Answers to Questions

Cycling Regulations

In reply to the Hon. J.A. DARLEY (14 April 2016).

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety): The Minister for Transport and Infrastructure has advised the following:

The new cycling laws introduced on 25 October 2015, have now been in place for nearly a year. As with all changes it can take some time for people to adjust to new conditions. The Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) has been working hard with the Local Government Association and key stakeholder groups to ensure people and organisations understand the implications of the new laws.

I advise DPTI has recently commenced a campaign to educate cyclists and pedestrians of the rules for using footpaths. The campaign is primarily aimed at educating cyclists of the road rules that apply to them, and will reinforce the message to the South Australian community of the responsibility for everyone to take due care for other people using our roads and footpaths.

The 'Path to Safer Cycling' campaign was launched on 10 September 2016. This campaign will educate the community on the key road rules for riding on footpaths and include regional and metropolitan print, radio and digital promotions, and footpath stickers. Key messages of the campaign include:

ride on the left hand side of the path;

always give way to pedestrians;

if necessary, use your bell, horn or voice to avert danger; and

keep to a safe speed to avoid collisions.

DPTI has also developed an online Cycling Road Rules Quiz. It is in a similar format to existing online quizzes relating to Road Rules and Rail Safety, which have proved extremely successful in engaging people. The quiz consists of multiple choice questions based upon rules applying to riding on footpaths and road rules outlined in DPTI's Cycling and the Law publication.

In the meantime, DPTI will continue to monitor crash statistics, including crashes where a pedal cycle and/or a pedestrian is involved on footpaths. Two years' worth of data is considered to be a suitable base for further assessment. This approach is supported by the Local Government Association and is considered a common-sense approach to evaluating the outcomes of the laws.

Note that all-age cycling on footpaths has been allowed for many years in Queensland, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory, and earlier this year Western Australia followed South Australia in permitting footpath cycling for all.