AIBU to think cyclists should pay tax and insurance?

[Pumpernickel10]

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?

riven, you can either become a member for boris' bikes or pay per use by debit or credit card. don't know if they are adjustable, but my brother (over 6ft) used one when he visited us without problems. more info here

I love the Boris bikes. I work across two sites. They are a 20 minute walk apart or a 5 min bike. I also frequently have to have meetings all over central London. It's far quicker to hop on the bike, leaving more time for MN working.

This city is appalling for the treatment of cyclists. Lots of beeping, bad overtaking, they dont wait till the oncoming lane is clear, swearing plus once they have passed you and theres a line of stuck traffic, many will swerve nto the kerb so you cant get past the traffic queue using the bicycle lane.
Its getting worse too. Dh has cycle commuted for 7 years and says drivers are getting more and more aggressive. Thing is, drivers being aggressive to other drivers might lead to a small dent but doing it to a cyclist can result in death, broken bones or brain injury :(
Right now i cant cycle due to disability but towards the end when i was getti g slower - under 10 mph, the attitudes were beginning to scare me. As do the potholes. A pothole a driver wouldnt notice will flip a biccyle at speed. Drivers often dont see those holes from inside their boxes. Its why a cyclist might suddenly swerve and why many cycle the safe distance of roughly three feet from the kerb. Which is what they should be doing. On narrow roads they legally are allowed to 'take the lane' and cars must wait untul its safe to overtake.

It's that need for cyclists to swerve round something that a car would just drive over that makes me hang back behind cyclists when there's enough space just to get past, but not enough to get past and leave the cyclist swerving room. I bet I have drivers behind me thinking 'Why isn't that stupid woman going past that cyclist?' - but I'd rather hang back until I'm sure there's enough space.

I used to cycle to work in Manchester, for about a year, until I moved to somewhere too far from work to cycle, and even then (mumblemumbletwentyfiveyearsagomumble), it was fairly hairy. I was lucky in that I was only forced off the road once, and only had one instance of a driver turning left across my path as I went straight across a junction.

Riveninside Thu 23-Jun-11 09:09:06
You were in the wrong there lady. You must stop at a pedestrian crissing even uf someone is on wheels.

No, I only have to stop at a pedestrian crossing if there are pedestrians waiting to cross. She was not a pedestrian. Unless you count "on wheels" as wheelchair and zimmer frame, which obviously count as pedestrians.

No my children don't ride bikes, as my eldest is just learning to walk.

My husband's brother died from a cycling accident. He would have lived if he had been wearing a helmet according to the doctors.

It depends on the type of crossing. Cyclists can ride across a Toucan crossing.

A lone cyclist can't surely Mynames - but two can.

Sorry - couldn't resist.

"Crossing the road
79
Do not ride across equestrian crossings, as they are for horse riders only. Do not ride across a pelican, puffin or zebra crossing. Dismount and wheel your cycle across."

Cycle Law

It doesn't say 'drive onto the crossing and harangue people because you think you have the right to'

No, but by law I don't have to stop.

She was breaking the law, I was not.

Is it legal to stop in the middle of the road to berate a pedestrian or cyclist? It certainly isn't good driving practice.

Lady, were their feet touching the floor? that makes them a pedestrian. It sounds like you have a poor attitude to cyclists.

Sounds from what you wrote "she was waiting to cross" that you were in the wrong.

You do know that windscreens are transparent?

That every other person who witnessed your little act of road rage thinks you are a cunt?

Someone you know could have seen you have a little temper tantrum from your car window.

Aren't you ashamed to behave like that in public?

no, I'm sure it's illegal to stop on a zebra crossing. To claim you were doing it to berate someone else, who wasn't doing anything illegal, isn't your best defense, is it?
sounds like you have isshooos with cyclists in general.

Pan - I hope you noticed that I sided with the cyclist here.

yes to insurance

should also have compulsory classes to learn the highway code and 99% of cyclists seem to think Road Traffic Laws dont apply to them

OP

I am sorry to hear of your SIL's accident.

The cyclist was obviously in the wrong and should have been caught and made to face the consequences. How to do this when cycles are not registered makes this very difficult for your SIL and the police. Even if the cyclist was caught if they have no insurance then this makes the problem far worse.

It seems to me that if someone takes the decision wants to take a vehicle or animal on the road, be it cars, cyclists, horses, farmers moving livestock or anyone then they should have to have some form of idendification and insurance.

Using the road is a choice, not a right.

I ride my horses on the roads, as well as driving a car. I have Public Liability insurance for my horses because somehing could go wrong, and if my horse causes an accident I am liable. I think cyclists would be sensible to have insurance as, if they cause an accident, they too are liable.

I like to drive with consideration to all road users. I also ride with consideration, let traffic pass when possible etc, and acknowledge the courtesy of other road users. I have very rarely experienced anything other than courtesy from others.

The truth is a lot of traffic laws don't apply to cyclists. There are a proportion of drivers that seem to think it's unfair that cyclists can do things that they can't, whether this is waiting in the advance stop box or passing queuing traffic in a designated cycle lane. Different road users have to follow different rules.

I agree that cyclists should have insurance
and also motor scooters that cause injuries (especially when "driven" by semi blind OAPS who sometimes really cant control them, and injur pedestrians)

As for you SIL, yes very annoying but i would assume if she had 12 years no claims she would pay for protected no claims wouldnt she? so it shoudnt cause too much of an issue?

SDTG - spreadsheet duly updated!!!

Lady have a my first ever

Should cyclists have to pay road tax? Well, I don't pay it on my electric car. Road tax is actually "vehicle excise duty" and is basically a licence to pollute and cyclists don't, um, actually create pollution.

Should cyclists have compulsory insurance? Well, a pedestrian walking into the road could equally well have caused your SIL to swerve (um, was she driving too fast given the visibility possibly, and the presence of other more vulnerable road users?) so unless everything that moves inbclouding aoo pedestrians have to have compulsory insurance, then no. The alternative is for drivers to drive more slowly and more carefully.

I hope I have my own column, Pan - special font, pink writing - because I am so special (and modest, of course)!

It's in bold, with neon red flashing arrows pointing to it. ( happy to indulge specialness and modesty.