Driver fined for a close pass

[Shred11]

Nice to see the new safe overtaking distance laws being enforced.

A reminder to give cyclists a safe 1.5metres distance when overtaking them on roads where the limit is above 60kph. A driver was issued an infringement notice in Burnie today for failing to maintain the safe distance, and will now have to pay a penalty of $159. The incident on Three Mile Line, where the speed limit is 100kph, was captured on the cyclist’s on-board camera.
The new laws came into effect last month.

https://www.facebook.com/Tas.Police/?hc ... p4&fref=nf

Some predictably ignorant posts on the FaceBook post, open at your own risk.

[LG]

It's interesting, I've been away for most of this year and returned home after the minimum passing laws came into effect. I regularly ride on the Arthur Hwy in a 100km/hr zone and have noted a significant increase in space the vast majority of drivers are allowing. I can only assume there was an education campaign at the time of enacting the laws in addition to the 'distance makes the difference' ads which were on late last year.

Chapeau to the rider and police with regards to this incident as well.

[DavidS]

Wow, enforced safe passing distance law

What next, penalties when you run over a cyclist?

The mind boggles.

DS

[markpa]

and another one, http://www.themercury.com.au/news/scale ... 15573cbb49

So it's good to see enforcement is happening though this was also on the basis of a Fly6 recording, so is it only going to happen when cyclists record it (and survived the pass to be able to do so)?

Also, $160 for actually hitting 2 cyclists with the very real likelihood that one could have been under the bus?

[Shred11]

I think actually hitting two cyclists like that is much worse than a close pass and requires a much harsher punishment. I’m gobsmacked that the offender (an overseas tourist) was simply issued with a paltry $160 fine and then allowed to continue driving.

[PA]

We hired a campervan in Japan a couple of years ago and the person told us if I hit a cyclist or pedestrian I would go to jail, no ifs or buts.