Road Warrior - Revenue Raiser

Lots of press in Victoria in the recent month about cycling and responsible road use, which occasionally pitted self righteous drivers Vs self righteous cyclists.  As self righteous as I am, I aspire to do the right thing on the road regardless of whether I'm on two wheels or four. 

The Age on the 7th Feb provided its readers with a refresher on the legal obligations of cyclists and drivers alike. Here's a run down and the contribution you'll be making to state revenue should you get busted.

Cyclists Must Not
Ride without an approved Helmet - $153
Ride without lights - $153 per light
Ride without a bell or a horn - $153
Carry a passenger on a bike illegally $122
Ride more than two abreast $122
Fail to give way to a pedestrian $122

Drivers Must Not
Present a car door hazard $122
Stop in a bike area at traffic lights $244
Drive in a bike lane $244
Fail to give sufficient distance when overtaking $244
Fail to give way when turning if a cyclist is travelling straight ahead $183
Fail to give way to a cyclist in a bike lane $183

News of all of this became apparent around the same time a cyclist had provided video evidence to the police of a close call with the driver at fault being called in and charged for failing to give sufficient distance when overtaking. Hmm that had me thinking; imagine what a great revenue raising enterprise I could be a part of.  No sooner am I less than half way to work and a driver has failed to give way when turning whilst I was travelling straight ahead ($183) and next a car has stopped in a bike area at traffic lights ($244).  Further down the road I've witnessed a few red light running rogues in a school zone (3 x $299 + 3 demerit points), followed by a door opening truck driver ($122) and not to forget at least three mobile phone fondlers and fidgetters (3 x $234 + 3 demerit points). Grand total $2148, not bad for 50 minutes riding. Perhaps the state would be happy to provide me with a cut of the proceeds.  Going home provided some even better pickings.  10 motor cycles blocking the cycling lane on the Chandler Hwy waiting to turn left onto the boulevard, kerching $2440 and a few more mobile phone fondlers (3 x $234 + 3 demerit points) for a grand afternoon total of $3142. 

The reality is that only two of those instances posed any real threat to me as a cyclist. Getting cut off by a 2 tonne Swedish SUV delivering precious student cargo to school and the truck door really brought out the indignant self righteous cyclist in me.  Perhaps if the police got out on bikes more often and ran a blitz on cyclists and drivers alike and hit people in the hip pocket where it caused a moments reflection on rider and driver behaviour things might change.  I’m not out to turn this into a revenue raising prospect, but just to highlight the need for consideration on the road by all users. 

What other ideas are out there to make the roads a safer place to ride?

By the way, the author admits the errors of his formative years when as a 10 year old he did dink 3 helmetless passengers on his dragster and pleads for 978 good reasons that the Victorian State Government will not back date these fines to 1977. At least I had a bell!

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