Courtesy of The Age…
Cyclists found to have killed or seriously injured a pedestrian will face penalties of up to five years in jail or a $68,000 fine, after tough new laws came into effect today.
“Cyclists need to recognise that, if they do occasion damage, they have responsibilities. They do need to stop,” said Roads Minister Tim Pallas said, launching the new laws this morning at a Bourke Street bicycle shop.
The new penalties, he said, would help police tackle reckless riding by cyclists, and reduce the likelihood of pedestrians, other cyclists or drivers suffering serious injury.
Some things that stood out for me:
The new maximum penalties under the laws, which come into force today, include:
* $284 or seven days’ prison if property is damaged by a cyclist and the rider does not immediately stop and offer assistance
* $13,610 or prison for 12 months, or both, for dangerous riding
* $681 for careless riding
* $68,052 or five years in prison if a person is killed or seriously injured by a cyclist and the rider does not immediately stop and offer assistance
Under previous bicycle laws, cyclists could only be fined up to $567 for riding in a dangerous, careless or reckless manner.
All penalties are effective today, except those for the new careless riding law, which will come into force later this year.
I liked this little jab too…
“Cycling is becoming a legitimate form of transport,” Mr Pallas said.
Uh, yeah, I think it’s been a legitimate form of transport for a while now, buddy.
“But (with the recognition) that this is an important means of transport comes increased responsibility. This Government will come down hard on bad behaviour because there is a real consequence.”
Over the last decade, two pedestrians have been killed by cyclists.
Read the full Age article here…
In an unprecedented move, the Herald Scum is able to provide a little bit less sensationalist reporting. I know, I know. I’m checking the sky as we speak to check for planets aligning or some shit.
The maximum penalties under the new act include:
DANGEROUS riding – $13,610 or prison for twelve months or both.
CARELESS riding of a bike – $681 for a first offence and $1361 for a subsequent offence
IF a person is killed or seriously injured by a cyclist and the rider has not immediately stopped and offered assistance – $68,052 or five years in prison
IF property is damaged by a cyclist and the rider has not immediately stopped and offered assistance – $284 or seven days in prison for a first offence and $567 or prison for between seven and 14 days for a subsequent offence.
Mr Pallas said two people had died in the past 10 years after being hit by cyclists and another 68 had been seriously injured.
“Increasingly the message has to be everybody needs to share the road and nobody has an exclusive right to use the road and nobody has the right to ignore the road rules,” he said.
Read the full Herald Sun article here…
While I agree that people who pilot a vehicle in a reckless manner should face consequences, I wonder what constitutes ‘dangerous riding’ and could earn the cyclist “$13,610 or prison for 12 months, or both”.
If we’re being fair here, I’d like to have Mr Pallas detail how many pedestrians and cyclists have been killed by motorists in the past decade. How much damage can a bike do at, let’s say an average speed of 20 km/h, compared to an SUV at an average speed of 50km/h? I’m scratching my head on this one.
Points I’d like to make:
303 people died on Victorian roads in 2008 verses 2 cycling related deaths in ten years.
Cycling preceeded the motor-vehicle as a ‘legitmate’ form of transport and was the first form of transport to be embraced by the populace as a whole (not everyone could stable a horse).
..my views:
Like motorists, cyclists should stop at the scene of an accident and failing to stop is a offence that I’m glad to see is being enforced.
and my questions:
Have you got a link to the definitions for, ‘dangerous cycling’ and ‘careless cycling’? They must have been defined in the legislation??
After a quick fiddle with TAC Crash Database, it came back with stats since 26 Aug 2006 on Victorian roads:
– 916 people have been killed
– 17,012 (est) injured
Why 26/08/06? That was the day one pedestrian was killed in a collusion with one rider on Beach Road.
Lets seriously have a look what’s being passed into law today in Victoria, do motorists incur similar penalties, are they actually enforced or is this a example of cyclists being expected to have all of the responsibilities but virtually none of the rights accorded to motorists?
Rights for example like third-party insurance (with or without a vehicle being involved), TAC cover, equal treatment by the police, full protection of the law and tax benefits already provided to motorists?
On the whole, despite the Victorian governments apparent laudable efforts in trying to improve road safety for all users, this law change reads more like a kneejerk response for cheap PR gain.
Thank you Benny, made the many of the points I was about to make.
since August 26, 2006:
– 916 Victorians have lost their lives on Victorian roads,
– and a 17,012 (estimated) been injured.
one fatality caused by one cyclists.
No wonder we hold the higher moral ground, it’s the one thing they can’t take from us!
It’s almost embarrassing to have to point out how ridiculous these moves are. two deaths in the last decade being used as reasoning?
The truly fucked thing is the number of car drivers who seriously injure or kill riders (or try to) and get away with little more than a slap on the wrist and a three month loss of their license.
I always ride DANGEROUSLY baby. If they want to jail me, they’ll have to catch me first. Mwa Ha Ha Ha!
…and hopefully the authorities will deport you k1w1!
kinda apt that this post is above the last cartoon on righteous cyclists eh?
Hopefully NSW won’t be that stupid and introduce this sort of stuff. Of all the crap cyclists have to put up with, now this? 🙁 Talk about getting the rough end of the pineapple, how about they make the place MORE bike/pedestrian friendly. Did you see on the news that London is closing off completely some of the major city roads on certain days in the month to encourage cycling !! Now that is a great idea, free reign down the major roads in to work/school !!
it seems you get a similar jail time deal to the bloke below!
A Launceston man who was drunk, on drugs, disqualified from driving and speeding when he caused a fatal crash in Tasmania’s north-east has been jailed for seven years.
Justice Shan Tennent has described the actions of Jason William Harris as ‘culpable negligence’ and ‘appalling’.
Earlier this month, the 37-year-old from Kings Meadows pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
The Launceston Criminal Court heard that in January he collided head-on with Dawn Lodge’s car while driving at Fingal at 135 kph.
Mrs Lodge was killed instantly and her 18-year-old son was seriously injured.
The court heard Harris had been disqualified from driving 10 times before the crash and Justice Shan Tennent said he had ‘largely ignored’ those orders in the past.
She sentenced Harris to a six year non-parole period and disqualified him from driving until he is 52.
What a joke, apparently one of the reasons European cities have been so successful in getting more people on the streets either walking or riding is by increasing the penalties for drivers who hit bikes or pedestrians! it doesnt matter what happens, its always the drivers fault!
Probably just scaremongering eh! I wonder if it works the same when you replace the cyclist with driver and the pedestrian with cyclist?
$681 for careless riding seems a bit steep.
$679.50 seems more reasonable.
This is madness
When I ride a bike or drive a car, I am riding or driving a vehicle and as such have almost the same rights and responsibilites in both cases. When I ride my bike I am often ignored by traffic, and have had some near misses. I dont ask for much, just the right to be treated with the same respect as any other vehicle. Why is that so hard to ask?