Article: Cyclists to face big fines or prison under tough new laws

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Cyclists to face big fines or prison under tough new laws

Cyclists to face big fines or prison under tough new laws
Article from: Herald Sun

Geraldine Mitchell

June 18, 2009 12:25pm

UPDATE 4.30pm: VICTORIANS are divided over tough new laws on cyclists that could see rogue riders jailed for up to five years.

Hundreds of readers have flooded heraldsun.com.au with comments since we broke the story just after noon.

Hit-and-run cyclists will face up to five years in jail under the tough new laws, effective from today.

Roads Minister Tim Pallas announced the new penalties for dangerous riding in a crackdown on rogue cyclists.

?The new laws put cyclists on a similar footing to motorists when it comes to being charged with serious traffic offences and also apply to cyclists riding on roads and bikes paths,? he said.

?We?re driving home to cyclists the need for them to obey road laws or be punished. There are now harsher consequences for what are serious offences.?

Readers are split on the measures.

Peter Mac writes: "Good thing I had my pushies brakes tuned. Cause at least one pedestrian a week with their iPod blaring steps in front of me without looking causing me to swerve or brake. Now there are higher penalties for hitting a zombie then I gotta be extra careful."

While Jacinta posts: "Excellent and about time.

"Cyclists love to paint themselves as victims who can do no wrong even though they do plenty wrong.

"Glad to see they're finally accountable instead of just pointing the finger."

Many readers are also calling for compulsory registration for cyclists.

"Why don't cyclists pay registration?" Daniel of Melbourne posts.

"Why are they allowed to use the roads that us driving tax-payers pay for at no charge?"

Our poll asking if the new measures were too tough on cyclists is also evenly split, with 48 per cent of 1309 votes saying 'Yes' and 52 per cent 'No' as of 4.30pm.

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.

- with Nathaniel Bane