NSW’s Tough New Cycling Laws Explained


Cyclists aged over 18 in New South Wales are expected to carry photo ID when they’re out riding from March 1 under new laws introduced by the Baird government. The fines for a range of offences are also increasing by up to 600%. Here’s what you need to know.

The penalty for not wearing a helmet increases from $71 to $319, along with holding onto a moving vehicle, while riding at night without lights increases from $71 to $106.

A number of other offences jump 500 per cent to $425 – the same penalty for motorists, who also receive 3 demerit points – such as running a red light, not stopping at a pedestrian crossing and riding dangerously.

Under the new rules, bicycle riders should also keep a metre’s distance from pedestrians on shared paths, where possible.

Failure to carry ID will lead to a $106 fine from March 2017, with the government offering a one year amnesty as the new laws are bedded down.

Last Thursday, police issued more than 450 infringement notices to cyclists in Sydney’s CBD in a major safety crackdown, including 210 for not wearing helmets, 103 for disobeying traffic lights, and 80 for riding on the footpath. Another 64 cyclists received cautions or warnings.

The changes are part of a new safety program, which also will expect motorists to maintain a 1-metre distance from a cyclist when passing at speeds of 60km/h or less, and 1.5 metres at speeds over 60km/h. Failure to keep the minimum distance when passing a bicycle rider is a $319 fine and a two demerit points penalty.

The above video explains the new rules for motorists.

This story originally appeared on Business Insider.


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