pedestrian crossing laws for cyclists

Opinons please,

Just got home from my weekly ride, this time along the eastlink trail.
Coming south towards Princes HWY and need to get from the eastern side of
eastlink, crossing over a short overpass (road not pedestrian), and onto to
western side of eastlink. So rather than go over the kerb (no ramp that I
could see) I travel up the footpath 10m ish (I was knackered and going very
slow) and cross at the pedestrian crossing only to have a taxi fail to stop
and I had to brake to avoid a collision. After a few choice words passed
between us through his open window I rode on.

It's my understanding that regardless of who or what is using a pedestrial
crossing, vehicles have to give way? Legally I should have been on the road,
but I would have had to enter the road over the kerb, ride 20m or so, then
go back up the kerb.

Cheers all
Peter

In aus.bicycle on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:38:30 +1100
Astroboy wrote:
It's my understanding that regardless of who or what is using a pedestrial
crossing, vehicles have to give way? Legally I should have been on the road,
but I would have had to enter the road over the kerb, ride 20m or so, then
go back up the kerb.


According to the Australian Road Rules:

"Note Pedestrian crossing is defined in subrule (3).
(2) A driver must give way to any pedestrian on a pedestrian
crossing."

Were you a pedestrian at the time?

Not to mention

"(1) The rider of a bicycle must not ride across a road, or part of
a road, on a children?s crossing or pedestrian crossing."

As far as I know, all states have signed up to those parts of the Road
Rules.


Zebee

"Astroboy" wrote in message
...
Opinons please,

Just got home from my weekly ride, this time along the eastlink trail.
Coming south towards Princes HWY and need to get from the eastern side of
eastlink, crossing over a short overpass (road not pedestrian), and onto
to western side of eastlink. So rather than go over the kerb (no ramp that
I could see) I travel up the footpath 10m ish (I was knackered and going
very slow) and cross at the pedestrian crossing only to have a taxi fail
to stop and I had to brake to avoid a collision. After a few choice words
passed between us through his open window I rode on.

It's my understanding that regardless of who or what is using a pedestrial
crossing, vehicles have to give way? Legally I should have been on the
road, but I would have had to enter the road over the kerb, ride 20m or
so, then go back up the kerb.

Cheers all
Peter

The law says that cyclists have to dismount when crossing at a pedestrian
crossing. That does not give any driver with a chip on his shoulder to run
down a cyclist. Earlier this week a relative of mine driving a car hit a
cyclist riding across a pedestrian crossing at 30 kph. He simply did not see
the cyclist coming. He was told by the police that he (the driver) would
still get a fine for not giving way at a pedestrian crossing.

Having said that, as a cyclist I am used to car drivers not giving me right
of way absolutely anywhere. I wouldn't rely on it. After many years I gave
up commuting myself when I got two cracked ribs after being hit by a lady
driver entering the roundabout I was on from my left and broadsiding me. Now
I find it safer to assume I will not get right of way when on a bicycle.

Henry.

hemyd wrote:
The law says that cyclists have to dismount when crossing at a pedestrian
crossing. That does not give any driver with a chip on his shoulder to run
down a cyclist. Earlier this week a relative of mine driving a car hit a
cyclist riding across a pedestrian crossing at 30 kph. He simply did not see
the cyclist coming. He was told by the police that he (the driver) would
still get a fine for not giving way at a pedestrian crossing.

Having said that, as a cyclist I am used to car drivers not giving me right
of way absolutely anywhere. I wouldn't rely on it. After many years I gave
up commuting myself when I got two cracked ribs after being hit by a lady
driver entering the roundabout I was on from my left and broadsiding me. Now
I find it safer to assume I will not get right of way when on a bicycle.

My bicycle commute in Canberra is along a cycle path that runs parallel to
a major road with traffic-light-controlled crossings at several side
streets. The crossings have slip lanes on either side of the traffic
light, and it's a very-very rare sight indeed to spot a cyclist
dismounting to ride across it.

