The complex relationship between cyclists and motorists has reached fever pitch in Perth.

More than ever in the past few weeks we have seen horrific news reports detailing disputes between motorists and cyclists that go well beyond verbal insult.

We have heard the outcry over lycra-clad cyclists being turned away from the Raffles Hotel and the terrified account by a man dragged under a car on Beaufort Street because he had smacked a car in an act of road rage-induced defiance.

Cast your mind back a few more months to the tragic accounts of deaths of cyclists who became victim to powerful motor vehicles to which they did not stand a chance.

As Andrea Burns wrote in these pages this week: “Pranged cars can be fixed. Pranged people can’t.”

In March last year, in collaboration with local cyclists and the Amy Gillett Foundation, I introduced the Road Traffic Amendment (Keeping Safe Distances from Bicycles) Bill into the WA Parliament, which would require drivers of vehicles to keep a minimum distance from bicycle riders: one metre on roads up to 60km/h and 1.5m on faster roads.

In October, I urgently brought that Bill forward for debate after another tragic cyclist death demonstrated how critical it is that we act immediately to protect vulnerable road users.

Rather than fuelling further animosity with debates on who deserves to use our roads, we should be discussing long and short-term solutions.

Increased State Government funding for bike paths is welcome, but this infrastructure will take time and money to build.

We need to act now before more lives are lost. The death of eight cyclists in WA last year is a tragedy we must not repeat.

“A metre matters” legislation is politically neutral: State leaderships at both ends of the political spectrum in Queensland and the ACT are trialling or preparing to trial it.

This stands as a crucial step towards increasing cyclist safety and raising awareness on sharing our roads successfully. It can be implemented far quicker than bike paths can be built and will offer peace of mind to road users.

More than 870,000 cyclists rode into Perth’s city centre between January and March last year — that is a huge number of West Australians who deserve better protection on our roads.

Consistent, strong messages, backed up by sensible laws, will help establish safer roads for motorists and cyclists.

We should act now before there are more needless fatalities and life-shattering injuries.



