The Age.com: Police patrols to target cyclists
THOMAS HUNTER
October 1, 2009 – 12:56PM
Crackdown on rogue cyclists
Police to crackdown on cyclists who they say are wearing inappropriate clothing and the 5 per cent who break the road rules.
If you ride a bike in Victoria there’s a good chance you’ll be stopped by police this month, with Victoria Police planning to have a quiet chat with 30,000 cyclists about road safety during October.
With an increasing number of people choosing bikes over other forms of transport, police say it is important to ensure everyone was aware of the road rules.
“Every year there is around 15,000 collisions involving cyclists and many of these could be prevented,” Sergeant Arty Lavos said.
“Road safety is the responsibility of every road user, whether they are a cyclist, vehicle driver or pedestrian.
“It is important that both cyclists and motorists understand the road rules so they can share the road as cooperatively as possible.”
A police spokeswoman said patrols would actively target cyclists to discuss safety issues such as visibility, stopping at red lights, riding predictably and maintaining a safe bike, and would not hesitate to issue fines if riders or bikes fail to conform with relevant laws.
There were nine cyclists killed on Victorian roads last year. Four riders have died so far in 2009, three as a result of a collision with a vehicle.
