cyclists!

[geomuss]

In this green age now. with more and more people going on bikes.

i think we need a slight overhaul.

1. every bike should have insurance, they are just as likely to be in a crash as a motor vehicle, (oh and they make lovely tram lines down the side of my motor)

2. bike tax.
surely they are damaging the tarmac they ride upon, so they should pay for its upkeep as well.

3. proper instructions on how to ride the bloody thing..
not riding 12 wide across the street, not weaving in and out of traffic like a
demented mad man/woman, riding blatantly through red lights etc etc

just a thought?

[Sporran]

but wouldnt a bike fall in category A car tax

[johntheexpat]

Or......

ban motorists.












Joke, if you were wondering.
and if you were seriously wondering then ......

[Praxidike]

I see the point about insurance, but in a collision between a bike and a car, there's only going to be one loser.

Bike tax - no.

Training - yes. You can go and pick up a bike, and legally run on roads you have no idea how to use and just get in the way. There should be some way of teaching everyone before they're allowed to use a bike - but then that's just going to stop people from bothering.

[avinitski]

Bikes do not cause traffic jams, so that makes things about even me thinks.

Tax on bikes i just cannot see this happening.

Training yes good idea.

Weaving in and out of traffic is an issue but far more for motor bikes, you do not know which side they will come past you, could be the left side could be the right, and it only takes a second for them to appear from nowhere, im not surprised at all there are so many motor bike accidents.

[miceri]

Here in Sweden kiddies (And I mean 17yo's) can ride an EU moped on the roads without any license at all.

They are all over the place, not safe, have more power in their right hands than they need. Drive me crackers they do.

Same as for cyclists I reckon, if you will be on the road - You need training! You might feel safe and secure, but so does the driver of that 50ton artic bearing down on you without your lights on.

Don't know how the insurance bit would work to be honest, but a specific training course / test / spot checks etc, YES!

PS - I love to bike, I simply have an opinion from both sides...

[MikeTV]

Originally Posted by geomuss

In this green age now. with more and more people going on bikes.

i think we need a slight overhaul.

1. every bike should have insurance, they are just as likely to be in a crash as a motor vehicle, (oh and they make lovely tram lines down the side of my motor):

I think that is covered already - if someone damages your car, such as a pedestrian, or a cyclist, they should pay for the repairs. I think that's the law - you can't go around damaging other people's property. I don't think insurance will solve that problem. But as a cyclist, I am confused as to how you have ended up with tram lines down the side your car. If my handle bars were to clip an object, it would immediately cause me to turn and crash into the object. The worst that I have ever done is clip a wing mirror squeezing through traffic, for which I apologised, of course, and no harm was done except to my nerves.

Originally Posted by geomuss

2. bike tax.
surely they are damaging the tarmac they ride upon, so they should pay for its upkeep as well.

Let's tax pedestrians and Heelies. Surely they are damaging the pavements.

Originally Posted by geomuss

3. proper instructions on how to ride the bloody thing..
not riding 12 wide across the street, not weaving in and out of traffic like a
demented mad man/woman, riding blatantly through red lights etc etc

I believe technically, cyclists are allowed to ride two abreast, and then they occupy roughly the same space on the road as a car. But cyclists should only do this in light traffic conditions, I think.

I agree with you about demented cycling, but the advice I have read from the authorities is that cyclists should ride assertively, and I agree. Cyclists should definitely ride responsibly, of course. But traffic lights are a problem, because they cause the cars to bunch up. This makes pulling away from the traffic lights exceedingly dangerous for cyclists. It is often far safer for a cyclist to pull away ahead of the traffic, so that cars can overtake them one at a time, instead of three at a time. That's the main reason why cyclists jump traffic lights. It may seem like they are doing it out of impatience, but in fact they are usually doing it to get away from the congestion, which is much safer for everybody, including the car drivers. I don't think car drivers always appreciate that. In the ideal world, there would be special traffic lights for cyclists, that allowed them to get ahead of the traffic, before releasing the cars. But they don't exist, unfortunately, and so some cyclists choose to break the law by jumping lights (which is actually no more dangerous to the cyclist than a pedestrian crossing a busy road, because they have complete visibility of the road condition).

Obviously there will always be some cyclists who behave recklessly and irresponsibly, just like some car drivers and some pedestrians. And the police have the power to penalise them (and they do, if they catch them). So, I don't think any new laws are necessary.

I just wanted to put the other side of the argument.

[oxygenuk]

Bike tax wont help getting more people on bikes...

[Miyazaki]

Originally Posted by Praxidike

I see the point about insurance, but in a collision between a bike and a car, there's only going to be one loser.

Bike tax - no.

Training - yes. You can go and pick up a bike, and legally run on roads you have no idea how to use and just get in the way. There should be some way of teaching everyone before they're allowed to use a bike - but then that's just going to stop people from bothering.

I remember everyone at primary school having training to use a bicycle.

I think that the driving test needs to be more robust.

How many fatalities are there per year involving bicycles compared to cars?

[MikeTV]

Originally Posted by Games Guru

I think that the driving test needs to be more robust.

Maybe they should introduce a section about other types of road vehicle - motor bikes, bicycles, lorries and buses. A lot of car drivers don't seem to realise the difficulty all these types of vehicle have in negotiating our narrow, car-filled roads, and assume they are just like cars. Ie. what is the stopping distance of a 30 ton articulated lorry in the wet? How much space does a lorry need to pull out of a junction? Why should you not park in a bus lane when visiting the local newsagents, etc.

Car drivers seem completely ignorant of these things.

[geomuss]

does the highway code not state the cyclist, "should cycle in single file",
mind you tell that to the cycle clubs that think they can cycle in formation, at any speed.

A friend of mine came out from a side street, to be broadsided by a cyclist weaving between cars.

now this bloke has no money, too pay for repairs to the vehicle, so whats my friend left with a dented side & bust headlight, his cost 300 on excess.

a simple disc on the bike to say it was insured, or marking etched into it?

as for taxing pedestrains, we do its called council tax!

[MikeTV]

Originally Posted by geomuss

does the highway code not state the cyclist, "should cycle in single file",

When I did my cycling proficiency (and that was a very, very, long time ago indeed) they said 2 abreast was OK, subject to traffic conditions. It's amazing the things you remember.

[Miyazaki]

Originally Posted by MikeTV

Maybe they should introduce a section about other types of road vehicle - motor bikes, bicycles, lorries and buses. A lot of car drivers don't seem to realise the difficulty all these types of vehicle have in negotiating our narrow, car-filled roads, and assume they are just like cars. Ie. what is the stopping distance of a 30 ton articulated lorry in the wet? How much space does a lorry need to pull out of a junction? Why should you not park in a bus lane when visiting the local newsagents, etc.

Car drivers seem completely ignorant of these things.

I can't understand why the driving test does not include motorway driving. When I drive, I spend most of the time on the motorway and it is bizarre that it is not included as standard.

Equally, you can be qualified to drive a car, and drive a van with no further tuition. I kacked myself when I first drove a van, they are completely different to cars!

[Miyazaki]

Bicycles have as much right to be on the road as any other vehicle.

If there is any problem, it is that there is not enough cycle lanes.

[pringtef]

The best way to travel here in Amsterdam, dedicated cycle paths throughout the city. Though the law falls so much on the cyclists side that there are really some crazy cyclists out here. If an accident occurs between a car and a bike, the law falls on the cyclists side.