The death of a sixteen year old cyclist - hit by a car while riding on the hundred kilometre per hour F-6 illustrates the folly of mixing low speed cycles with high speed cars.
To be able to legally drive a car a motorist has to undertake theoretical and practical training and pass a driving test. Even then, there are degrees of license with speed and other restrictions applying.
Anybody - of any age - can legally ride a bicycle. There is no license requirement - and no competency test. The only requirement is that the cyclist wear a crash helmet.
Bicycles are a cheap, low speed form of transport. They are fully acceptable on suburban streets where the speed limit is fifty kilometres per hour - and near schools where it is even lower - but they have no place on high speed freeways.
The state government made a serious error when it succumbed to pressure and allowed bikes to travel in what was supposed to be the break down lane on freeways. Fortunately, only a minuscule number of cyclists are stupid enough to take up that challenge, hence so far there have been few fatalities.
It is time for a reality check. A mix of bikes and cars at speed is asking for trouble. A law change is needed - and at the same time cycleways in their own right need to be extended to provide a safe environment for cyclists.
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