MPDL Enforcement – through images

We have written a more substantial page on MPDL (Minimum Passing Distance Law) Enforcement and can be seen at this link.

We are aware of people’s time pressures and decided to add some imagery and short video clips that we hope will help interested parties to understand how this is enforced overseas.

Bear in mind though, other jurisdictions worldwide have not seen rigorous enforcement of MPDL and its main purpose is that of driver education. By this method, the awareness created is underscored with legislation in order to allow it to crystallise.

There are 3 main ways that this is enforced overseas and we hope the following images, videos and links will help you understand more clearly.

These 3 ways are:

1. Police eye-witness.

2. Camera footage.

3. C3FT / BSMART Ultrasonic device.

1. Police eye witness.

In most cases, drivers will need to at least straddle the median strip –
A very easy Garda eye witness

Police ticket for AU$400 fine and 4 penalty points for passing too close to a person on a bicycle in Western Australia based on Police eye witness.

2. Camera Footage

Police prosecution based on camera footage from Queensland.

Should you wish to read more information on this aspect on enforcement there is an excellent 3 part blog from Australia that deals with this.

Details here.

3.Police Ultrasonic Device.

The device on the handlebars, called “BSMART, has opened up a whole new way of enforcing a law that used to be the officer’s word against the violator’s.
Officers have never had a data-driven device to measure that distance, now It’s evidentiary, rather than an officer’s opinion.

Thanks for taking the time to take a look at how MPDL is enforced overseas.

These are just some examples.

MPDL if implemented, would have had little to no impact on the vast majority of drivers who pass bicycle riders safely in line with road safety authority recommendations already.

It’s the ones who don’t understand what a safe passing distance is that we are most concerned with.
Unfortunately a minority of drivers believe skimming past a cyclist with inches to spare is a legitimate viable alternative. It is a win-win for both cyclists and motorists.

It will reduce the incidence of death and injury for cyclists, and will result in less motorists living with the grief that they injured or, at the very worst, killed a cyclist.

That kind of grief never goes away.