Road rules should be national or nothing! There should NOT be different road rules in different states!

Road rules should most definitely be up to the federal government.

We really don’t need new rules. What we need as part of a national road safety strategy is:

1. For existing rules to be upheld. For the policing regime to match the law. Where the law is out of sync with accepted practices; it either needs to be updated to match the situation that has become acceptable, or the errant practices need to be reined in to match the law. Emphasis should be on the former. We need to regain the rule of law!

2. An education program so that all road users will know all the rules… and will be made patently aware of all the hazards and risk factors, and how to uphold decent safety margins and to always drive with safety at the front of their minds.

3. Empowerment of the public to report offenders, and expect the police to fully follow up on complaints. The public needs to be implored to assist the police with road safety, just as they are implored to dob in a litterer, or suspicious-looking people as part of Neighbourhood Watch, or suspicious activity offshore at boat ramps as part of border security and drug-smuggling regulation. The public has very largely been disempowered when it comes to road safety, which is something I have expressed great concern about on OLO many times over the years.

4. Uniform rules and policing regimes across the country.

We don’t need little piecemeal efforts like this new law in Qld. Even if it was an entirely good move with no negative aspects to it, it is not the right way of addressing this issue. Neither should we be getting a concerted effort to improve cyclist safety on our roads just in Qld. We need a concerted national effort to improve all aspects of road safety across the whole country!

Ludwig, training bike riders is not the answer, as many bike/car accidents are caused by the driver not seeing the bike. Perhaps a flag, similar to this used by mining vehicles would be worth considering, either way, the best way to improve rider safety is to remove them from the road, the second best option is to make them more visible.

....I have more than enough client's to patch up already without adding more work for myself knocking cyclists off their pedals!

So Suze, do you agree that removing them from oir roads would solve that?

Nhoj, I've never come across you on the forum before, but just for the record, I think you're a genuine prize #whti

<< …training bike riders is not the answer… >>

Rehctub, it is certainly not the whole answer, but it is a significant part of it.

<< …as many bike/car accidents are caused by the driver not seeing the bike. >>

Absolutely.

And a fundamental part of cyclist training would be to emphasise this and to point out all the situations in which this is likely to happen and how cyclists can avoid or reduce the chances of it happening.

I get the strong impression that most cyclists automatically think that they are going to be seen in every situation and many of them assert their lawful rights on that basis.

It seems that many cyclists get a false sense of security if they wear bright shirts or give hand signals or have lights at night. Having/doing these things can actually be more dangerous than not having them if it means that a cyclist is going to be less careful than they otherwise would be.

A flag is not going to help much. It is in the same category as a bright shirt or lights at night.

Removing cyclists entirely from our roads is just impractical. It is never going to happen.

We should be doing just the opposite – encouraging people to embrace cycling….. on cycleways and otherwise off-road where possible, but on-road where there are no other options.

But as part of this, we need to emphasise the dangers and strive to implement a comprehensive and holistic hazard-awareness and avoidance strategy….. nationwide.

I am lucky enough to live where there are very few cyclists, they do however drive me mental whenever I do head for the city. I personally do not have an issue with this law except the passing over islands and double lines bit...talk about putting in a grey area! However, there needs to be laws stopping cyclists from lane splitting between cars to get to the front of the pack, so many accidents are caused by them weaving through traffic and been "doored" (how they can blame this on other I will never know they ride into them!) or hitting a parked or turning car. I have also been stuck with mobs of cyclists going though a round about they where pouring into despite my 4X4 was to their right. I like to think myself a patient person, but 20mins at a round about was getting on my nerves. I have nothing against cyclists who obey the road rules themselves, I will even give them room as I am passing and wait for a safe spot to pass. But as I said, its not every day for me, and I do wonder how well my sanity would last if facing it every day.

Bec, you bring up a very good point with regards to roundabouts, as the law clearly states, you must give way to traffic on the roundabout. In other words, first there.

When a line of bikes arrive at a roundabout, they should stop to allow the car to proceed, as the car arrived before most of them entered the roundabout. The first few may have right of way, but that's it. Many accidents ( nose to tail) are caused because law breaking drivers allowing their consciences to dictate how they drive by either allowing someone into traffic or stopping for a bike. Of cause there are exceptions to this, but too many drivers have no regard for who's behind them.

The truth is they (cyclists) are a law to themselves, and until they address the fundamental issues that place them at risk, many will continue to die on our roads.

I do not hide the fact that my opinion is they should not be there as they do not pay to be there.

The worst thing is the proliferation of damn fool bike lanes.

There is an example of the stupidity at a new intersection in Beenleigh, where they pinched part of an historical showground for a new road. They have bike lanes running all over the place, many of them invisible to a driver, as the traffic lights are just over a crest.

Fortunately no bikes ever use the things, or there would be mangled metal all over the place. Then there is the stupidity of turning 6 car parking spaces in Beenleigh into 3 spaces & a bike lane. My barber, one of the business affected lives over her shop, & has seen only 3 bikes on the things in 2 years, but has lost quite a bit of business, with no other parking with in hundreds of meters.

The prime example of the stupidity of town planners however is at the entrance to Yarrabilba, the new satellite city south of Logan. Here we have traffic, turning lanes & bikeways all over the shop. The paint alone must have cost more than all the bikes in Oz are worth.

Fortunately it is too far from anywhere for many fool peddlers to get there, but I expect to see little crosses erected there when they do.

Fortunately around my area, the roads are too narrow for cars traveling in opposite directions to pass by each other, without each putting 2 wheels well out into the dirt. We manage to handle horse riders, joggers, & dog walkers courteously, but the people & parents are too smart to ride or allow riding on our roads.