Bikes Vs. Cars – It’s Not On!

Roads are not just there for cars, all road users, including bicycles riders, have the same right to safety on our roads. Bicycle NSW calls for safe and respectful behaviour.

Bicycle NSW takes this opportunity to endorse and concur with the wise words issued by Cycling NSW yesterday in response to events last weekend on Southern Cross Drive. We don’t think our own sentiments could be better expressed so we have taken the step of attaching a copy of the release from Cycling NSW.

Bicycle NSW is focused on creating a better environment for cycling. To this end over the last two years Bicycle NSW has worked with the NSW Government in the development of the NSW Long Term Transport Master Plan and associated Active Transport Strategies.

At the end of last year, Bicycle NSW was delighted to see the NSW Government publish Sydney’s Cycling Future and the Sydney City Centre Access Strategy. In the context of a doubling of cycling participation in recent years, both documents highlighted the importance of rider safety and the development of a network of connected and separated bicycle facilities in and around our major urban centres. Bicycle NSW continues to work with the NSW Government and our network of local bicycle user groups to implement these infrastructure plans as rapidly as possible.

Late last month, Bicycle NSW linked arms with the NSW Centre for Road Safety, the NRMA, the NSW Police, Toll Holdings and Subaru in the Amy Gillett Foundation’s It’s a Two Way Street – Show Mutual Respect campaign – a collaboration of key road user groups coming together to speak with one voice about the importance of everyone showing mutual respect and following the road rules to improve bicycle rider safety.

Bicycle NSW recommends that the NSW Government follows the lead of Queensland in preparing to implement a two-year trial of minimum passing distance legislation. This will mean that motorists must maintain a minimum distance of one metre when passing a cyclist in a 60kph, or less, zone and 1.5 metres when travelling above 60kph.