Cyclists need to obey road laws — and pay registration to get respect

IF cyclists want respect from other road users, they should lose the arrogance, always obey road laws — and pay registration, writes Tom Elliott.

Cyclists ride along Beach Road from Black Rock to Mount Eliza.

OUR roads exist to allow cars, trucks, trams — and bikes — to move people and goods efficiently from A to B. Yet cyclists are easily the most hated road users. And with good reason. Due to a variety of poor behaviours, bike riders are often their own worst enemies. It’s time cyclists either shaped up or took their Lycra elsewhere.

On some days I either drive or catch public transport to work. Several times a week, however, I ride my bike instead. During those cycle commutes I witness first-hand plenty of ugly altercations between bikes and cars. And as a cyclist I’m sorry to admit that in many cases my fellow pedal-pushers are in the wrong.

Motorists hate it when cyclists openly flout traffic rules. I’ve lost count of the number of times when I see fellow bike riders approach a red light, furtively look around and then proceed through the intersection safe in the knowledge no camera will photograph them. That enrages commuters who, sitting in their cars, know if they followed suit, they’d lose valuable licence points as well as cop a hefty fine. From where do some bike riders develop the arrogance to ignore basic road laws?

Registration (or the lack of it) is another huge bone of contention between motorists and cyclists. Every car, truck, motorbike and Vespa-style scooter in Victoria is required both to pay an annual fee to VicRoad, and display a valid numberplate. That system allows the tracking of vehicle ownership, funds the Transport Accident Commission and facilitates the punishment of traffic rule breaches.

Yet for some reason cyclists are exempt from the registration process. Why?

Bikes use the same roads as motorised vehicles. Already the TAC covers most riders who are injured in traffic-related accidents. And as mentioned, rego enables those who ignore red lights to be caught and fined.

There is no good reason why registration of bikes couldn’t function effectively as it does with cars. Cyclists could display a small identification plate on the rear of either their machines, or perhaps their helmets (which are compulsory to wear). All the tracking infrastructure currently employed by both VicRoads and the police to track errant motor vehicles would work equally well with bicycles. And motorists who maintain their rego would feel much more kindly disposed to cyclists if the latter were paying similar fees.

Cyclists running red lights at Docklands.

Footpaths are another conflict zone for bike riders — usually in conjunction with pedestrians. Although it’s illegal for cyclists over the age of 12 to ride where people are walking, plenty of two-wheeled warriors break the rule.

I UNDERSTAND that bike riders are often fearful of riding on the roads alongside cars and trucks; but that is no excuse for putting pedestrians at risk. Cyclists should stay off footpaths or suffer the consequences.

The behaviour of recreational bike enthusiasts on highways like Beach Rd also leaves a lot to be desired. Most of us are prevented from playing our chosen sport on public roads.

For example, I’m not allowed to halt traffic because I want to have a kick of the footy on top of the West Gate Bridge. Backyard cricket games that migrate on to local roads always give way to oncoming vehicles. And even though I want to be a 250kmh V8 Supercar driver, plenty of laws rightly make that dream impossible on suburban streets.

Yet large groups of cyclists who like to dream that they are contenders for the Tour de France routinely block public roads. They take up more than a lane of traffic; at times they ignore people trying — legitimately — to negotiate pedestrian crossings; and at other times, by travelling at speeds well below the limit, recreational bike riders often frustrate other road users who are attempting to reach their destinations on time.

As a commuter myself, I have no problem with cyclists who use our roads to travel to and from work; but I remain unconvinced about sporting riders who treat thoroughfares like Beach Rd as their own private velodrome.

A final reason motorists of all persuasions often hate cyclists is the smug sense of superiority too many pedal-pushers display. Some bike riders like to lecture drivers about the damage their motor vehicles cause the environment; yet the same cyclists conveniently ignore the fact that bicycle components are made of materials like aluminium and carbon fibre — both of which are products of intense (and pollution-creating) industrialisation.

If bike riders demand respect from motorists, they should pay some form of rego, obey all (not just some of) our traffic laws, accept that roads are for transport, not fun — and lose some of the holier-than-thou attitude.

I’m a cyclist. And too often I’m not proud of my fellow two-wheel enthusiasts’ behaviour towards others.

Tom Elliott is 3AW drivetime host, weekdays 3pm-6pm

@TomElliott3AW