2017-05-10
Ms PENNICUIK (Southern Metropolitan) — This morning a large number of Melbourne cyclists gathered on the steps of Parliament House in support of the 'A Metre Matters' legislation. I would like to congratulate my colleague, Samantha Dunn, and her office on their fantastic work on the A Metre Matters campaign, which culminated in the Road Safety Road Rules 2009 (Overtaking Bicycles) Bill 2015, which Ms Dunn herself described as a catchy title. This bill will be debated in the house this afternoon.
Too many cyclists have been killed and injured on Victorian roads over the years, and I send my condolences to the families of those cyclists and to those cyclists who still carry the effects of the injuries they have suffered on Victorian roads.
I have been cycling on Victorian roads since cycling to high school in the 1970s, and in the 1980s I was car-doored. I was cycling to university in Footscray when a motorist opened their door, I flew over the door and my bike went under a truck; I was lucky not to go under the truck myself. The attitude of the driver was that it was my fault because I should not have been there. We need to improve safety on Victorian roads for cyclists so that more of the people who would like to cycle but do not because they are afraid of being hit by cars can do it.