Victoria's Turn: Parliamentary Inquiry into safe passing law

[cj7hawk]

It seems that Victorian police don't like high speed traffic passing them closely....

So why do they continue to ignore it when it involves cyclists?

It does offer an opportunity to ask them to push for road protections for everyone... Or to go to the media and accuse police of hypocrisy.

[il padrone]

MOTORISTS could be forced to slow down and change lanes when approaching stationary police cars.

What a revelatory idea !!

MOTORISTS could be forced to slow down and change lanes when approaching cyclists riding in the lane.

[human909]

What a revelatory idea !!

MOTORISTS could be forced to slow down and change lanes when approaching cyclists riding in the lane.

All this SHOULD come under basic education and enforcement of driving to the conditions. But for decades our education and enforcement has been based on driving to the metrics (speed limits and 0.05BAC).

[il padrone]

What a revelatory idea !!

MOTORISTS could be forced to slow down and change lanes when approaching cyclists riding in the lane.

All this SHOULD come under basic education and enforcement of driving to the conditions. But for decades our education and enforcement has been based on driving to the metrics (speed limits and 0.05BAC).

Actually, NO, not so.

If you have ever sat through any pre-driver education courses, 'behind the wheel' as it were, sitting in on driver instructors at the Kilsyth Driver Education Centre, as I have with Yr 10 students. The focus is all about concern for other vehicles and people on the road, about driving to conditions, about being aware of all that is around you, and about acting safely. I would expect that driving instructors in a 1-on1 lesson would take a similar approach. But the basic concept of 'change lanes to pass' rather than 'share the road', was not something that was really stressed. This is a gap that merits more attention.

The basic education is not at fault; it is the ongoing retraining, maintenance, and retesting.

Somewhere between driving lessons and 5-20 years of experience, a whole lot of that gets thrown out the window, as drivers take on the values of the self-entitled motorist

[Mulger bill]

What a revelatory idea !!

MOTORISTS could be forced to slow down and change lanes when approaching cyclists riding in the lane.

All this SHOULD come under basic education and enforcement of driving to the conditions. But for decades our education and enforcement has been based on driving to the metrics (speed limits and 0.05BAC).

Actually, NO, not so.

If you have ever sat through any pre-driver education courses, 'behind the wheel' as it were, sitting in on driver instructors at the Kilsyth Driver Education Centre, as I have with Yr 10 students. The focus is all about concern for other vehicles and people on the road, about driving to conditions, about being aware of all that is around you, and about acting safely. I would expect that driving instructors in a 1-on1 lesson would take a similar approach. But the basic concept of 'change lanes to pass' rather than 'share the road', was not something that was really stressed. This is a gap that merits more attention.

The basic education is not at fault; it is the ongoing retraining, maintenance, and retesting.

Somewhere between driving lessons and 5-20 years of experience, a whole lot of that gets thrown out the window, as drivers take on the values of the self-entitled motorist

And a lot of them watch the TAC, VicPol and Govt road safety adverts on the cretiniser which are ALL about the metrics.

[BianchiCam]

Bet this gets passed pretty damn quick.

Is there any info on number of personnel killed due to being run into?
Bet there is very little versus the number of call outs and emergency staff on the roads.

Could be worse, and riding a bike I suppose.

[human909]

And a lot of them watch the TAC, VicPol and Govt road safety adverts on the cretiniser which are ALL about the metrics.

Exactly what I meant. The message being sent by the government, the one that hits home over and over again IS largely about the metrics.

IMO the "wipe off 5" was the worst of the lot. Who bloody cares about the person going 65kph in safe circumstances? The better drivers are who wipe off 30 when the road conditions call for it. (be to wait behind a cyclist or to change lanes and pass roadworkers/police at an appropriate speed.)

[BianchiCam]

Just read this shared from the SSA face ache page and to say I am currently seething is an understatement.

With 'friends' like this lots, who needs enemies?



http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/polic ... p7bpq.html

[DavidS]

Wow, some absolutely ridiculous comments in that article:

The minimum passing distance law, being pushed by the Victorian Greens, was also coolly received by VicRoads and the Transport Accident Commission due to a lack of hard evidence that it would make the roads safer.

Didn't stop them introducing MHLs.

"The biggest concern for us all is that introducing a law where people can't always easily comply may bring about more tension in a system where there is a lot of tension already between motorists and cyclists," Ms Cockfield said.

Really? I'm sorry but if you can't tell when you are too close to a bicycle you should hand in your licence, clearly not competent to pilot a motor vehicle. Does show that the Senior Manager of Road Safety at the TAC has little confidence in the ability of the drivers they licence, maybe they shouldn't give them a licence.

Police fear that a proposed law that would require motorists to give bicycle riders at least a one-metre buffer when overtaking would increase the risk of death and serious injury on the road, while being virtually impossible to enforce.

Not competent or just unwilling to enforce the law? Which is it Vic Police? And how the hell does this increase the risk of serious injury. What a pathetic response.

Acting Senior Sergeant Ryan Burns said at the hearing that the law would require motorists to cross white lines, potentially putting them in the path of an oncoming vehicle. It would be particularly dangerous on roads shared with trams, and on narrow rural roads with 100km/h speed limits, Mr Burns said.

We trust these people with safety on our roads? Sorry Acting Sergeant Burns, but the fact is, and the law, even now is, that if it is not safe to pass then motorists just should not pass, that means sitting behind the road vehicle in front of you be it a bicycle, car, truck, tractor whatever.

The response from the TAC and the police is disgraceful. Reflects so many of the problems we face. What hope is there when this is the reactions we get? No wonder they mandate helmets when they are so unwilling to actually try and change dangerous behaviour.

DS

[Mulger bill]

Dear acting (badly) Sgt Burns.

There is a HUGE disconnect in common sense and law between "may" and "require".

Sincerely, NOT an agenda'd moron

[human909]

There is a HUGE disconnect in common sense and law between "may" and "require".

In most people's minds may doesn't register. If you are driving and you encounter a cyclist that is moving at a pace slower than you the notion of slowing down isn't considered as an option. So the options thus become; drive closely to cyclist OR potential head on collision.

It seems that this is the case even for police.