A year or so the I was riding into the slip-lane pedestrian crossing,
going VERY slow and making sure I was going to have a gap left for me, as
usual. A rather angry chap purposely moved forward so that he could stop
directly on top of the ped crossing, so I rode around the front of his car
and into the crossing area proper.

http://fat.ly/6qaxc

He decided to have the last word, so he called out "I'll give way to you
as soon as you get off and walk your bike!"

I decided that he hadn't really earned the last word, so I responded "SUCK
MY COCK!"


BTH
(The last word stayed mine!)

--
Posted at www.usenet.com.au

On 2010-03-26, BT Humble (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
A year or so the I was riding into the slip-lane pedestrian crossing,
going VERY slow and making sure I was going to have a gap left for me, as
usual. A rather angry chap purposely moved forward so that he could stop
directly on top of the ped crossing, so I rode around the front of his car
and into the crossing area proper.

http://fat.ly/6qaxc

He decided to have the last word, so he called out "I'll give way to you
as soon as you get off and walk your bike!"

I decided that he hadn't really earned the last word, so I responded "SUCK
MY COCK!"


BTH
(The last word stayed mine!)

And the votes for the worm are coming in....

BTH won that debate!

--
TimC
Jun 26 14:08:17 kernel: troll-o-meter (pid 15134) killed: memory exhausted

"BT Humble" om.au wrote
in message ...
hemyd wrote:
The law says that cyclists have to dismount when crossing at a pedestrian
crossing. That does not give any driver with a chip on his shoulder to
run
down a cyclist. Earlier this week a relative of mine driving a car hit a
cyclist riding across a pedestrian crossing at 30 kph. He simply did not
see
the cyclist coming. He was told by the police that he (the driver) would
still get a fine for not giving way at a pedestrian crossing.

Having said that, as a cyclist I am used to car drivers not giving me
right
of way absolutely anywhere. I wouldn't rely on it. After many years I
gave
up commuting myself when I got two cracked ribs after being hit by a lady
driver entering the roundabout I was on from my left and broadsiding me.
Now
I find it safer to assume I will not get right of way when on a bicycle.

My bicycle commute in Canberra is along a cycle path that runs parallel to
a major road with traffic-light-controlled crossings at several side
streets. The crossings have slip lanes on either side of the traffic
light, and it's a very-very rare sight indeed to spot a cyclist
dismounting to ride across it.

A year or so the I was riding into the slip-lane pedestrian crossing,
going VERY slow and making sure I was going to have a gap left for me, as
usual. A rather angry chap purposely moved forward so that he could stop
directly on top of the ped crossing, so I rode around the front of his car
and into the crossing area proper.

http://fat.ly/6qaxc

He decided to have the last word, so he called out "I'll give way to you
as soon as you get off and walk your bike!"

I decided that he hadn't really earned the last word, so I responded "SUCK
MY COCK!"


BTH
(The last word stayed mine!)

--
Posted at www.usenet.com.au

The cyclist in question supposedly stated to the attemnding ambulance medic
that he was doing thirty kilometres per hour. My sone would not have
deliberately moved onto the crossing. He simply did not see the cyclist
coming (from between trees). My sondeliberated whether he could have stopped
for days afterwards.

Now speaking as a cyclist myself, I've become so used to having drivers "not
see me" or not give me right of way anywhere, that I would not dare to ride
across a crossing in front of a car. My rights are not going to ease the
pain of broken bones.

Henry.

In aus.bicycle on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 18:09:48 +1100
hemyd wrote:

Now speaking as a cyclist myself, I've become so used to having drivers "not
see me" or not give me right of way anywhere, that I would not dare to ride
across a crossing in front of a car. My rights are not going to ease the
pain of broken bones.


I slow and look, and give 'em plenty of time to see me. I wave thanks
as I ride by.

But then I'm neither young nor male, and I suspect that makes a deal
of difference.

Zebee

Zebee Johnstone wrote:

Now speaking as a cyclist myself, I've become so used to having drivers "not
see me" or not give me right of way anywhere, that I would not dare to ride
across a crossing in front of a car. My rights are not going to ease the
pain of broken bones.

