Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2007-10-17 Daily Xml

Contents

BICYCLE INITIATIVES

The Hon. SANDRA KANCK (15:01): I have a supplementary question. Because it is usually car drivers who drive into cyclists and not the reverse, what education programs is the government targeting at motorists?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:01): Clearly, motorists and cyclists need to share the road, and our advertising campaign clearly promotes that. There will be a new campaign early next year, again, as I said, promoting the sharing philosophy because, clearly, both parties need to take responsibility for their actions. Again, we have to point out that cyclists are more vulnerable by the very fact that they have only a helmet between them and the pavement. But, as a government, we promote road safety for everyone on our roads, and everyone has to obey the same road rules. However, at the end of the day, cyclists need to take special care and ultimately ride defensively in terms of wearing their helmet, ensuring they stay as near as practicable to the left-hand side of the road, staying within bike lanes if they are provided, not riding more than two abreast, wearing bright colours and, particularly in the evening, wearing reflective colours ensuring that they can be seen, as well as ensuring that their bike is in good working condition. I take the honourable member's point that we are all there to share the road and everyone has to take equal responsibility.