Safe Distance Legislation Dead

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flashpixx
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Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby flashpixx » Tue Oct 21, 2014 2:05 pm

According to Col on 96FM this morning the proposed legislation is "unworkable because drivers will crash into each other head on trying to provide space for cyclists" ... what a load of BS

Once again cars are king in WA.
Gordon

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find_bruce
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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby find_bruce » Tue Oct 21, 2014 2:23 pm

I would love to disagree with you Flash, but sadly it seems you are right

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CXCommuter
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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby CXCommuter » Tue Oct 21, 2014 2:42 pm

flashpixx wrote:According to Col on 96FM this morning the proposed legislation is "unworkable because drivers will crash into each other head on trying to provide space for cyclists" ... what a load of BS

Once again cars are king in WA.
Yep- Queensland and ACT are having a massive increase in head on accidents. The Emperor fails again
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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby worzel » Tue Oct 21, 2014 3:21 pm

Special tunnels for buses entering the busport, Fremantle to be made pedestrian friendly. Everyone is getting special treatment other than cyclists. Rather than not doing enough for cyclists, it is beginning to feel like the pollies are actually anti-cycling.

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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby citywomble » Tue Oct 21, 2014 9:32 pm

According to Col on 96FM this morning the proposed legislation is "unworkable because drivers will crash into each other head on trying to provide space for cyclists" ... what a load of BS
I used to respect much of what this guy did. No more, he appears to be 0% evidence based and 100% conviction based politician.

So in his opinion drivers should continue to shave cyclists because giving way is not an option and they would crash into each other giving passing room. The minimum distance sought is the absolute bare minimum necessary anyway so how does that work?

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rolandp
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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby rolandp » Wed Oct 22, 2014 8:46 am

Is it a surprise?

When the largest cycling group in WA doesn't support it. From BWA's website:
Conclusion
Fixed distance laws would do nothing to improve the conditions for Australian riders. Drivers do not alter their behaviour due to such laws. The real problem is that drivers are failing to observe riders, not that they observe them and then decide to drive too close.
Importantly, such laws discount the role of vehicle passing speed, which will dictate the injury outcome in crashes where motor vehicles come into collision with bikes.
Following the Queensland Parliamentary Committee review into cycling, the Queensland state government announced it will conduct a two-year trial of mandatory fixed distance passing laws in 2014. Bicycling Western Australia will monitor this trial closely to assess what impact the laws have on driver behaviour and safety outcomes for cyclists. We will liaise closely with our counterparts, Bicycle Queensland.


Pollie reads/speaks to BWA, and gets this feedback. Why would you vote on the legislation?

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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby Great Scott » Wed Oct 22, 2014 8:54 am

flashpixx wrote:According to Col on 96FM this morning the proposed legislation is "unworkable because drivers will crash into each other head on trying to provide space for cyclists" ... what a load of BS

Once again cars are king in WA.

Can someone elaborate for us readers outside WA.
Has the legislation been defeated in the WA parliament?

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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby citywomble » Wed Oct 22, 2014 10:56 am

Can someone elaborate for us readers outside WA.
Has the legislation been defeated in the WA parliament?
The Premier, aka 'The Emperor' is Colin Barnett (Col).

As the liberal party have an absolute majority in WA parliament, when Col says no it generally means it ain't going to happen.

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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby NewStew » Wed Oct 22, 2014 12:16 pm

The funniest thing in my opinion about the "cars will start having head on collisions" argument is that in my opinion the vast majority of drivers already give a metre or more when the situation demands (obviously it can be much less when the bike and car are at close to the same speed as the distance can be judged better by the driver) and there isn't a case I have ever heard of where a driver has had a head on collision because of passing a bike - most drivers will wait until it is safe to pass before doing so.

OK I know some don't but that isn't the point I am trying to make.

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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby find_bruce » Wed Oct 22, 2014 12:19 pm

Wasn't it BWA that said requiring a minimum passing distance would reduce the passing distance, yet here is the Premier saying that is bollocks & that drivers currently pass with much less than 1 metre clearance

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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby Parker » Wed Oct 22, 2014 1:10 pm

flashpixx wrote:According to Col on 96FM this morning the proposed legislation is "unworkable because drivers will crash into each other head on trying to provide space for cyclists" ... what a load of BS

Once again cars are king in WA.
Col is a twit.
find_bruce wrote:I would love to disagree with you Flash, but sadly it seems you are right
I saw two cars indicate and switch lanes with each other on the freeway this morning and they did this without incident... progress?

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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby Karati » Wed Oct 22, 2014 4:33 pm

Can't believe that cycling appears to be getting more dangerous in WA. It weighs heavy on my mind these days that I just want to get home safe to my wife and kids. My wife worries about me a lot more out on the roads that she used to.

It's literally sucking the enjoyment out of it lately.

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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby ColinOldnCranky » Wed Oct 22, 2014 8:33 pm

flashpixx wrote:According to Col on 96FM this morning the proposed legislation is "unworkable because drivers will crash into each other head on trying to provide space for cyclists" ... what a load of BS

Once again cars are king in WA.
What a dill.

I don't suppose it occurred to our esteemed dill that they could and should simply hang back until the other side is not occupied by an oncoming car. It seems to work when they pass cars.
Last edited by ColinOldnCranky on Wed Oct 22, 2014 8:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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flashpixx
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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby flashpixx » Wed Oct 22, 2014 8:37 pm

Karati wrote:Can't believe that cycling appears to be getting more dangerous in WA. It weighs heavy on my mind these days that I just want to get home safe to my wife and kids. My wife worries about me a lot more out on the roads that she used to.

