Andrew Nikolic (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present a petition to the parliament that has 29,101 signatures and which has been approved by the Petitions Committee. It is focused on better protecting bicycle riders on our roads

Last year 48 riders were killed and nearly 10,000 seriously injured. This is a terrible and unacceptable toll. Cycling promotes good health and wellbeing and continues to grow as a sporting and recreational activity. It is a sport that I enjoy personally, like hundreds of thousands of others. But it should not be an activity that puts the lives of its participants at risk. Sadly, that is what is happening on our roads today.

Just this month, while travelling to Parliament House, I encountered a serious accident involving a bicycle. It was, like so many others, the result of a bike rider being struck from behind, without warning, by a car. We can and must do more to ensure safer use of our roads by bike riders. We must amend the Australian road rules so that drivers allow a minimum of one metre when overtaking bicycle riders in speed zones up to 60 kilometres an hour and 1.5 metres when overtaking riders in zones over 60 kilometres an hour.

This petition seeks our help to improve the safety of bike riders and reduce the trauma and cost of accidents. These measures, together with the government's cycling and road safety strategies, action by the states and a public information program can make a real difference.

I thank the principal petitioner, Colin Burns, from Cycling Tasmania. I also thank the Amy Gillett Foundation for their support, and commend this most worthy petition to the House.

The petition read as follows—

To the Honourable The Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives

This petition of certain Citizens of Australia draws the attention of the House to need for the Australian Road Rules to require drivers to provide a minimum overtaking distance when passing bicycle riders.

In 2013, 48 bicycle riders were killed, the highest number of bicycle rider deaths since 1997. Every year over 9,500 bicycle riders are seriously injured. While the overall road toll is decreasing, this is not the case for bicycle riders.

The human trauma costs of cycling in Australia are unacceptable.

Request:

We therefore ask the House to use all tools at its disposal to ensure the Australian Road Rules are amended to require that:

This amendment, together with a public information and enforcement program, would significantly improve the safety of bicycle riders on our roads and maintain effectiveness and efficiency of the road transport system. The amendment will also contribute to the Government's current Cycling and Road Safety Strategies, helping more Australians enjoy a safe cycling environment.

from 29101 citizens

Petition received.