Becky B Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 I think cyclists over the 18 should be managed by the police just like any other road user: 1. Should have a road user test 2. Carry insurance (my dad is a wheel chair user and has to have 3 party insurance, he moves slower than a push bike). 3. Should be registered, so if they are involved in an accident, they then can be prosicuted like any other road user. # 4. the bike should carry a reg plate. Ok they won't be caught by speed cameras unles its a steep hill. I think every pedestrian who has to cross a road should be registered and insured too, in case they are involved in an accident whilst crossing, or damage a vehicle parked on the road whilst walking along the pavement. What does everyone else think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchresearch Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 If they're on the pavement surely they shouldn't have to come into contact with a vehicle? Unless it's one of those selfish ones who parks half their car on the pavement. Then it's fair game on wing mirrors I'm afraid! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BasilRathbon Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 There's been countless threads about cyclists during my time on the forum, but they've all been started by motorists. I'm a cyclist who doesn;t drive, so why is it that I'm starting to find other cyclists amongst the most annoying of my fellow road users? I'm that rarest of things; a considerate cyclist. I never go through red lights, I always choose the safest option and I'm happy to pull over to let faster vehicles get past me on narrow roads. Yet the other cyclists I see on my rides seem to be totally self-obsessed, perpetually angry and think that the highway code isn't relevant to them. The worst of these, surprisingly, isn't the young lads with their BMXs and mountain bikes; it's the "pro" cyclists, clad head to foot in lycra with designer helmets and shades, some even wearing headpohnes so they can't hear traffic approaching. At road junctions they always assume they have right of way and anyone who gets in their way (even if they're a fellow cyclist) gets a volley of abuse. Increasingly, they're starting to ride with the same lack of consideration on off-road cycle routes such as towpaths, scattering walkers, dog owners and anyone else who gets in their way without even ringing a bell or calling out as they approach from behind. It used to be that there was a kind of "fellowship of the road" amongst cyclists. If you saw one coming the other way you'd always shout a friendly greeting at them, and if you overtook another one you'd exchange a few words. You might wonder why this should concern me, but I find that when I'm out on my bike, other road users treat me by the same standards as the "bad" cyclists, thus even though I ride safely and considerately, I rarely get treated with the same respect by motorists. Some even look shocked when I do stop at red lights! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 I'm spending some time in London at the moment and the behaviour you mention is far far more prevalent down here BR. I've not seen a cyclist stop for a red light once, I've also seen cars nearly run them over several times, sometimes the cars fault and sometimes the bike. It doesn't have to be like that, maybe we should solve it by pushing 'bad' cyclists off when we overtake them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squiggs Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Here's an interesting experiment http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3311182.ece Not like America where a cyclist can legally turn right (turning against the kerb, equivelant to our turning left) through a red light, the Parisian experiment allows for going straight ahead. It does not seem to include turning left (across the carriageway) -as this would involve waiting in the middle of the junction, as would in our turning right I'm not saying this will work, I'm quite happy to wait at a red light (at the top of some hills I pray for a red light as an excuse to catch my breath! lol) but would be interested in seeing the results. Whether it ends up with cyclist spattered on the roads as liberally as chewing gum down The Moor, or whether it works quite well. There are some good points raised in favour, notably that cyclists are not the same as cars, they do not cause the same congestion and degree of hazard, so some rules designed for the specifics of cars and larger vehicles may not be apt It doesn't however give carte-blanche for a cyclist to career across any junction without looking - a caricature of the red light jumping cyclist that is probably in the minority. It also seems to allow for some junctions to retain light control for cyclists, in the absence of a yellow sign - I can think of some junctions where ANY vehicle proceeding through red would have to be mad (disregarding the present legalities) I'm impartial on this really, as I say, red lights don't bother me overly - but I'll be interested in the results of the experiment and applaud Paris for trying it out, whatewer the result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Unfortunately Squiggs I can't imagine this happening in the UK. As a nation we're desperate to bring everyone down to our own level and the idea of somebody else getting something that we're not just won't do - no matter how much sense it makes, or how little impact it has on them. I'll now step back and let the SF massiv take the floor to prove the sad truth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sibon Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Excellent. A pan European, red light based,cycling thread with undertones of Tory philosophy thrown in for good measure. This should be well worth a watch:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeMaquis Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Excellent. A pan European, red light based,cycling thread with undertones of Tory philosophy thrown in for good measure. This should be well worth a watch:) How long till Islam gets blamed for bad cyclists and bad car drivers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Triple popcorn please usher! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llamatron Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I am a cyclist and know that most cyclists spend a lot of effort trying not to get killed. However today (admittedly at 6:30 so there were very few cars around) I saw an idiot with no lights and no helmet turning right at an island by turning right onto it (ie going the wrong way round) then coming off into the lane for traffic approaching the roundabout from that turn (there were bollards in the middle). What a prize idiot:loopy: He must have saved himself about 5 m and maybe half a second:rant: I feel the same about drivers that rev and swerve to get round me before the road narrows for traffic lights etc just to hit the back of the traffic jam ahead earlier-seriously why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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