Orange warning lights - do they have any legal power?

[DAKSTER]

I was taking the back way into Caboolture the other day, nice drive, twisty road. A van with an orange light on the roof behind like 100 cyclists. Nowhere to pass, stuck behind them at 40kmh for 5km (100 zone). They took the whole lane, 4 or 5 abreast, and about 100m long. They were stretched out all over the place, no effort whatsoever to make any room for anyone.

I waited at a safe distance until I had the chance to pass safely. I wont say patiently but I certainly did the right thing. When I finally got the chance to pass, several of them flipped the bird at me. That pissed me off.

Its a quiet road, the entire time I was behind them, no-one came up behind me. I would have been the only person they needed to make room for..

Arent orange lights just warning signals that anyone can buy? I thought only blue and red had any legal power. There were no cops or any kind of officaldom about it, just a magnetic flashing light on a transit van with some bike shops signwriting on it.

Does putting an orange light on a van and hanging a hand painted sign on the back saying 'caution cyclists ahead' mean they then have the right to own the road? Or should they still be giving way?

[graham7773]

IMO push bike riders should be forced to register their bikes and sit a test for licences to ride the things. I am talking about "professionals" who claim the road in mobs, not kids riding around the streets near their homes. And there are heaps of skate/bike parks for the kids and cycleways for Mum who just wants a bit of exercise. The amber lights are just to let you know they are there. Same as amber lights on tow trucks. No special powers, just warning lights.

[Jezza]

cyclists giving way that would be a new one

there's a mountain road i like to drive up alot and most of the time at night but occasionally during the day and sometimes i get stuck behind 2 cyclists side by side riding up at about 10km/h and they know your there but dont bother to pull over and let you pass because most of car hating people (i would use other words but im not going to)

and the orange light is just a warning thing and they dont have any legal power

[DAKSTER]

Thats what I figured. About 2k further up the road there is a one lane bridge, if I had had an orange light on board, I would have parked on the bridge, put up the orange light and chucked a line in.. oh wait maybe not did I mention there was at least 100 of them lol.. but I would have had just as much legal right I reckon.

They run in packs, what can you do? You arent allowed to open the door on them these days.

[axemurderer101]

get yourself a big smokey diesel lol

[ari666]

cyclists are intitled to the entire lane, so if there is a single unbroken white line, then legally speaking you cant overtake.


but i just checked vicroads and it says they are now allowed to ride 2 abrest, and if there are 2 then they must be 1.5 meters apart. so not sure about 100 of them

[ephect]

have have always been allowed to ride 2 abreast, i remember this from 20 years ago.. its legal and they dont have to move over for you or anyone, BUT it is courteous, same thing when on the freeway and someone faster is coming up behind you.

[Munz]

they're all morons IMHO, in the city they are worse

[Jonno]

their supposed to be single file i think. thats why everyone hates them cos they ride how ever many wide they want
and no a orange light is just warning

[monkeys437]

I got abused by one in Melbourne the other week because I stepped in front of him when he was flying along at like 40km/h and nearly made him crash. Strangely I was never really taught to stop and look both ways when crossing a footpath.....

[304runner]

They are actually encouraged to ride two or more abreast... Perfectly legal....

[writeoff]

The question should be 'how many points is it for taken out a cyclist?' and the answer would be 50 points each plus a 10% combo bonus.

50 X 100 + 10% = 5500, which is a reasonable score (score might vary depending who you ask)

[strgas]

loved the dirty diesel clip . sometime ago i was driving from maryborough to avoca at the time there was a large cycle event happening around the area it was so annoying having to slow down and get stuck behind these slow moving vehicles and large groups of riders who thought they owned the roads and took up both lanes when they felt like it , after clashing with a number of so called officials claiming the roads where closed due to the riders events this was untrue , after talking with the local boys in blue the attitude was to just put up with it for the time being and to avoid them if possible , as for the roads being closed this was not the case they didnt have the right to close the roads or the power too , the very next day once again driving along and another large group of riders and there support vehicles taking up both lanes coming towards me in a 100 kph zone open road , didnt take long for them to move off the road once they saw the bull bar coming at them passed by the group with lots of comments being exchanged then up the road a group of officals tried to stop me in the middle of the road bad idea . never did receive any complaints about that day .

[Drawnnite]

i would say the orange flashing light is just as a warning for other road users that something is going on.
we have them at work and its pretty much so you can either be seen, or see these other people easily. as the orange flashes do draw your attention.
which atleast it tells you something else is happening up ahead. rather then to scream up and have to slam the brakes on etc.

as for the bike riding, they have to follow the same road laws as "drivers".
i ride bikes (no not lycra clad road style) but mountain bikes. i also drive cars (obviously)
i choose not to ride on the road for my own safety, even though after the age of 14 (may be lower) it is "illegal" to ride on the footpath.

its just a shame that some riders abuse the rights they have. all it would take is some common curtosy and everyone would be happy

[IBLOWN]

Some of them are rude assholes.

I used to have this cyclist pull up to the same set of lights on the way home from work. When he'd pull up he wouldnt be bothered to take his feet out of his clips so he would pull up next to a car and lean with his sweaty hand on their rear quarters.

He did it to me once and you can probably guess what happened when i moved forwards quickly...

[Crisis63]

Lol, they put up “cycling event in progress” signs on the road out front of my joint on weekends and we are supposed to give a shit. While bunches of wannabes hold up the traffic. If I want to play football I need to get an oval, if they want to race bikes they need a race track. Or get out of the way.

[Crisis63]

They are actually encouraged to ride two or more abreast... Perfectly legal....

I believe two abreast is, but no more.

[Pickle']

50 X 100 + 10% = 550

Lol? Did you ever make it to school?

[Troy711]

Keep a box of thumb tacks in your car and drop them out the window in front of the pack.

[Reaper]

have have always been allowed to ride 2 abreast, i remember this from 20 years ago.. its legal and they dont have to move over for you or anyone, BUT it is courteous, same thing when on the freeway and someone faster is coming up behind you.

As somebody who gets out on the old bike as often as I can, it may be courteous to stay as far to the left as possible however I deliberately stay out far enough to make sure the driver has to make a concious effort to go around me. If I'm riding with my tire just off from the gutter *many* cars just take their normal path and don't deviate around the rider at all leaving little if any margin for error. If it's a busy or 2 lane road I'll make sure the car must move at least 1/2 a width into the next lane (ie think about it) for my own safety. This method seems to work the best.

That said, I wouldn't be riding for km on end deliberately holding up a huge freight train of cars either.

Reaper

[Ando2694]

One time i was in my cousins car, and she drove up real close to a cyclist, and her friend in the passenger seat leant out the window and slapped his ass. It was the funniest thing i have ever seen haha

[Troy711]

I heard a story about a bike rider in Canberra who was sick of cars driving too close to him so he rigged up a thick piece of wire that stuck out from under his seat to scratch any cars that were in range.

[kniever]

One time i was in my cousins car, and she drove up real close to a cyclist, and her friend in the passenger seat leant out the window and slapped his ass. It was the funniest thing i have ever seen haha

ive wanted to do that so many times for a good laugh

[Pickle']

I heard a story about a bike rider in Canberra who was sick of cars driving too close to him so he rigged up a thick piece of wire that stuck out from under his seat to scratch any cars that were in range.

More people should do this

[Grennan]

Keep a box of thumb tacks in your car and drop them out the window in front of the pack.

#### that. Carry around a broom stick and throw it between their spokes as you pass.

Also works for motorbikes lane splitting smacking your door mirrors as they pass. Broom out the window. Done.