Amendments to help improve safety for cyclists were introduced in the Legislature this week.
In 2017, Ellen’s Law or the one-metre rule was implemented, but discussions have continued to improve safety on the roads for cyclists further, according to Public Safety Minister Bill Hogan.
“These proposed changes to the Motor Vehicle Act would allow for the development of regulations devoted exclusively to bicycle safety. They would also provide the flexibility to address changing practices and new technologies like power-assisted bicycles,” Hogan says.
The amendments would also give authority to the cabinet to make regulations respecting bicycle safety, including:
the use and operation of bicycles;
the operation of bicycles on highways;
helmet standards for cyclists; and
equipment or items required or prohibited when operating a bicycle.
No existing rules will be lost by moving bicycle safety rules from legislation to regulation.
Twenty-eight-year-old Ellen Watters of Sussex was a well-known cyclist who died of injuries after a cycling collision which inspired the law bearing her name.
