By JESSE GRAHAM
CYCLING laws are being reviewed by the government and all road users and residents are being asked to take part in a state-wide survey and to have their say.
The survey, which is run by VicRoads, asks for public opinion on current cycling-related road rules and legislation, and any issues that arise from the current cycling laws.
Bicycle lanes and motor-vehicle behaviours in regards to cyclists are discussed, as well as a section that lists statements and asks users whether the statement is a law and whether it should be a law.
Minister for Roads Terry Mulder said that the laws regarding bikes and the road are often misunderstood, or not known at all.
“We know cyclists and drivers often don’t see eye-to-eye and there have been a number of incidents where cars and bikes come into conflict because people are not sure who is in the right,” he said.
“Cycling is becoming increasingly popular, so we need to make sure that when cyclists use our roads, they are safe and do not put themselves or others at risk.”
Mr Mulder said that the survey would assess where the gaps in knowledge of the law were, and hear about issues that could be addressed by law changes.
VicRoads will use the results from the public survey, research, crash statistics and feedback from stakeholders into account for any potential law changes.
Bicycle Network CEO Craig Richards said that it was vital for bike riders to have their say on the current road laws.
He encouraged all riders to have a say in the survey, which he hoped would encourage more people to take up bike riding.
The survey and law review comes as a result of the Victorian Road Safety Action Plan and the Cycling into the Future 2013-2023 document.
The survey, which is open until 27 July, takes about 30 minutes to complete, and progress can be saved at any time so it can be completed later.
To take part in the survey, visit www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1409014/Cycling-road-rules-survey-for-road-users.