I slow and look, and give 'em plenty of time to see me. I wave thanks
as I ride by.
But then I'm neither young nor male, and I suspect that makes a deal
of difference.

I personally don't think it makes any difference.

Even as a pedestrian, I *gingerly* put my leg forward on approaching
vehicles to test them out, see if they slow down or not.
If they do, I wave thanks.

Sometimes not. If not, I still wave, but with fewer fingers.

As with the OP, I may have rights, I may have the law on my side, but
the law isn't going to make it hurt less, heal faster, nor suitably
penalise the driver who hits me either.

"Zebee Johnstone" wrote in message
...
In aus.bicycle on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 18:09:48 +1100
hemyd wrote:

Now speaking as a cyclist myself, I've become so used to having drivers
"not
see me" or not give me right of way anywhere, that I would not dare to
ride
across a crossing in front of a car. My rights are not going to ease the
pain of broken bones.


I slow and look, and give 'em plenty of time to see me. I wave thanks
as I ride by.

But then I'm neither young nor male, and I suspect that makes a deal
of difference.

Zebee

I'm an "old fart" (does 62 qualify me for that?), and between 1995 and 1998
I commuted about 21,000 km from Moorabbin to Commerical Rd near the City in
Melbourne. Had many "close ones" but nothing serious. The I commuted to my
new place of employment in Murrumbeena (still Melbourne). On-road bike path,
but crossing many intersections. I found it was dodgy expecting drivers
coming from minor streets to stop for me. Had many more close ones. I got
hit at a roundabout. Although, as I later found, I had two cracked ribs, I
got up and kept on riding to where I had to work. then, as time went on, I
kept on seeing visions of that car front coming at me at speed and about to
hit me. Haven't been able to "psyche myself up" to commute to work since
then, and ride no more than a few kilometres a week on weekends only. It's
the reluctance of drivers to stop that I find so offputting. That and, of
course, the aggression displayed to anyone in their path. I am also a
driver, and clocked up tonnes of kms in my job as a technician over 30
years.

Henry.

Thanks everyone,

I'll be modifying my riding from now on I think. As a pedestrian I don't
rely on cars stopping at a crossing, I assume they won't unless I see them
slowing. Absolutely no reason not to behave the same way on the bike. I'm
not sure why my behavior changed actually, though I notice that I do tend to
have the red mist decend more while cycling than while walking or even
driving.

Cheers
Peter




"hemyd" wrote in message
u...
"Zebee Johnstone" wrote in message
...
In aus.bicycle on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 18:09:48 +1100
hemyd wrote:

Now speaking as a cyclist myself, I've become so used to having drivers
"not
see me" or not give me right of way anywhere, that I would not dare to
ride
across a crossing in front of a car. My rights are not going to ease the
pain of broken bones.


I slow and look, and give 'em plenty of time to see me. I wave thanks
as I ride by.

But then I'm neither young nor male, and I suspect that makes a deal
of difference.

Zebee

I'm an "old fart" (does 62 qualify me for that?), and between 1995 and
1998 I commuted about 21,000 km from Moorabbin to Commerical Rd near the
City in Melbourne. Had many "close ones" but nothing serious. The I
commuted to my new place of employment in Murrumbeena (still Melbourne).
On-road bike path, but crossing many intersections. I found it was dodgy
expecting drivers coming from minor streets to stop for me. Had many more
close ones. I got hit at a roundabout. Although, as I later found, I had
two cracked ribs, I got up and kept on riding to where I had to work.
then, as time went on, I kept on seeing visions of that car front coming
at me at speed and about to hit me. Haven't been able to "psyche myself
up" to commute to work since then, and ride no more than a few kilometres
a week on weekends only. It's the reluctance of drivers to stop that I
find so offputting. That and, of course, the aggression displayed to
anyone in their path. I am also a driver, and clocked up tonnes of kms in
my job as a technician over 30 years.

Henry.