BICYCLE
NETWORK PLAN
178. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Transport:
I refer to a media report of a cycling accident in Sydney
this past Sunday in which a cyclist was killed by a driver.
(1) What does
the minister consider is a safe passing distance between a cyclist and a car?
(2) What minimum passing distances are currently enforced?
(3) If no minimum passing distances are currently enforced,
why not?
(4) How will
safe passing distances be addressed in the final version of the Western
Australian bicycle network plan?
Hon
JIM CHOWN replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this
question.
The Office of Road Safety advises —
(1) As
specified in part 11, division 3, regulation 124 of the Road Traffic Code 2000,
a safe passing distance when overtaking is considered to be ''a
sufficient distance to avoid a collision with that vehicle or to avoid
obstructing the path of that vehicle''. Also, in part 11, division 1,
regulation 109, a safe distance behind vehicles is considered to be a distance
at which it ''will enable the driver to stop the vehicle in an emergency
with safety, and without running into the vehicle in front of him or her''.
In part 15, division 1, regulation 221, ''A person shall not ride a
bicycle within 2 m of the rear of a motor vehicle, over a distance of more than
200 m.''
(2)–(3) Enforcement
of the Road Traffic Code 2000 is the responsibility of WA Police. This question
should be referred to the respective minister.
The Department of Transport advises —
(4) The Western
Australian bicycle network plan is being finalised by the Department of
Transport and will be submitted to the Minister for Transport for consideration
when completed. The matter of safe passing distances is a separate operational
policy for the Office of Road Safety.