Petition: "Enforce" Minimum Safe Passing Distance in Australia

[AUbicycles]

Bicycles Network Australia is supporting and promoting a petition initiated by David Maywald of the Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club.


If you know the details and want to support straight away, this is the petition:
Protect your Family and Friends with Safe Passing Distance



Overview - Enforcing Minimum Passing Distance
Across Australia, the state Governments (excl. Victoria) have put the Minimum Safe Passing Distance into law. What should have been common-sense is now a law to both educate drivers to leave enough space when passing a bike rider and also to provide a legal foundation if a motorist does not pass safely.

Like other road users, bike riders are legally allowed to use roads to travel but unlike most other road users, a bike ride has a much high risk in a collision. The safe passing laws should have a useful role as one of a series of safety measures (e.g. education and cycling infrastructure) to reduce the safety risks to bike riders.

Following the adoption of laws, unfortunately actual enforcement has been largely absent. The number of convictions or infringements issued reveals that the police forces are not actively enforcing the laws while bike riders who attempt to get police action on infringements are largely unsuccessful. This isn't solely an issue of police enforcement, but also involves the governments of each Australian state and their level of interest in prioritising bike rider safety and ensuring that the police enforce these.

The petition has gained the support of cycling bodies across Australia and Bicycles Network Australia has joined the ranks as an active supporter.

The first and easiest step is to sign the petition (link above). If you have family, friends and colleague who also feel that bike rider safety is important, ask them to support this petition. Action doesn't have to end there as you can contact your local MPs and ministers and become more active reporting the close passes to the police. The Australian Cycling Forums welcome continued discussion on this topic and your positive action.


Christopher Jones
Bicycles Network Australia

[MichaelB]

Done (I think I did it right)

[find_bruce]

I was about to sign when I realised it was the same petition linked to from Safe passing laws enforcement petition.

It is a well drafted petition and deserves all our support

[Farmer Elvis]

I must be blind, where do I sign it, is it in the reasons for signing section

[trailgumby]

Signed.

[Mulger bill]

I must be blind, where do I sign it, is it in the reasons for signing section

Should be just above that, if you've signed a Change petition before it should already have the appropriate fields filled and be a single click

[Mulger bill]

Oh, I'm in btw...

[roberto73]

Petition doing well, but they need 10000 signatures to be read in Parliament.
Have a look at. The Westmidland UK Police blog on Operation Safepass to see how they do it in UK.

https://trafficwmp.wordpress.com

[g-boaf]

Petition doing well, but they need 10000 signatures to be read in Parliament.
Have a look at. The Westmidland UK Police blog on Operation Safepass to see how they do it in UK.

https://trafficwmp.wordpress.com

Notice the Garmin camera they are using in one of those photos - that's looking like the same as what I've got here. Yet I'm sure it wouldn't be adequate for proving evidence here.

West Midlands Police deserve to be applauded for their efforts - it is a great thing they are doing.