By JESSE GRAHAM
A FORMER Yarra Ranges councillor has called for changes to current cycling laws, which could see drivers fined for not keeping a metre’s distance.
But Eastern Metropolitan MLC, Samantha Dunn, said the bill she tabled last week would improve safety for cyclists in areas such as the Dandenongs and provide clarity to currently subjective laws.
Ms Dunn’s bill, tabled on Wednesday 18 March, would make it unlawful for motorists to overtake a cyclist with less than one metre distance, or less than a metre and a half if the speed limit was over 60 kilometres per hour.
Currently, the law only requires drivers to pass with “sufficient distance” and agencies such as VicRoads advise drivers to try and leave a metre distance.
The penalty for not leaving sufficient distance is a $1500 fine, which would remain the punishment for drivers not leaving one metre under the new laws.
Ms Dunn, former Lyster Ward councillor, told the Mail the proposed bill would bring “clarity” to the law, which is currently more open to interpretation, and improve safety for riders in areas such as the Dandenongs.
“There is no doubt that the roads in the Dandenongs are challenging, whether you’re a cyclist or a motorist, and combined it’s even more difficult,” she said.
“I think, ultimately, it’s about providing clarity to drivers around what is a safe passing distance and it’s about keeping cyclists as safe as possible – they’re incredibly vulnerable road users.”
Referencing similar laws being trialled in Queensland, South Australia and the ACT, Ms Dunn said that having one metre for passing was already established across the country, and had been proven to improve rider safety.
“For me, Victoria is lagging behind at the moment – I think it’s time for us to get up to date with what’s happening around the country,” she said.
The Royal Automotive Club of Victoria (RACV) posted on social media on Wednesday stating it was opposed to the laws, and criticised the bill for potentially causing problems for drivers.
“RACV opposes the legislated minimum metre separation when passing cyclists. Unnecessary with current laws,” the organisation posted on Twitter.
“Even when passing riders in bike lanes, riding to the right of the lane, drivers will need to change lanes if new metre rule introduced.”
Eildon MP Cindy McLeish, noting she had yet to see the bill in the lower house of parliament, said she also had concerns about the bill, and didn’t believe mandatory distances were the right solution.
“With regard to the bill, I do have concerns as to how it is proposed that this be enforced,” she said.
“In particular, I have concerns for how this would be implemented on local roads, which are narrow and windy and double lines for some distance, such as the Black Spur or the Chum Creek Road.”
“Whilst we need to find an effective way to share the road, I am not sure this is the solution for us, locally.”
But Ms Dunn said the distance was measured from the bike, not from the edge of bike lanes, which are widely used in the city and in areas in the Yarra Ranges, such as Healesville.
The laws on passing cyclists currently allow for drivers to cross a solid white line when passing, only when safe to do so, and this would continue to be the case if Ms Dunn’s bill becomes law.
“The law is in place to give guidance, but the reality is that drivers should only pass a cyclist if it is safe to do so – ultimately, that should guide their decisions on how they drive on the road,” Ms Dunn said.
Monbulk MP and Deputy Premier, James Merlino, said the legislation would need to pass a “commonsense test” to be supported.
“You think about the Dandenong Ranges and how we can make laws that work more practically – we’ve got quite narrow streets up the hills,” he said.
“If you have a minimum distance of one, one and a half metres, then we’ll find in the hills that we’ve got cars on the other side of the road.
He said that, although the Greens had put forward similar legislation in the past, the government was prepared to have a look at Ms Dunn’s bill.
Ms Dunn said the bill would be discussed in coming months, but was not able to give an approximate timeline to when it will be debated in parliament.
Do you think that the laws about minimum distances between cars and cyclists need to change, or do you think they are fine as they are? Write a letter to the editor to editor@mailnewsgroup.com.au or to PO Box 470, Healesville, Victoria, 3777.