It's literally sucking the enjoyment out of it lately.
Yep. In an organised event on Sunday the route took me and 1,300 other riders along Canning Highway between Attadale and Ardross. It was around 11am, wet, and very busy. I was targeted by 2 drivers in that short distance because I dared to take up half a metre of the left lane. Canning Highway has always been a no go zone for me, it's too narrow and just not safe when busy.
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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby rolandp » Thu Oct 23, 2014 9:03 am

Road riding 'scary' for gold medallist - source The West
The riding deaths of several friends and too many close shaves of his own have prompted WA cycling champion Ryan Bayley to vow never to ride his bike on the road again.

Bayley, who will be inducted on Saturday into the WA Sporting Hall of Champions, said he loved the sport that gleaned him two Olympic gold medals in Athens in 2004 but was now petrified of road riding - particularly as the father of young children Aurora, four, and Lincoln, one.

"I've ridden for a lot of years on the road and there's probably been 20 or 30 too many near misses," Bayley, who now lives in Queensland, said.

"Mirrors hitting me in the back, people cutting you off - I've been hit by a lot of cars and I've been lucky.

"I know too many people who have passed away in the last few years after being hit by cars for stupid reasons. In one month I went to four funerals and three of them were bike riders hit by cars and none was in the wrong.


More in the link.

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Postby Thoglette » Thu Oct 23, 2014 10:57 am

At approx 7:40am this morning the opposition leader was on the radio talking up cycling - the hosts had obviously been "suitably briefed" as they managed to toe the line.

I only heard about 1/3rd of it - has anyone seen a transcript?
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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby Hugor » Thu Oct 23, 2014 11:46 am

This has changed my vote for the next election.
Barnett is too stupid to be running this great state.
His approach to a lot of contentious issues has been idiotic.
I'm disappointed with BWA's position on this matter also.

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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby John Lewis » Thu Oct 23, 2014 2:09 pm

Anyone see the piece in the West about a week back?

Title was Barnett VS Bike.

" Colin Barnett had a near miss with a cyclist on his way to work yesterday.
Answering a question on whether he was concerned about the recent spate of crashes involving cyclists and motorcyclists, the premier revealed the government car he was riding in almost hit a cyclist who rode "dangerously" down the middle of a two way street.

"Having watched a cyclist come down the middle of the road and miss the car I was in by a few inches, yes I am," Mr barnett sad.

He said, in this case, the cyclist was at fault.
But he said cyclists and motorists have a responsibility to be safe. "

Suggests to me he might have pulled out to pass another vehicle and into the path of an oncoming cyclist who was actually taking the lane.

Sounds like Col might have had a safe passing problem. Perhaps he couldn't wait.
Interesting his comments coming directly prior to his concerns about a 1m rule.

John

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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby hiflange » Thu Oct 23, 2014 4:33 pm

John Lewis wrote:Sounds like Col might have had a safe passing problem. Perhaps he couldn't wait.
Interesting his comments coming directly prior to his concerns about a 1m rule.
Col's driver... I doubt Col would spend much time behind the wheel these days :)

Anyway the legislation isn't dead, no deader than it has ever been anyway. I had a quiet morning so was able to be in the gallery along with 15 or 20 other cyclists to witness the second reading of the bill. No vote was taken as the Libs carefully used up all the allocated time talking about the issues. The Libs position is pretty clear on it, however some members did appear to have a genuine interest in finding a solution to the increasing risks that cyclists are being exposed to.

The mere fact that the legislation is in Parliament being discussed is positive. The Libs are sitting on their hands on cyclist safety and infrastructure issues. Labour has seen an opportunity to score some points and it will be interesting to see how committed they are. The Greens have actually done something and put legislation up for consideration. If you don't want it to die you could just take three minutes to send an email to your upper and lower house members supporting it. Find your local MLA here Find MLCs here

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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby Hugor » Thu Oct 23, 2014 10:42 pm



Current ad in Qld. We need some of this stuff in WA.

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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby Grev » Fri Oct 24, 2014 10:39 am

Or this one:
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=693794327379877" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby hiflange » Fri Oct 24, 2014 11:00 am

youtube link for those without facheache;

NewStew
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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby NewStew » Fri Oct 24, 2014 2:23 pm

Really like the QLD one as it puts courtesy on the part of both riders and drivers.... could also do one with cyclists and pedestrians sharing paths and looking for each other..... We DEFINITELY need some of this positive education not just in WA but everywhere!

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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby eldavo » Fri Oct 31, 2014 1:53 am

Was the QLD one a setup, had the driver crossing solid white line on a bending uphill and treeline cutting line of sight?
Or like civil liberties, are things different in QLD so solid white lines don't mean the same as the rest of the country?

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Re: Safe Distance Legislation Dead

Postby CXCommuter » Fri Oct 31, 2014 9:27 am

eldavo wrote:Was the QLD one a setup, had the driver crossing solid white line on a bending uphill and treeline cutting line of sight?
Or like civil liberties, are things different in QLD so solid white lines don't mean the same as the rest of the country?
In QLD apparently you can legally cross the centreline to overtake cyclists- not sure what this implies about the redness of QLDers neck though :wink:
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