Sisters In Law: ‘Difficult’ cyclist issue is ‘huge accident' waiting to happen

A Sydney woman is sick of “Lycra cyclists” speeding around her local park, and thinks their behaviour is an “accident waiting to happen”.

Welcome to Sisters In Law, news.com.au’s weekly column solving all of your legal problems. This week, lawyers and real-life sisters Alison and Jillian Barrett from Maurice Blackburn advise on cyclists following speed limits.

Question:

I live in Sydney and one of my favourite places to walk is Centennial Park, a beautiful area just outside the city. The park has a ring road around it called Grand Drive which can be used by cars but is also really popular with what I call “Lycra cyclists” who go around and around doing laps, no doubt trying to get a PB or something. I have no issue with cars or cyclists being in the park but I’m intrigued about the rules as the cars generally stick to the speed limit of 30 km/h but the cyclists go way above this!

They also do these speeds as a huge swarm en masse and it can be quite difficult to cross the road when there are lots of them in the park. Honestly, it’s a huge accident waiting to happen. What are the rules around cyclists and speed limits? – Coral, NSW

Cyclists in Sydney’s Centennial Park. Picture: Carly Earl

Answer:

You will be pleased to know that most road rules apply to all road users, including cyclists.

Equally, the police can issue on-the-spot fines to cyclists in the same way they do to motorists who break the law on our roads.

With that in mind, the speed limit of 30km/h on the road you describe – and any fines that might apply for exceeding that limit – applies to cyclists as well as motorists.

There are some additional road rules that apply specifically to cyclists that may also be relevant to your situation at Centennial Park.

It is an offence for a cyclist to ride negligently, furiously or recklessly.

A cyclist would break any of these rules if they were to ride their bicycle in a dangerous manner or in a way that endangers the life of themselves or others.

Centennial Park is popular among cyclists and pedestrians. Picture: Monique Harmer

The usual fine issued for these offences is $464.

You might have seen cyclists riding in large groups on a road and wondered about the legalities of that.

Cyclists in NSW are permitted to ride two abreast as long as the riders are no more than 1.5 metres apart.

They can overtake two other cyclists who are riding side-by-side.

A breach of these rules would lead to a $116 fine.

Where there is no bicycle lane, cyclists – just like cars – need to ride to the left of the road.

In regards to the footpaths, it is unlawful for an adult cyclist to ride on them, unless:

1. They are supervising a rider under the age of 16

2. they are carrying a passenger who is a child under 10 or an adult with a disability

3. they have a medical certificate requiring it

4. they need to do so for work purposes (like a courier).

People walking on the footpath in Centennial Park. Picture: Gaye Gerard

If you visit the park in the evenings, you should know that cyclists riding at night must display a white light at the front and a red light at the rear of their bicycle that is visible from a distance of at least 200m.

On-the-spot fines can be issued by police for breaking these laws too.

There are also rules that apply to motorists when it comes to sharing the road with cyclists. For example, in a speed zone of less than 60km/h as you have described, a minimum distance of 1m is required when motorists pass cyclists. A fine and a loss of demerit points will result if this rule is broken.

Just as road rules are in place for all road users, they are also there to protect all road users, especially those who are vulnerable like pedestrians and cyclists.

This legal information is general in nature and should not be regarded as specific legal advice or relied upon. Persons requiring particular legal advice should consult a solicitor.

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