Cycling continues to be a popular activity and form of transport here in Queensland and throughout Australia. With the large number of cyclists taking to the roads, casualty and cycling accident rates are high and have been increasing. In an effort to curtail the amount of cycling accident incidents, the Queensland State Government is trialing some changes to laws regarding motor vehicles and cyclist. Some of these recent changes include:
- Maintaining a minimum 1 metre gap when motorists pass cyclists in 60kph or less zones;
- Maintaining a minimum 1.5 metre passing gap where the speed limit is over 60kph;
- Cyclists may use zebra crossings and other pedestrian crossings;
- Motorists are allowed to cross lane lines and centre lines (including double white lines) to pass cyclists, if safe to do so; and so on.
Road regulations promoting safe motorist and cyclist usage are important to the prevention of a cycling accident, however even with these in place, many accidents still occur.
If you are frequently using a push bike, especially on the roads, it is important that you know what evidence you can and should produce if you are in a cycling accident.
The use of GPS evidence in a cycling accident
One of the more recent developments in this area is the use of GPS device evidence. A lot of cyclists these days carry GPS devices (whether they be in the form of an app on a smart phone, a cycle computer or a watch) with them to record data from their rides including their route, distances, speeds and so on. If there are conflicting details provided in a liability dispute regarding location or speed, such GPS devices may be able to be accessed in order to provide evidence in relation to the cycling accident.
More and more these types of devices will be relied upon as evidence so if you are frequently cycling on the roads, investing in a GPS device with location and speed recording capabilities is something worth thinking about if you don’t already have one.
As GPS is not always 100% accurate, it is best to opt for devices which have a track record of being most accurate.
If you have questions about making a claim after a cycling accident, please visit our general enquiries page or contact our offices on 07 3252 0011 to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our Brisbane-based Lawyers.