Cycle safely in St. George

New regulations for drivers and cyclists are on the way, so if you have property in St. George, be sure to stay safe whether you're in a car or on a bike.

Sharing the road safely

According to the Centre for Road Safety, there are 1,500 major injuries and 11 fatalities for cyclists on average each year in NSW. To address these troubling statistics, a number of organisations including cyclist groups, the Pedestrian Council of Australia, motorist and insurance groups, and NSW Police have worked together to create the Go Together campaign.

The main focus of the campaign is on encouraging drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians to allow more space when in shared road spaces. Beginning 1 March, drivers travelling at 60 kph or less will be required to leave 1 metre of space when passing a cyclists. If they are driving over speeds of 60 kph, they must leave a 1.5 metre gap. Drivers that do not allow for adequate space will receive two demerit points and a $319 fine. 

While not a requirement, it is also being recommended that cyclists give pedestrians a berth of 1 metre on shared pathways.

Higher penalties encourage safer cycling

In addition to the new passing requirements, cyclists in NSW will see an increase in fines for the following dangerous riding behaviours, which previously carried a $71 penalty:

• Riding without a helmet – $319
• Grabbing on to a moving vehicle – $319
• Riding in a dangerous manner – $425
• Not stopping at a red light – $425
• Not stopping at a marked crossing – $425

The Go Together campaign will also mandate that adults carry photo identification while cycling, that way they can be identified in case of an emergency, or if they are stopped for violating cycling regulations.

These new regulations, in addition to other road safety improvements, make this a great time to consider real estate in St. George.