Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Paul Jorgensen on June 4, 2012 at 16:41

I have had a closer look (the description of texting was from seeing his hand move down, not from reviewing the video).  It looks like he was drinking a milkshake or coke or something.  See picture below and more at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jorgy1967/sets/72157630040282004/

 

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Permalink Reply by heather on June 5, 2012 at 11:55

Paul, have probs using flash with my PC set-up so have not watched your film clip. Maybe not texting but from what you say driver still distracted to be driving in bicycle lane. Do you have enough evidence of that to report to police? Permitted to drive for some metres in bicycle lane when turning left.

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Permalink Reply by Peter Sammut on June 7, 2012 at 20:44

Some sections of that ride certainly made me cringe.... and I also ride in areas where bike lanes disappear and many drivers think it is their right to move in to a bike lane while queuing to turn left... (I have been known to bang on car doors and windows or go to driver's side and abuse them). I unfortunately have found in most cases aggressive riding (ie. ride faster and claim your space, overtake car) where lanes disappear is more effective than holding back and risk not being seen by other drivers.....  Not ideal I know but I have learnt by many years of cycling to work in city it is not a good idea to hold back or hesitate. Of course as a cyclist you have to be very aware of your surroundings and know when you are visible to drivers or not and drive accordingly. It is those idiot bus drivers and taxi drivers that you have to be very wary of.... i have had bus drivers purposely pull out while I am overtaking them and have the nerve to abuse me for it! And don't get me started on taxi drivers...... I could be accused of being racists.......

Obviously in an ideal world cycling lanes that did not disappear could solve some of the problems but not all....

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Permalink Reply by David Bowler on June 7, 2012 at 22:40

Actually Peter, while often inconsiderate, drivers to have the right to queue in the bike lane to turn left within 50m of the intersection.

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Permalink Reply by rossmg on June 8, 2012 at 1:06

Certainly a motorist by regulation is allowed 50 metres to drive in a bike lane, parking is not allowed in an active bike lane - to queue in said lane? I have not seen that expressly explained, perhaps it is a so called "grey area" . ?

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Champion on June 8, 2012 at 11:38

From the My licence - Drivers handbook

While the bus lane is in operation, you must not:

park or stop a vehicle other than a bus in a bus lane

drive in a bus lane, except when:
entering or leaving a road (e.g. another road, private property, parking area)
overtaking a vehicle turning right or making a U-turn from the centre of a road
avoiding an obstruction.
In each case the maximum distance you may drive in the bus lane is 100 metres.

I guess it is covered by the entering or leaving a road bit. Also according to this it is 100m.

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Champion on June 8, 2012 at 12:00

Having said that just read an article in the Ride On magazine which quotes the distance as 50m. Maybe 100m is SA only?

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Champion on June 8, 2012 at 12:17

Was not able to edit my comment in time but the Australian Road Rules also specify 50m.

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Champion on June 8, 2012 at 13:59

Sorry for talking to myself but I made a mistake above when quoting the Drivers handbook. That of course is for a bus lane not a bike lane. You can only travel 50m in a bike lane - sorry Ross. However it still has the same qualifier for entering and leaving the road which suggests to me that you could queue in a bike lane 50m prior to the intersection. Is that how others see it?

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