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SMH: One metre between life and death
Richard Pollett, a 25-year-old musician, was crushed under the wheels of a cement truck while cycling in Brisbane in September 2011.
The virtuoso violinist was due to perform with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra when he was killed as the truck was overtaking him on Moggill Road, a two-lane conduit through the suburb of Kenmore.
A simple touch of the brakes would likely have spared a brilliant young man’s life.
The subsequent court case has prompted renewed calls for laws to protect cyclists on Australia’s roads.
http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/fitness/bl...
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Here is an email the Amy Gillet foundation sent out.
In 2011, 4 million people rode a bicycle in Australia, almost 20% of Australians.
The government is committed to doubling the number of people cycling by 2016 – which is great for health, leisure, the environment, congestion and community wellbeing.
But with 35 bicycle riders killed and 9,577 injured in the same year – the human trauma costs of cycling in Australia are unacceptable.
Australian Road Rules are failing bicycle riders. In particular Regulation 144 does not protect bicycle riders when being overtaken by drivers.
The tragic death of 25 year old, Richard Pollett and this week’s court finding, highlights the inadequacies of this regulation. Mr Pollett was riding his bicycle when he was struck by a motor vehicle as the driver attempted to overtake him. The driver was acquitted. A life has been lost, and countless others will suffer eternally. The Amy Gillett Foundation calls for all road users – individuals, groups and organisations – to help build momentum for change.
The best way to do this right now is to contact your local Member of Parliament and demand for a 1 metre minimum overtaking distance to become law.
The email and postal contact details for every MP Australia-wide can be found here, or you can email them directly by looking for them here.
A proforma letter is provided here which you paste in an email or into a formal letter. Please add your own personal message if you wish. In your email, CC [email protected] to support the lobbying efforts of the Foundation and peer organisations. The more letters sent, the stronger the message.
Let’s make ‘a metre matters’ law. It already exists in countries in Europe and in 27 states in the US. The law is practical, enforceable, will reduce serious injuries and will save bicycle riders’ lives.
Everyone has the right to ride safely for work and play.
It's clear that juries are not prepared to enforce the law and are susceptible to red herrings thrown up by the defense. The judge could not have made it plainer what he thought the verdict should be, yet this driver was acquitted.
This case shows beyond reasonable doubt the current wording of the safe passing law doesn't do enough for cyclists. It must change.
Anyone with an interest in making the roads safer for cyclists can make a difference by writing to their local member demanding a 1.5m passing rule for drivers overtaking bicycles.
Customise the letter AGF provides as a sample, original letters carry much more weight.
At least that's what the federal member for Bradfield suggests in his reply to my email today, the good news is my state rep is Bazza the premier of nsw so at least it's gone to the top
The smell of buck passing ... whew!
It would perhaps serve your federal member well to remember that it is the federal government that is responsible for the following:
* The Australian Road Rules on which the State-based regulations are based
* Coordinating road rule uniformity and influencing road safety across all states
* Twisting the arm of the State governments to all legislate the Mandatory Helmet Laws by linking it to federal road funding grants, along with a raft of other measures (including, if memory serves me correctly, the introduction of the .05% BAC limit for alcohol)
So yes, he is right, the road rules are enacted by the states, but to say the federal government has no role or any less than significant influence is simply untrue.
I would suggest that contrary to his thinking, the federal government has a *critical* role to play in shepherding the states and getting the momentum underway.
You may care to do some research to fill in the details and use those to jog his memory, and then challenge him to tell you how he his going to support safety for cyclists, given that encouraging green and active transport is kinda key to government at *all* levels meeting its greenhouse gas emission targets, and obesity reduction goals, and traffic congestion goals, and livable community aims, and reduction in reliance on the motor car, and promotion of active healthy lifestyles, and ... feel free to add to this list
Interview between Tracy Gaudrey of Amy Gllett Foundation and Adam Spencer on ABC 702:
http://blogs.abc.net.au/files/tracey-gaudry-for-...
The wheel is turning in Queensland.
www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/government-t...
Get on board Safe Cycling Australia.
http://www.safecyclingaustralia.org/
The guy behind this is located in Queensland (who won the footy eh?) and is campaigning for a 1.5 metre passing distance.
+1.
He's a rough diamond, tells it like it is and pulls no punches. I agree with him on the 1.5m, 1m is not enough.
Meanwhile in breaking news, it seems the wheel is turning in NSW as well:
http://www.jamieparker.org.au/nsw-named-worst-st...
I disagree with 1.5M. that would effectively make it technically illegal to pass me when I ride along the parkway on my commute.. completely ridiculous.
I'm sure there's more roads such as this that have a viable hard shoulder that cars and bikes can share without bothering each other at all while being compliant with a 1M rule.
I mean 1M is way more than the 20cm or so close shaves I have every few days or so.. I'd be happy with that.
Yes, 1.5m is more than required and runs the risk of firing up all sorts of bad blood about owning the road etc
... well, at least as much as drivers of motor vehicles.
Roads are a community asset for moving people, they do not belong exclusively to any one user group, be it motorised, pedalling or on foot.
Registration pays for ... registration. Not for roads. Saw some interesting numbers the other day. It was claimed annual road-related costs at all levels of government come to 15b. Registration fees raise $784 million - a whole 5%. The remaining 95% comes from consolidated revenue and local council rates that we all pay.
Makes you wonder who is subsidising who then, when the old red herring "you don't pay rego!" is raised, eh?
Anyway, it's likely that 1m is the way it will go.
Yesterday a post by the funny fb page i follow called "meanwhile in Australia" posted this bad cycling meme. I was horrified by alot of the comments and never realised how bad the hate actually was.
What goes wrong with peoples' moral compass when they get behind the wheel of a car, that they think a delay of a few seconds justifies putting a fellow human being's life at risk?
Today prayers go out to another cyclist, her husband and her family!!! so sad.
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/cyclist-killed-by-car-...
If a driver has not seen you at all-such as elderly or drunk/stoned driver-need bigger punishment to act as deterent I think.
Agreed, but that doesn't mean we should give up and stop trying to move the ball forward.
Pick the low-hanging fruit. Lots of little steps can add up to a big change.
Edit: just saw the photo from ChopStir's report:
HOLY SH#T!!!!!!
She never stood a chance.
Unfortunately, society is way too selfish at the moment for roads to be shared. Until we end this car-centric society that we have become, the automobile will rule, and pedestrians and cyclists have to continue to take their lives in their hands.
What surprises me is the lack of compassion that is shown when someone is killed. I guarantee that the same "Stay off the road" and "They should be registered" BS will be trotted out in the comments section of the above story.
Here is an interesting video about the Netherlands and their cycling infrastructure. It is well worth a watch.
http://www.sydneycyclist.com/video/how-the-dutch...