WA Police at their best?

by **Smithyy** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:40 pm

WA police at their brilliant best!!

$150 and 2 demerits!

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western ... 6283944613

by **rooby** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:53 pm

It sounds silly but I think it is good.

If cyclists want to ride on the roads and be treated with respect on the roads then they have to abide by the same road rules that all other road users have to abide by.

I always hear cyclists whining about being treated poorly but I constantly see them breaking laws, like going through red lights when it suits them etc.

I know a bike doesn't weigh much and will stop fairly fast but if you hit a little kid at 56ks on a bike it is going to hurt them.

+1 for the cops on this one I'd say.

by **JDGT05** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:57 pm

Haha good! Bout time they did something productive.

by **Smithyy** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:59 pm

Fair call, treated equally is what they want? right :p

by **MY-25-GT** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:05 pm

fair call for sure, they want to use the roads equally like all of us they have to sick to the same rules and regulations

by **Kekotic** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:18 pm

A bike can still knock someone hard to the ground and cause serious brain damage or death if they smack their head against the road.
The fines are totally fair.

by **WheelieBin** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:03 pm

Good on the cop!! 100% agree with this

by **imania** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:12 pm

Only thing I don't agree with is the demerit points. The licence has nothing to do with riding the bicycle, it's not even required. What happens to someone who doesn't have a licence who gets caught doing the same thing? Just the fine?
It's a little bit of an awkward grey area.

by **Smithyy** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:13 pm

imania wrote:Only thing I don't agree with is the demerit points. The licence has nothing to do with riding the bicycle, it's not even required. What happens to someone who doesn't have a licence who gets caught doing the same thing? Just the fine?
It's a little bit of an awkward grey area.

agree, the fact they can penalise someone's drivers license for riding a bike is very questionable..

by **Kekotic** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:18 pm

Smithyy wrote:agree, the fact they can penalise someone's drivers license for riding a bike is very questionable..

The roads were designed for auto mobiles, not for bikes.

Can you explain to me why someone using the roads shouldn't be penalised the same just because their vehicle is different?
Should Motorbikes not receive demerit points also? Because after all it's got 2 wheels not 4.

by **imania** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:25 pm

chaotic2050 wrote:
Smithyy wrote:agree, the fact they can penalise someone's drivers license for riding a bike is very questionable..

The roads were designed for auto mobiles, not for bikes.

Can you explain to me why someone using the roads shouldn't be penalised the same just because their vehicle is different?
Should Motorbikes not receive demerit points also? Because after all it's got 2 wheels not 4.

Motorbikes once again have a licence test and licence to earn demerit points, bicycles do not.
I'm all for bicycles getting done for speeding or going through red lights, and if someone has a driver's licence then obviously they should know the rules so I can see how demerit points apply. But just don't see how it will work for people without a licence.

by **WheelieBin** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:27 pm

Well that then raises another point. They're expected to follow the road rules, but if they're not required to have a license and subsequently can be riding on the road without having sat any kind of test about the road rules, how does that work?
IMO, bicycles shouldn't be allowed on the road unless the rider DOES hold a license.

Two main hazards of my drive to work every morning - bicycles and oblivious parents doing the school run

by **iisshhyy** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:28 pm

it's a bit of a grey area. You need a licence to drive a car, but no licence to ride a bike on the road. So based on that you can't take demerit points from the cyclist. However, the offence was committed on a ROAD, so someone in a car committing the same offence would have demerit points taken.

IMO, cyclists want the same rights as motorists, slug him the demerit points and the fine like the rest of us. A few more instances of that mate and I won't have to put up with your lycra pants and shaved legs on my way to work

^^^ Imania & Wheelie Bin make good points

by **mincedmeat** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 11:37 pm

Two questions??
1. how does the cyclist know how fast there going? Now i presume if there is other traffic around in the school zone you would not go any faster than them.
2. you can be done for drunk driving, on a bike on the road, but does that apply off road and on pathways?

by **BaSeLine** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 11:52 pm

imania wrote:Only thing I don't agree with is the demerit points. The licence has nothing to do with riding the bicycle, it's not even required. What happens to someone who doesn't have a licence who gets caught doing the same thing? Just the fine?
It's a little bit of an awkward grey area.

Motorists would get a fine + demerit points from their licence, therefore it would be unfair to only slap a fine for the cyclist. I'd say fine + confiscate the bike for a period of time and get them to pick it up in 2 weeks etc. ..also agree cyclists using roads should have a licence (for the safety of others aswell as themselves).

Say if some kid (or Tony Hawk) on a skateboard or alike travelling fast (may not reach 56km/hr!!) especially on the path, as they aren't allowed on roads, it 'll do some serious injury. What's to do if caught by police? I'd say slap a fine (possibly to the parents if under 18yrs) + confiscate as previously said. Is that too harsh?