A report from The Australian Automobile Association Benchmarking Road Safety Report highlights the fact that cyclists were the only road user group to record an increase in fatalities in the 12 months to June 30. 48 cyclists died on Australian roads compared to 34 in the previous 12 months – a 40 per cent increase.  Whilst some driver behaviour is a major threat to cyclist safety recent data from the Australian Road Safety Foundation suggest cyclists could also afford to exercise greater caution, more than a quarter admitting to riding without a helmet. To me its crazy our driving rules differ state by state and are not national – only Queensland, West Australian and N.S.W drivers are required to maintain a 1 to 1.5 metre distance from cyclists when overtaking, depending on the speed limit. Having said that, from my observation many drivers have trouble simply judging a one-metre distance when parking let alone when passing a cyclist.

I’m David Berthon

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