Even with video evidence, only a few dozen fines are dished out for breaking this law

Michael Bradbrook is riding to work on Chapel Hill Road just before 7am when a four-wheel drive whizzes past, just centimetres away from his right arm.

Whenever Bradbrook rides that stretch – a rat-run for people avoiding sections of congested Moggill Road – he anticipates that drivers will ignore the one-metre minimum passing distance laws, which mark their 10th anniversary this year.

“I knew this one was fast and close when I felt the wind on my left elbow and shoulder,” he said.

“I flinched but held my line, not wanting to deviate or cause myself to hit the parked cars on the left due to my own reaction.

“It’s not the first time, or the second, so I know that riding predictably is important for my safety.”

Bradbrook bought front and rear cameras for his bike after experiencing close passes and feeling like he couldn’t do anything about it without evidence.

In this case, he sent the footage to police and the driver was fined $500, but he said that often, no action was taken.

In Queensland, motorists must leave a minimum one-metre distance when passing a bicycle or e-scooter rider in a 60km/h or less speed zone, or 1.5 metres when the speed limit is more than 60km/h.

The law was made permanent in Queensland in 2016 after a two-year trial sparked by a string of cyclists’ deaths, including that of violinist Richard Pollett, who was killed by a truck on Moggill Road.

But despite riders regularly sending videos to police, just 36 infringements related to cyclists and two for e-scooters were issued last financial year.

That was similar to the number of fines issued to bike riders last year for not having brakes or a bell.

According to a survey run by Amy’s Foundation, almost every Queensland rider had experienced a close pass, and about 54 per cent said it happened on most or every ride.

Of the Queensland riders who reported a close pass to police, 78 per cent provided video evidence.

From those incidents with footage, almost one in three resulted in a fine, and 21 per cent in a warning to the driver. But 28 per cent of riders never heard back from police, and 10 per cent were told no action could be taken.

Katherine Bates from Amy’s Foundation, which advocated for minimum passing laws, said the safest thing for cyclists was physical separation from vehicles, but on shared roads, passing distance laws needed to be enforceable and enforced.

“Driver education matters too, particularly for newly licensed drivers who need to understand the law before they get behind the wheel,” Bates said.

But while drivers broadly knew the rules, she said, “what’s missing is consequence”.

She called for Queensland to adopt the ACT’s model, where a rider can submit video of a close pass and police send the fine and demerit points to the registered owner of the vehicle.

“An officer still reviews the evidence, but the process is efficient, and it doesn’t require police to be on every road at the time of the incident,” Bates said.

“Ultimately, this is about mutual respect on our roads – every cyclist is someone’s parent, partner, child.”

Bicycle Queensland chief executive Matthew Burke said the issue was frequently raised by members.

“A consistent message we heard from the cycling community, and especially out in the regions, was that drivers are beginning to ignore the minimum passing distance rules and get really close to cyclists again,” he said.

“It’s been a decade now since the laws first came in.

“Queensland riders told us they wanted a ‘refresher’ advertising campaign to reinforce these messages and knowledge of the laws.”

Burke encouraged members to use clip-on bike cameras, if they could afford them, and to report dangerous driving behaviour.

A Queensland Police spokeswoman said the service was committed to community safety and ensuring roads, bikeways and footpaths were safe for vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians.

“We ask drivers to be on the lookout for cyclists and PMD [personal mobility devices], be patient and ensure to allow the minimum passing distance,” she said.

A CARRS-Q evaluation of the two-year trial found the rule was difficult for police to enforce and drivers were concerned about their ability to comply on narrow or windy roads, or when there was oncoming traffic.

However, research from Western Australia showed its laws, and a publicity campaign, resulted in only small improvements to overtaking behaviour, while protected infrastructure provided greater safety.

A Queensland Transport and Main Roads spokesperson said the government’s StreetSmarts program promoted bicycle and e-mobility safety through a year-round social media program that reaches more than 1.5 million road users annually.

“TMR will continue to promote this content in 2026 to further raise awareness of the minimum passing distance rule,” they said.

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