View source for Cycling in Victoria

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
Cycling in the [[Australia]]n state of [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] (including its capital [[Cycling in Melbourne|Melbourne]]) is a popular pastime, sport and way of getting around since at least 1896, as indicated by the [[Banjo Paterson]] poem [[Mulga Bill's Bicycle]]. Cycling in Victoria has been encouraged by the development of bicycle networks in town and cities throughout the state, and many regional [[rail trails]]. The sports popularity has been encouraged by the success of racing clubs such as the [[St Kilda Cycling Club]] and Victorian racing riders such as [[Cadel Evans]], [[Simon Gerrans]] and [[Matthew Lloyd (cyclist)|Matthew Lloyd]]. Organised rides held annually including the [[Great Victorian Bike Ride]], and races held in Victoria include the [[Herald Sun Tour]].

== Regional rail trails ==
[[File:Map of rail trails of Victoria Stevage.png|thumb|450px|right|Map showing all rail trails in Victoria.]]
Victoria also has many developed [[rail trails]] suitable for cycling<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visitvictoria.com/Things-to-do/Outdoor-activities/Cycling/Cycling-trails |title=Cycling Trails |work=Visit Victoria |access-date=29 March 2015}}</ref> including:
* [[Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail]], [[Ballarat]]
* [[Bass Coast Rail Trail]], South [[Gippsland]]
* [[Bellarine Rail Trail]], [[Bellarine Peninsula]]
* [[Crater to Coast Rail Trail]], [[Camperdown, Victoria|Camperdown]]
* [[East Gippsland Rail Trail]], [[East Gippsland]]
* [[Great Southern Rail Trail]], South Gippsland
* [[High Country Rail Trail]], [[Lake Hume]]
* [[Yallourn railway line|Moe-Yallourn Rail Trail]]
* [[Murray to the Mountains]], [[Wangaratta]]
* [[O'Keefe Rail Trail]], [[Bendigo]]
* [[Old Beechy Rail Trail]], [[Colac, Victoria|Colac]]
* [[Tyers Valley Tramway]], Gippsland
* [[Warburton Trail]], [[Warburton, Victoria|Warburton]]
* [[Drouin to Warragul Trail]], [[Drouin, Victoria|Drouin]] - [[Warragul]], Gippsland
* [[Linear Park Arts Discovery Trail]], Warragul, Gippsland
* [[Rokeby to Neerim Trail]], Gippsland

==Safety==
According to [[VicRoads]] hazards that cause cycling fatalities and injuries include "side impact at intersections", "manoeuvring", "lane change" as well as collisions between car doors and cyclists in the [[door zone]], commonly referred to as "car dooring" in Australia.

In Victoria it is illegal to "cause a hazard to any person or vehicle by opening a door of a vehicle, leaving a door of a vehicle open, or getting off, or out of, a vehicle" and it is also illegal to flee the scene of such an accident.<ref name="age">{{cite web |url=https://www.theage.com.au/victoria/police-urged-to-charge-passenger-after-cyclist-cardoored-in-cbd-20140318-34zr2.html |title=Police urged to charge passenger after cyclist car-doored in CBD |last=Carey |first=Adam |date=18 March 2014 |work=[[The Age]] |access-date=29 March 2015}}</ref>

While there were 1112 collisions caused by opening doors in the Australian state of  Victoria between 2000 and 2010, the first fatality occurred in March 2010, when a car door opening caused university student James Cross to be propelled under the wheels of a passing truck.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/reflecting-on-a-tragedy-20111125-1nzd7.html |title=Reflecting on a tragedy |last1=Power |first1=Liza |date=26 November 2011 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |access-date=29 March 2015}}</ref> Eight percent of serious injuries to cyclists between 2006 and 2010 were cause by car doorings.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.slatergordon.com.au/media-centre/media-releases/heavy-toll-car-dooring-incidents-points-need-bigger-fines |title=Heavy toll of car dooring incidents points to need for bigger fines |date=31 August 2012 |work=[[Slater and Gordon Lawyers]] |access-date=29 March 2015}}</ref>

In July 2012 Victoria increased the on-the-spot penalty for car dooring from $141 to $352, also increasing the maximum court imposed penalty from $432 to $1408.<ref name="age" /> In March 2015 stickers were placed in taxis in the state, advising passengers to look for bicycles before leaving the vehicle; at the time 13% of car dooring incidents in the state involved taxis.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-28/melbourne-cyclists-welcome-taxi-sticker-to-curb-car-dooring-risk/6355404 |title=Victorian cyclists welcome taxi stickers to curb car dooring risk weeks after Alberto Paulon's death |date=28 March 2015 |work= [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |access-date=29 March 2015}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Australian Cyclists Party]]
* [[Cycling in Melbourne]]
* [[Cycling in Geelong]]
* [[Outline of cycling]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Cycling in different countries and cities}}
{{Rail_Trails_of_Victoria}}

[[Category:Cycling in Victoria (state)]]