Minimum safe passing distance between cyclists and motorists

To the Honourable President and members of the Senate in Parliament assembled:

The petition of the undersigned shows:

That there are deficiencies in the current ARR's governing overtaking laws in that motorists may come dangerously close to a cyclist while overtaking and at considerable speed, posing an undeniable risk and yet breach no law.

Your petitioners therefore request the Senate to bring pressure to bear on the NTC to enact legislation to modify existing ARR's requiring that a motorist maintain a minimum safe distance of one metre between their vehicle and a cyclist whilst overtaking.

Such a measure will strengthen current laws with respect to cyclists. This proposal, by providing clear boundaries, will better serve the interests of motorists and cyclists alike. Furthermore, this proposal would also reflect the fact that it is not necessary for a motorist to collide with a cyclist in order to endanger either life or health; an anomaly that must be addressed if the government is to reduce congestion and promote cycling as a viable alternative means of transportation. I acknowledge the importance sustainable green initiatives, and due to ever increasing environmental awareness, more Australians are now seeing cycling as a positive way of reducing their carbon footprint and minimizing congestion.

We question how long such enthusiasm will last while the current ambiguous legislation remains unchanged. A minimum distance of one metre has the potential to maintain this momentum, as well as helping more Australians to "get their 30 each day".