Mt Garnet Road Safety campaign for the kids
Mt Garnet Police recently worked in partnership with Mt Garnet Primary School and identified that not all students had bike helmets or if they did they were old and not suitable or they weren’t fitted correctly.
So in conjunction with Mt Garnet Blue Light Disco’s, they have been raising money to purchase helmets for every student at the school and with Thursday of Road Safety Week all about Sharing the Road, the helmets were well timed.
School assembly is held every Friday and this morning Mt Garnet Police conducted a Bike Education program at the school, after making sure that all the students had their new helmets.
Sergeant Shane Smith and Constable Adam Woods presenting Mt Garnet students their new helmets.
Police would like to remind Queensland road users of some facts in relation to sharing the road with bicycle riders.
Bicycles are a type of vehicle and bicycle riders and motorists have the same rights and responsibilities when using the road.
The laws for motorists passing a bicycle rider state that motorists must stay wider of bicycle riders by providing a minimum of a one metre distance when passing a bicycle in a 60km/h or less speed zone or 1.5 metres where the speed limit is over 60km/h.
Passing a bicycle rider means that you (as a motorist) and the bicycle rider are travelling in the same direction. This includes when you are travelling side-by-side in separate lanes on a multi-lane road. It does not apply if you are travelling in opposite directions.
The passing distance is measured from the rightmost part of the bicycle, or the person on the bicycle to the leftmost part of the vehicle, or something sticking out from the vehicle, like a side mirror.
To pass a bicycle rider, as long as it is safe to do so, you are allowed to drive over centre lines (including double unbroken centre lines) on a two-way road. You can straddle or cross a lane line (including a continuous lane line) on a multi-lane road.
The key things to remember as a driver is to always use your common sense, obey the road rules and keep in mind the following:
- Check your surroundings and the vehicles around you. If it is safe, indicate and pass the bicycle rider at the minimum distance and if it is not safe, slow down and wait until it is safe for you to pass.
- Bicycle riders must also obey the same general road rules as motorists and those who break the law are subject to the same fines as motorists.
You can obtain further information about sharing the road with bicycle riders by clicking here to join the drive or here to brush up on your knowledge.
Source: Cairns Crime Alert
