To think that cyclists should no longer be treated as ‘exempt’ from the law?

[Amch]

I’m in no way trying to be difficult, but this is a situation that I find is getting rather problematic, dangerous and very unfair.

In my opinion, ALL road users should be identifiable and able to be held accountable for any wrongdoing.

I am in complete support of cyclists, but the fact that it is lawless for them is very unfair. Sometimes, like all road users, cyclists decision making and actions are unjust, these actions can cause and has caused serious harm.

I’ve had various personal experiences where on multiple occasions cyclists have completely ignored red lights, they’ve narrowly missed pedestrians whilst crossing roads. Just recently a cyclist knocked on the rear window of a car in front of me (the car had stopped due to traffic) in order to try to get the car to move over for them to squeeze through.

This particular cyclist had a camera on their helmet, as a lot of them now do and I do believe it’s a great move for them to wear cameras on their helmets. Of course other road users can also cause harm, drive aggressively, competitively and can cause harm to cyclists who are clearly more vulnerable in the sense that their mode of transport offers nil protection.

However, it seems very one sided that cyclists cameras are able to identify and report other road users, yet cyclists themselves cannot be in any way be held accountable for any wrongdoing on their part.

I’m interested in hearing other opinions, from all points of view.

The actual solution would be to massively reduce the numbers if cars on the the roads. Then there would be plenty of space for the (now significantly increased numbers of) cyclists and the average speeds would be slower and the number and consequences of accidents would be less.

Goodness! Don’t let the facts get in the way of your prejudice will you?!!!

You’re weirdly attached to the second smallest cause of accidents

I think it's pretty common sense that everyone on the road should be identifiable.

I wouldn't agree with a test for cyclists or any kind of tax because I agree we don't want to put up too many barriers to cycling. I live in a busy city and the vast majority of cyclists are safe road users. I often see cyclists running red lights though, I think that's a real problem.

It's no different to someone walking around and assaulting someone. They are identified by CCTV, witness statements etc. Or do you think everyone should be implanted with a trackable chip?

It's actually large number of car drivers who are responsible for serious harm to cyclists. Including to a family member who has been hit by a careless driver twice. On one of these occasions another driver stopped to scream abuse at my loved one who was lying in the road after being thrown off her bike.

But is that because most people would not report an incident unless serious? With a helmet, lycra and those glasses, they are hardly identifiable.

I think often pedestrians are much more identifiable than cyclists, many of whom wear helmets/glasses etc and travel at speed. It's quite rare for me to see a cyclist riding round the city I live in without a helmet (thankfully).

@tygertygers Much easier just to be able to quickly identify via a license plate, no?

I thought the highway code/rules of the road were for all road users. Had no idea when I was on my bike I'm legally exempt from road laws. That's kinda crazy!!

I'm not a fan of cyclists due to living rural with lots of narrow winding roads.

But, it's still a no from me. I have seen far more dangerous behaviours from car drivers on said narrow roads than cyclists

At best cyclists slow you down, at worst, they are a nuisance... but that doesn't justify car drivers doing deathly* maneuvers in order to overtake cyclists.

• referring to cyclists and oncoming traffic!

How would you propose we do this?

Test etc... what about children, riding down to the park?

Insurance? but that would hit the less well off and what about a banned motorist who needs a bicycle to get to work? uninsurable at a reasonable cost.

Number plates?..... have you seen a modern racing bike, where would they go and still be visible?
How would you set up and run a licensing data base? DVLC costs 100s of millions to run, so registration, just like on cars would have to be v expensive, as there are just 6m regular cyclists in the UK... again, children on bikes...

A bicycle can easily exceed 20mph or even 30 on a down hill but there is no requirement to have a speedo, how would you retrofit millions of bicycles with legally calibrated speedos?

Finally, there are around 1800 people killed annually on UK roads buy cars, approx 300 are children, an estimated 2m drivers don't have ins or even an MOT, millions of drivers drink drive/speed/cause accidents, regulation doesn't stop this.

So there is the issue of enforcement.

Look.... i recently followed, on my bicycle, a group of cyclists, their riding was appalling, rather than continue following them, i went another route, so i certainly don't think cyclists are all angels but i do believe the bigger issue is with cars and terrible driving standards.

We ve major congestion and obesity in the UK, do we really want to curtail cycling? what next runners..... because they forced me off the local canal path?

It's quite rare for me to see a cyclist riding round the city I live in without a helmet (thankfully)

Thankfully? What difference does it make to you whether I wear a helmet or not? Do you mean you don’t have to give me as much room if I’m wearing a helmet?

You re not, you can still go to jail for some serious cycling offences, in fact you re many times more likely to be jailed for killing someone on your bicycle than you ever would if you killed someone in your car.

You can also be stopped and warned for speeding too.... just like used to happen for minor infringements before cameras.

I think that any costs should be proportionate to the size of the problem

And cyclists are at so much risk from cars that before we start looking at the laws around cyclists we should.

Enforce 20mph on all urban roads as this reduces death and serious injury when an accident occurs

any road or junction that sees repeated cyclist or pedestrian fatalities should be closed to all cars and lorrys

Note that of course any road that sees multiple pedestrians killed by cyclists should be closed to bikes as well

The other night, I was in a traffic queue and let a cyclist safely out of a side road as I could see the other way was clear.
As she carefully pulled out, a massive motorbike overtook my stopped car on the other side of the road and ploughed into her. The poor girl was luckily ok, but how about we also stop motorbikes and scooters from thinking it's ok to do this. It's actually illegal and bloody dangerous. Horrible situation

The licence plate would have to be the size of a car's to be visible. Not very practical is it? Especially on a children's bike. I have something like six children's bikes in the garage that the kids and their mates use. Would I have to register all of them? And get six number plates? The thought of the Barbie bike, the Spiderman bike with large licence plates on the back is actually quite funny.

I have no issues with cyclists but they constantly break the law on the roads. Just the other day I was crossing at a red light (green walking) and a cyclist nearly smashed into me. Absolutely terrifying and I'm heavily pregnant!

I think I would start by treating a driving licence as a privilege not a right, and banning people for far longer if they are convicted of dangerous driving, and for life if they kill or seriously injure anyone. That would make the roads far safer and considerably less congested. Then go after the minority of cyclists who kill or injure people. And reintroduce cycling proficiency in schools. Sitting in your lethal metal box and sounding off about vulnerable road users who take up a fraction of the road space and cause a fraction of the carnage is not a good look

I completely agree - and also as road users should pay road tax in my opinion.
in australia its illegal to cycle on the road without a helmet - not in the uk and people risk head injuries

@GiantHornets why on earth would you come to that conclusion? Why would a cyclist wearing a helmet or not make a difference to the amount of space I leave when I pass them?

I said 'thankfully' because it's safer!

I can see why vehicles have to ride wide of cyclists but can't understand why cyclists don't follow the same rule and force themselves between vehicles in tiny gaps, bumping vehicles and knocking wing mirrors askew.

Cyclists, pedestrians and riders have a right to use the highways (bar motorways and some local restrictions).
Motorists have no such right, they are given permission via a license and they must pay for their vehicles to be on the road, that permission can be withdrawn if they fail to obey the law.

Yes please, @Amch. What is your evidence for this?

I commute daily on my bike and the behaviour that I see from drivers is appalling. I feel vulnerable every single day.

It's a bit like an intercity train passing through a station Vs stopped in a station. HTH

Ding ding ding! Road tax mention alert.

There is no such thing as 'road tax'. It is a tax on emissions. Roads are maintained out of the general tax pot.