Victoria now (2021) gets minimum safe passing distance laws

[AUbicycles]

While Victoria has (I feel) one of the largest active cycling populations, they are the last to get laws into place.

A good move... but it will still require police enforcement and support... otherwise it will be like NSW which has laws that are not actively enforced (not understood by some in law engorcement) and are very difficult for bicycle riders to report.

[Comedian]

I sincerely hope my victorian friends learn from what's happened in QLD.

If you don't get the police on board now and make sure they will enforce with citizen video footage you may well find that you've sparked a war with the motorist but that you've got no ammunition. They need robust processes so that it doesn't come down to the discretion of the assigned cop.

I maintain that QLD is worse off with the law than we were before it.

[warthog1]

I may get a rear camera now.
Most drivers are pretty good but the deliberate close passes still happen from time to time.
Currently if they don't hit you they have "passed safely"

[P!N20]

Now = 2021

[antigee]

2021 isn't that far away but I'm a little cynical about the vast gap that exists between stuff that is announced and that which gets implemented...like the education program over the last couple of years....here is the press release not that the press seem to have shown much interest

https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/safer-cy ... rne-moving

[MichaelB]

We've had this legisl;ation in SA for a while now (were we the 1st ??), anyway, haven't noticed any real difference at all.

The reality is there are three classes of motorists ;

50-60% do the right thing and are good. Cheers to them.
25-35% of motorists can't estimate what 1 metre is if their life depended on it.
5% have always been, and will always be morons.

[LateStarter]

50-60% do the right thing and are good. Cheers to them.
25-35% of motorists can't estimate what 1 metre is if their life depended on it.
5% have always been, and will always be morons.

Can't agree with your numbers for NSW

98% are morons
2% are bicycle riders

Our 1m matters started in 2016 together with 3-10 fold increases in cycling penalties, some (eg helmet) to the same level (ie presumed dangerousness) as the "too close" passing fines so what do you reckon has occurred. For every "too close" passing fine issued there has been 100 "no bell on bicycle" fines and properly 400 "no helmet" fines. NSW Police are racking it in, figures show significant (3-4 times) increase in the numbers of cycling fines and therefore 5-6 times $$$$ total amount. A press report also found police were targeting socially disadvantaged groups , youth, unemployed, indigenous (and of course these being cyclists double wammey) and often an individual will rack up thousands of dollars of fines for riding on a foot path, no bell, no helmet, no light......

But of course as found in VIC the increase in fines greatly increased the motorists respect for bicycle riders (NOT)

And I too have noticed no change in driver behaviour, I get at least one passed way too close just about every time I go riding. I don't expect it to be any better in VIC but good luck to them.

PS, "Cycling without a helmet in these suburbs the 'quickest route to police search'"

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/cyc ... 54svz.html

[AUbicycles]

If I drive and ride, what does it make me?

Seriously, the normal good drivers are the majority and the thoughtless ones and morons are dangerous. Same goes with bike riders.

Thanks for the tip on the legislation change - thread title amended.

[AdelaidePeter]

My experience in SA is that the difference was quite noticeable when the 1 metre rule came in. Most drivers give at least a metre.

But still, on a moderately busy route, it only takes a small minority of drivers to close pass, to get an average 1 or more closes passes per ride.

[RobertL]

My experience in SA is that the difference was quite noticeable when the 1 metre rule came in. Most drivers give at least a metre.

But still, on a moderately busy route, it only takes a small minority of drivers to close pass, to get an average 1 or more closes passes per ride.

That is my experience in Qld too.

I had an interesting one the other evening. Hauling my self slowly up Mt Coot-tha in the dark, I had a vehicle sit behind me, quite patiently, until it could overtake. It then overtook me nice and wide and did everything correct. Except that someone in the vehicle shouted some sort of barely-intelligible abuse as it went past.

I don't know whether it was the driver or a passenger who abused me because it was too dark to see, so there may have been a difference of opinion in the vehicle.

Of course it was a white Hilux ute*.

* I can say this - I drive a white Hilux ute.

#notallhiluxdrivers

[Thoglette]

NSW Police are racking it in,..

