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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think cyclists should pay tax and insurance?

252 replies

Pumpernickel10 · 19/06/2011 15:45

I'm probably digging a big hole here but I really feel that cyclists should pay road tax and insurance. This is why...
My SIL had a smash yesterday in her car, caused several thousand pounds worth of damage and had whiplash, this happened cause a cyclist rode through a red light causing her to swerve and hit a tree. The cyclist just carried on riding not knowing the damage he had caused. SIL will now lose 12 years no claims cause of this fucking idiot cyclist. He's got no number plate as they don't have them so there no telling who he is. This just doesn't seem right.
AIBU?

OP posts:
Riveninside · 19/06/2011 15:48

'road tax' is a licence to operate heavy machinery on a public highway. Not really applicable to bicycles.

I am sorry about your sil but given cars kill 3000 people a year and maim tens of thousands, theres no real comparision to bicyles is there.

bubblecoral · 19/06/2011 15:48

YANBU at all, cyclists are a massive pain in the arse, but be prepared to be told that you are.

strandedbear · 19/06/2011 15:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ShowOfHands · 19/06/2011 15:51

"cyclists are a massive pain in the arse".

No. Some are. So are some drivers. And some pedestrians. Less to do with mode of transport, more to do with twattery.

Tax and insurance wouldn't help though in the situation you describe. DH was in an accident whilst on his bike and the driver (who was at fault) went to a solicitor and tried to sue him for a lot of money precisely because he wasn't insured and didn't have any leg to stand on (had a broken one actually). He's insured now, as am I. Bike insurance is a good idea but you can't really make it obligatory. Tax not such a good idea.

Original poster
Pumpernickel10 · 19/06/2011 15:51

I understand that riven but he's jumped a red light thinking they are above the law and causing this accident. Sadly where I live there are hardly no cycle paths so they end up on the road.
I agree I probably ABU

OP posts:
Original poster
Pumpernickel10 · 19/06/2011 15:53

Probably taxing isn't a good idea showofhands but maybe insurance would be a way forward. To protect both the cyclist and motorist

OP posts:
mumblechum1 · 19/06/2011 15:53

YANBU. We're surrounded by very twisty narrow lanes and every Sunday, there are hordes of cyclists road racing, often 3 abreast, wrong side of the road etc etc.

They seem to have a death wish, in fact of friend of a friend went hurtling down our hill last year, someone pulled out of a side road, she hit a wall and is now paralysed from the neck down Sad

They should be insured imo, they're not all stupid by any means but once they start road racing they seem to forget that there may be cars round the next corner.

ShowOfHands · 19/06/2011 15:54

But it's not the cycling that's to blame. Same could have happened if a pedestrian stepped into the road. Penalising all cyclists won't help. There are perhaps lots of other things that might, like education about why road knowledge/highway code understanding is a good idea for cyclists and a lot more provision in terms of cycle paths.

Original poster
Pumpernickel10 · 19/06/2011 15:55

I just feel for SIL as she didn't do anything wrong here and if a motorcyclist or a car driver hit her then this would be a different tale but being as though it was a cyclist she's basically fucked and losing precious no claims bonus too.

OP posts:
HeavyHeidi · 19/06/2011 15:55

there is such a system in Switzerland, all bikes must have a bike tax sticker and this gives the cyclist 3rd party liability insurance up to 2 mil CHF.

Riveninside · 19/06/2011 15:56

They should be on he road pumperknickel. They arevehicles. Drivers have bad apples too. Our car was hit by a driver causing massive damage. The driver was untaxed and uninsured and had no licence. He was up in court for multiple drivi g offences. The CPS dropped the case.
Sort out people driving machines that can kill first.

Riveninside · 19/06/2011 15:57

If the driver who hit my car hit your sister she would be in the same boat. Like we were. So many drivers without insurance. Why isnt it enforceable?

Original poster
Pumpernickel10 · 19/06/2011 15:57

Police would soon investigate another motorist jumping a red light and causing a smash but not a cyclist, somewhere the law as to change.

OP posts:
revolutionscoop · 19/06/2011 15:58

Cycle paths are the answer, IMHO. They manage to do it in Holland, why can't it be done here? I would love to be able go on long cycle rides with my children, but there are so few places that are safe for cyclists.

Original poster
Pumpernickel10 · 19/06/2011 15:59

I know riven been hit myself by a uninsured driver who had no tax no MOT and no driving licence. He got a ban and a small fine, I got over £3k of damages :(

OP posts:
Original poster
Pumpernickel10 · 19/06/2011 16:00

We have a few cycle paths in Exeter but they don't always use them I think more should be in place IMO

OP posts:
Riveninside · 19/06/2011 16:00

Sadly they dont. That driver that hit us, he went to court and the case was dropped. Saw him driving again last week. 42 driving offences. Soon he will kill someoe.

As an ex cyclist i loathe cycl e lanes. Slow, full of debris and walkers amd dont go where I need too.
We need more road sharing tolerance.

TrilllianAstra · 19/06/2011 16:00

Should all pedestrians have identifying number plates as well?

AwesomePan · 19/06/2011 16:01

oh I see another cycling-bashing thread in three days.

The OPs situation is extremely rare for an inconsiderate cyclist ot cause sooo much cost. It's usually the driver that kills the cyclist.

So no, cyclists and motorbikers need a great deal more protection, not to be penalised further. ( speaking as a pedestrian, cyclist, former motorbiker, and driver)

ivykaty44 · 19/06/2011 16:01

Motorists don't pay road tax it was abolished in 1937 by Winston Churchill.

Any car on the road pays Vehicle Emmissions Tax and you pay dependent on the emmissions your vehicle makes, so small cars that make very low emmsisions and pay accordingly along with cycles which make no emmisions so they don't have to pay the tax.

Op why don't you go and look into the tax disc on your car or a relatives car first and find out what exactly you are paying in the way of tax and how it is calculated before coming up with a silly idea to reintroduce a tax that was stopped over 70 year ago.

Any cyclist can join the CTC and get automatic insurance, but it isn't law to do so.

there are of course motorists that don't have insurance and the authorities don't seem to be able to regulate them very well - surely that would better tackled first

AwesomePan · 19/06/2011 16:02

cycle lanes don't work because drivers couldn't give a shit about them and will happily drive on them, park on them - indicative of a poor attitude.

Jux · 19/06/2011 16:05

I think it should be possible to have some form of ID on bicycles, like number plates, so that when accidents like this happen both parties Re identifiable.

Mumble chum, I'm really sorry for your friend but no car should be hurtling when surrounded by twisty narrow lanes, side roads etc, particularly in an are where cyclists are known to be utterly irresponsible

Jux · 19/06/2011 16:05

An area, that was.

ivykaty44 · 19/06/2011 16:10

one step further

revolutionscoop · 19/06/2011 16:11

"As an ex cyclist i loathe cycl e lanes. Slow, full of debris and walkers amd dont go where I need too."

"cycle lanes don't work because drivers couldn't give a shit about them and will happily drive on them, park on them - indicative of a poor attitude."

I'm thinking more of Dutch style cycle lanes. These are separate both from the road and from the footpath used by pedestrians. The cycle paths have their own stop lights at intersections, and there's even a separate cycle lane on roundabouts. The lanes and clear, well maintained, and extremely well used. We've been cycling with the children in Holland twice recently, and felt completely safe at all times.