'Ridiculous': Cyclist shocked to receive fine after being overtaken by car
A NSW cyclist has been left dumbfounded over a fine received after a car overtook them on a road.
Video obtained by Cycliq, which makes cameras for cyclists, was shared on Facebook and shows a cyclist being overtaken by a Toyota.
It was filmed on August 9 at what’s believed to be Macmasters Beach on the Central Coast but shared to Facebook on Thursday.
The cyclist showed the video to police – presumably concerned about how close the Toyota was passing them.
But it turns out, the cyclist was in the wrong.
“I ended up getting booked for not riding as near to the left of the road as possible,” Cycliq wrote on Facebook.
“Descending down an un-guttered road with blind driveways at 50km/h, and I was as close to the left of the road that was safe in the circumstances.”
In NSW, drivers can receive a $349 fine and two demerit points for failing to pass give enough space to cyclists.
It’s one metre for areas 60km/h below and 1.5m for speeds above.
According to Transport for NSW’s Centre for Road Safety, “bicycle riders are entitled to use a full lane when riding on the road and are allowed to ride two abreast in one lane”.
NSW Police told Yahoo News Australia the fine for the offence is $116.
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On Facebook, the outcome of the video had people divided.
Some people called the fine “disgraceful” and called for the cyclist to dispute it.
“That is ridiculous,” one man wrote.
Another man added it’s “unbelievable the way we're treated”.
However, others believe the cyclist could have done more with their positioning on the road.
“I think the cyclist could have moved left. The roadway seem clean,” one man wrote.
Another man added “we all need to work together to make roads safe”.
“Yes drivers need to be more careful, but bike riders need to take some responsibility as well and not leave all of it to car drivers,” he wrote.
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