Meanwhile, in the saner parts of Australia the police have better things to do with their time. Or, as in the NT, the more stupid laws are removed entirely . WA is catching up but slowly

[trailgumby]

My experience in SA is that the difference was quite noticeable when the 1 metre rule came in. Most drivers give at least a metre.

But still, on a moderately busy route, it only takes a small minority of drivers to close pass, to get an average 1 or more closes passes per ride.

My experience in NSW too. However, these days the close shaves aren't nearly as often malicious. I have a pretty good track record for successful prosecutions (80% success rate), and I've helped quite a few others with my step-by-step process: http://www.simplycyclingtraining.com/mi ... ce-part-1/

Overall, I think there has been a significant improvement. I think the knowledge that riders have cameras has become a little more common.

[Duck!]

Bump!

Minimum passing law finally comes into force in Victoria this Monday, April 26th.

[ausFred]

Bump!

Minimum passing law finally comes into force in Victoria this Monday, April 26th.

Great news. Hopefully there is a large education blitz. I've heard a few ads on the radio but nothing else.

Most of my close passes recently have occurred on 60/80kmh areas with bike lanes (Mornington/Mt Eliza/Frankston). Drivers seem to think that if there is a bike lane then they don't need to give you any room when passing. Hopefully they'll modify their behaviour but I'm not holding my breath.

[find_bruce]

On the positive side, people should have no problems understanding the need for social distancing

[AUbicycles]

A lot of high-fives being shared but I am hearing concerns about education - informing road users and enforcement where there is no suggestion how it will be enforced, if law enforcement are informed / trained and if bike riders can submit their video evidence.

Still a positive step but will not meet its potential to keep bike riders safe without education and enforcement.

[Arbuckle23]

And the bogans are going full steam on social media. It is the end of the world, we should pay rego, blah blah.

[AUbicycles]

Ha ha... clever enough to be outraged, but not clever enough to drive their vehicles and pass bike rider safely.

[MichaelB]

Unless it gets enforced, new rules/laws mean Dudley squat.

Seen it here in SA, so why should anywhere else be different ?

[Duck!]

OK, so first day of commuting with the new rule... Traffic volume seemed lower than a normal Monday thanks to people taking an unofficial long weekend, so that may influence behaviour a bit. There were a small number of close-ish passes, but on the whole I felt that more drivers than before made the choice to do the right thing, so a good if inconclusive start. Tomorrow will probably be a more realistic test with a heavier vehicle load...

[warthog1]

Great news. Hopefully there is a large education blitz. I've heard a few ads on the radio but nothing else.

Apart from on here I've heard nothing.

[mogwaiboi]

And the bogans are going full steam on social media. It is the end of the world, we should pay rego, blah blah.

Ha ha of course they are. I love how much energy these idiots put into displaying their anger and dislike of someone just riding a bike. It blows my mind, obviously not as much as their pea brains though. It's in full effect when riding through Bayswater on the way or from the Dandenong's, bogan heads exploding with rage all over the place.

We have a long way to go, I love the country I live in but it's full of bigots and deep down still has a very 'macho' culture.

[queequeg]

Great news. Hopefully there is a large education blitz. I've heard a few ads on the radio but nothing else.

Apart from on here I've heard nothing.

Lots of posts from the Police in VIC about it on Facebook, and boy are the ferals going to town with the whining and predictions of thousands of crashes because motorists are being forced to have head on collisions to avoid cyclists.

[Thoglette]

.., predictions of thousands of crashes because motorists are being forced to have head on collisions to avoid cyclists.

Because it’s such a problem in the rest of the country, now that they have these laws.
Oh, wait.
But AustraliaVictoria is special and you can’t compare our situation with what happens overseasin red neck states*.


* we like to ignore NSW. Doesn’t everyone?

[warthog1]

Great news. Hopefully there is a large education blitz. I've heard a few ads on the radio but nothing else.

Apart from on here I've heard nothing.

Lots of posts from the Police in VIC about it on Facebook, and boy are the ferals going to town with the whining and predictions of thousands of crashes because motorists are being forced to have head on collisions to avoid cyclists.

Yeah I can't do Facebook.
Gives an unmoderated platform for the multiple moronic, bigoted fools there are in society to express their hateful ideas.
Better for my optimism and mental health to avoid it.