Online Petition - Safer Cycling for WA (takes 1 minute)

[AUbicycles]

West Australians need a safer cycling environment

https://www.communityrun.org/petitions/ ... nvironment


[copy paste]

Dear Premier and Minister Harvey,

We want to ensure that all people riding bikes in Western Australia get home safe and sound. No one should have to pay the ultimate toll to use the roads in WA. Your government needs to adopt the principles of education, infrastructure and enforcement in relation to cycling. As there will always be areas where cycling infrastructure is difficult to build, the Minimum Passing Distance Law (MPDL) needs to be adopted as a immediate priority. Community education on the reasons behind the MPDL would help to ensure widespread acceptance and abidance.

Arguments about the enforceability of the MPDL are disingenuous; following distance rules are also a challenge to enforce, but nevertheless necessary. Please make it a priority to support the introduction of MPDL in Western Australia. Do not allow WA to lag behind the other states on this important issue.

All bike riders have someone that loves them and wants them home safely.

Why is this important?

The Western Australian Government refuses to support Minimum Passing Distance Laws (MPDL). This lets everyone down, as a dangerous road environment stops people from riding even short distances, leading to more congestion and its associated public health costs.

Also, the law fails to adequately prosecute dangerous drivers, it is clear that lax penalties handed out to motorists that have killed or seriously injured vulnerable road users is a travesty. We insist that the Barnett Government respect the memories of the victims and the families left behind after every cycling fatality by ensuring that their loved ones did not die in vain by introducing the MPDL forthwith.

The Western Australian Government always says that it wants to encourage cycling, and in other areas there are promising signs. However, the Government remains reluctant to take the lead and enforce the safety of all road users on WA roads, especially those that are most vulnerable. Please help us to encourage the Government to support their own rhetoric with concrete enforcement legislation that demonstrates that bike riders are equally deserving of protection in the eyes of the law.

Please join us by signing this petition, sharing with your friends and accompanying us to the WA state parliament in March to deliver the signatures.

How it will be delivered

The petition will be delivered to the Western Australian Government in March by a cycling delegation.

[Derny Driver]

Was just about to sign when I saw the disclaimer
"By signing you will receive campaign emails from CommunityRun and GetUp Australia."
Couldnt do it. I hate GetUp.
Why is that even there?

[Aushiker]

Probably a waste of time anyway .... the research is starting to show that online petitions are pretty much ineffective. Probably much smarter and more effective to write a personal letter to the Premier.

[Scott_C]

Agree with Aushiker on this one, it is also a waste as there is an ~80% chance these muppets will be replaced with different muppets in the election and AFAIK parliament doesn't sit again before the election so even if you convinced Barnett and Harvey to support the law they won't get a chance to pass it.

You'd be better off writing to McGowan/Labor's transport spokesperson trying to get the specifics of what they will be providing in their pledge to offer 'improved cycling infrastructure'. You may even be able to get them to commit to something useful like making every designated cycling route 'no dismounts' by either changing the infrastructure or changing the laws to allow cyclists to ride on pedestrian crossings where they connect between shared paths.

[trailgumby]

Probably a waste of time anyway .... the research is starting to show that online petitions are pretty much ineffective. Probably much smarter and more effective to write a personal letter to the Premier.

^^ This.

Each personal letter counts as 20 people similarly disgruntled.

IF someone can hunt out the Premier's contact details I will write and post my letter here for inspiration.

[Scott_C]

IF someone can hunt out the Premier's contact details I will write and post my letter here for inspiration.

https://www.premier.wa.gov.au/Ministers ... fault.aspx

Or in poster form:
https://www.premier.wa.gov.au/Ministers ... 160922.pdf

But, as noted above, we have an election before parliament sits again, so there is a very good chance the incumbents couldn't make a change even if you convinced them it was the right thing to do.