$68K for not stopping if you kill a pedestrian? Exactly how is that scenario suppose to occur?
I would think a biker would be pretty messed up, too, unless it's a low speed stabbing from a sharpened bullhorn?
2009-06-22 16:54:19
3
Knee jerk cycling laws in Victoria, Australia.
Apparently this is in reaction to a pedestrian being killed by a cyclist and there not being any laws to prosecute them. Here again law makers decide that keeping cyclists off the road is more important than protecting them and providing proper infrastructure and laws to assist everyone. Complete streets if you will.
Here are the laws.
DANGEROUS riding - $13,610 or prison for twelve months or both.
CARELESS riding of a bike - $681 for a first offence and $1361 for a subsequent offence
IF a person is killed or seriously injured by a cyclist and the rider has not immediately stopped and offered assistance - $68,052 or five years in prison
IF property is damaged by a cyclist and the rider has not immediately stopped and offered assistance - $284 or seven days in prison for a first offence and $567 or prison for between seven and 14 days for a subsequent offence.
They don't actually say what dangerous or careless riding is nor does the article say if there are similar laws on the books for cars.
Interesting to read the comments.
"Following on from my comment (249), just check out the news stories from today and yesterday regarding motorist accidents. Cyclist pinned by a car in the suburbs; man dies in Frankston from speeding; pedestrian hit in the city; road rage incident and a 57 year old man mowed down."
Anyway, here are the links.
http://www.copenhagenize.com/2009/06/hardcore-new-laws-for-cyclists-in.html
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25654478-661,00.html
2009-06-22 16:32:39
So if I kill someone and stop to offer assistance, I'm in the clear?
Sweet.
2009-06-23 01:05:44