Jake Latham
The Australian Captial Territory Government passed new laws last week to further protect and create awareness for vulnerable road users.
It is now illegal for motorists and other road users to throw or place objects in the way of cyclists in the ACT. This law also applies to throwing objects at other vehicles, and covers actions such as car drivers throwing objects at other car drivers, or pedestrians throwing objects at cars or trucks.
The Minister for Road Safety, Shane Rattenbury, said he is committed to improving road safety with users who are most vulnerable in mind.
“Throwing objects at cyclists is unfortunately a relatively common practice, and many regular cyclists will have a story of being hit or nearly hit by an object thrown from a car. These days, with the popularity of helmet cams, a quick internet search will bring up videos of cyclists being subjected to dangerous behaviour.
“The consequences of this type of behaviour could be potentially catastrophic and any person found guilty of this offence now faces up to two years imprisonment.”
In a bid to encourage sustainable transport in the Territory, the laws come after the introduction of minimum passing distances and infrastructure updates in the Nation’s capital.
“We strive to be a jurisdiction that is open and friendly to people using all forms of transport – in fact we want to particularly encourage people to use more sustainable and active means of travelling.
“It is really important that, in encouraging more Canberrans to choose active travel, we have laws that ensure our roads are safe for everybody.
“This new legislation builds on the ACT Government’s commitment to road safety, particularly for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.”
The new laws were passed in the ACT Legislative Assembly on Thursday June 9 as part the Justice and Community Safety Legislation Amendment Bill 2016 put forward by Attorney-General, Simon Corbell.
