Mick Cooper wants to raise awareness of some exemptions to road rules that help motorists provide the minimum distance when passing cyclists.

To give bike riders enough space, drivers can cross centre lines, even if they are unbroken, “as long as it is safe to do so”, the Centre for Road Safety advises on its website.

The change was part of the minimum passing distance rule, which became permanent in 2018 after a two-year trial.

But Mr Cooper, who is a master ride leader with the Dubbo Bicycle User Group (BUG), says experiences recently suggest the message has not reached all motorists.

“I don’t think a lot of drivers know that because we had one incident a couple of weeks ago where we had four separate issues where motorists came up behind us, gave us a toot, there was nothing too aggressive about it, they gave us a toot,” he said.

“I’m not really sure what they expected us to do, because if they were going to overtake us, there’s nothing we can do.

“So it just appeared to me they didn’t know that they actually could legally overtake us on an unbroken line.”

Mr Cooper, who is also a coach of She Rides, a program to encourage and equip women to cycle, would like to see more community education about the rules.

He suggested Roads and Maritime Services could advertise and mail out pamphlets with car registration slips.

“It’s one of those little things, it’s a bit of an inconvenience thing but it’s one of those things that does annoy motorists if they’re stuck behind riders, there’s a fair bit of angst there.

“So at least if they know they can overtake when it’s safe, that takes all that angst away.”

On average, nine bicycle riders are killed and more than 1900 seriously injured in NSW each year, the Centre for Road Safety reports.