Legal resources for bike riders – what's useful?
BIKESydney is working with the Redfern Legal Centre to develop a legal resource for bike riders.
We’d like to know what information would be most useful to you.
We are thinking it might include things like…
Injury
When to contact the Motor Vehicle Accidents Commission
When a Workers Compensation claim is appropriate
How to get advice about civil law
Being a witness
How to get advice about the court process
What records or notes should you keep – what sort of details – time, location
Police
What types of incidents should be reported
How to report an incident to police
What police should do when you report an incident
How to make a complaint about police if they don’t do this, the sort of details you need
Accidents
What to do if you are a witness, victim, or even the cause of the accident
Victim Compensation – when it applies
General
What your local Community Legal Centres do
How to find a relevant solicitor or get legal information
Useful websites
What do you think?
Are there other things that would be useful – such as road rules as they pertain to bicycle riders maybe?
And what would be the best way for you to access this information? Web? Wallet card? Printed brochure? All of the above?
How about something for disabled persons. I know that currently bikes are not allowed to be on footpaths but i need to be on them as my medical condition doesn’t make me strong enough to ride on the roads. I have CFS/ME and it is a neuroligical condition. Co-ordination and quick thinking are a problem plus the fatigue. The worst cases of CFS/ME sufferers can’t ride a bike at all like i couldn’t for 20 years. Just venturing out now. Riding on the road is not an option. I am also on an electric bicycle because of my condition. I can ride on the flat ok but have to use the motor going up hill and get off the bike to walk going downhill.
Recourse for incidents that don’t involve collision or injury, e.g. near misses, agression, abuse.
Great idea BUT, very important this is NOT perceived as a resource for cyclists to threaten and sue motorists and/or pedestrians.
You can just imagine a shock jock or tabloid type picking this up and going for a few cheap ‘cyclist hate cars’ shots. You can hear it now -‘bloody cyclists taking over the roads’, ‘they all break laws’, poor long suffering motorists now being taken to court by the minority’ blah blah. You don’t want to be put on the back foot and have to defend it.
Must be positioned as inclusive (for all road users), clarify existing rules / laws and eventually target all parts of the legal system (lawyers, police, courts etc) and be user friendly. This may take a while but is key to making sure it gets picked up and used.
And suggest it works through typical scenarios from reporting threatening behaviour to full blown accidents. Also needs to work thorugh situation when the cyclist is at fault too.
This is a great list – all the things I’d like to and need to know.
Yes, road rules please. A clear and simple document setting out road rules for cyclists. At the moment they’re embedded in the general road rules for all vehicles and difficult to fathom – with many things implicit only. So – in other words – a dumbed down version for non-legal speaking people like myself. It would include rules regarding other vehicles in bike lanes and other areas dedicated to cyclists. For example, are they allowed to cut in front of me while i’m riding in the bike lane in order to get over in to a parking space for instance, or double park there while dropping things off?
thanks so much for this.