seen cyclists on the net in readers comments and Facebook saying that cyclists should now "claim the lane" and ride where they like. No, you doofus...that's what motorcyclists are recommended to do, not a pushbike travelling at a tenth the speed of the traffic around them.

I notice on that page at the Transport Department that amongst the things cyclists are expected to do, nowhere do we see the helpful suggestion that pushbikes can stop and maneuver far quicker than cars in heavy traffic, so make sure you keep out of the damn way.

So fire up your dash cams, or buy 'em if you haven't got one, and make sure you hold up as much traffic as you can if some cyclist won't move over...remember, they have all the rights now...

Still...coulda been worse...the parliamentary committee who came up with this brain dead idea suggested the fine for coming within a meter of a cyclist be set at $4300!!!

I'd still prefer it be worded like the law we saw in Nevada which said to keep "three feet clearance WHERE POSSIBLE"...this accepted the reality that cars often have more to do than toddle along behind a pushbike who decides to "claim the lane".