To suggest cyclists need to be licensed

[savethebeesandthecees]

And also pay Road Tax and risk having their licence revoked for misuse.

I'm saying this as a pedestrian. Nearly hit again by a cyclist going through a red light. Others routinely mount the pavement to swerve red lights. I'm sick of it. If I film them as evidence, so what? What are the consequences?

Something needs to change.

Cyclists were licensed in California in the 1980s. I know this because twice I got stopped for some other infringement and didn't have one, so went and got a license (was about $3 from a fire station). Does anyone think this legal requirement made cyclists more law-abiding in CA in the '80s?

If you're wanting cyclists to be insured (& qualified?) then presumably you want the same for all, no exclusions, even if it's a 5 year old riding with stabilisers on the pavement, and same for horseriders, and even pedestrians. What about electric scooters (the fast 2 wheel ones or the mobility ones): shouldn't their users be licensed & insured? To use any public bridleways or pavements, right?

Just now when it makes so much sense to put money into the administration to make these things happen. Great idea. #sarcasm

As a cyclist I was once almost seriously injured after a pedestrian stepped out in front of me. I was completely in the right, doing 20mph (ish) in a 30, and she just stepped off kerb in front of me. Luckily I had noticed her and started to prepare for swerving.

There are bad drivers, bad cyclists and bad pedestrians. Those need dealing with. A license won’t help, otherwise we wouldn’t have as many car accidents as we do.

Completely agree.

This and also I agree with the French method where everyone has personal indemnity insurance.
We have two cars so already pay two lots of VED. The vast majority of cyclists are vehicle owners as well.

It won't help. Far better to focus on investing in proper cycling infrastructure of the kind that exists in the Netherlands, that would improve safety for everyone and make cycling a realistic commuting option for many more people.

You did read that recently.
But it was without substance by Grant Shapps

He suggested a number plates, tax, insurance - which have been previously considered and ruled out by the transport ministry

He also suggested new legislation with larger sentences / fines - but failed to point out that legislation already exists and therefore if he wanted greater sentences / fines then he should put that to parliament to increase the maximums

He also stated that cyclists should not be able to ‘get away with breaking laws that don’t apply to them’
If the law does not apply them they aren’t breaking the law.

This directly related to speed limits. A standard road speed limit does not apply to cyclists, but every council in the UK has the power to enable and enforce cyclist speed limits

Grant Shapps was getting his name out in the media with meaningless statements

Skateboarders are gutter rats the lot of them. They're the ones who need a massive number plate on the back.

Then we need speed cameras in the pavement so we can catch the fuckers.

It's an idea entirely without merit

And what about mobility scooters? The amount of times I've nearly been run over.

Exactly this. The current infrastructure isn't built for cyclists in this country, and with people starting to use electric bikes, electric scooters, etc there really needs to be proper planning so everyone can use roads and pavements together safely. We should be encouraging people to travel more sustainably and cheaply.

I'm a driver, cyclist and pedestrian, depending on where I'm traveling to, and cycling is by far the most difficult as cycle lanes just randomly stop, or you end up cycling in the gutter in potholes, etc. I do get annoyed about cyclists on pavements though. I think with the exception of younger children, if you aren't confident to cycle on the road you shouldn't really be cycling.

Yes for all the pedestrians who complain on forums about the 'multiple' times they've nearly been hit by a cyclist (and I don't doubt there are bad cyclists, I know many jump lights, and I also know there are many many terrible drivers out there), there are also many terrible pedestrians who cause or nearly cause injury to cyclists too, who walk along, often on their phones not looking where they're going and just step into the road (not at a pedestrian crossing) without looking. Oblivious to the fact that in that scenario, a car might have to break very suddenly, it might manage to stop in time or it might not, and if it doesn't the pedestrian will be the one injured. If it's a cyclist however who has to break very suddenly in that scenario, the careless pedestrian may or may not be hit but the cyclist will almost certainly go over their handlebars and be very hurt.

An idea so stupid that nowhere in the world has actually done it seriously, despite people moaning about bikes since their invention

My 'exactly this' was supposed to be quoting @ThrallsWife post not agreeing with the OP but my quote didn't work!

This, 100%. We already have rules in place that mean cyclists shouldn't run red lights etc. What would help is the rules actually being enforced.

Also, I see someone has mentioned the idea of cyclists having licence plates. How would these be effective? They would have to be pretty small to fit on a bike, so small you wouldn't actually be able to read it from any distance, so pointless.

Let's get all the unlicensed drivers off the road first. They're the ones that cause the most injuries and deaths.

Research suggests that most crime overall is committed by people with feet.

I think people with feet should be identifiable at all times because it's only a matter of time before one of these befeeted mobile crime hotspots strikes again

No.

It would be too costly and difficult to administer for very little benefit.

Cyclists are not hazardous on the level that drivers are. There is a good reason that drivers need to have a licence and insurance before being permitted to take a vehicle onto a public highway.

This recent Guardian article discusses some of these issues and has some stats on how (relatively) dangerous cyclists really are.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/aug/30/why-do-some-people-hate-cyclists-so-much?CMP=ShareiOSAppOther

Im a regular cyclist - not for sport but as a non-polluting means of transport. The biggest problem we face is just poor infrastructure. Mixed use paths, cycle lanes that are poorly marked, unsafe, disappear or end abruptly.

The other thing is that bikes are quiet - pedestrians don't hear us coming. A pedestrian may step out into a seemingly empty road or onto a (possibly poorly marked) bike path and just not hear a cyclist coming. I always use my bell to warn pedestrians of my presence in such situations but this is often seen as some kind of act of aggression, even though I'm just trying to keep the pedestrian safe!

Re laws go stop cyclists running red lights, in greater London the default seems go be- if there are no incoming cars or pedestrians crossing roads, cyclists just cycle right past red lights.

Many car drivers mount pavements at side of me, run red lights, don't indicate, drive dangerously.

And they are morel likely to kill someone, yeah there are dickhead cyclists, but the amount of dickhead car drivers way outnumbers them.

I agree op. It's a stupid argument to say oh but there's so many bad drivers. Yes, there is but that doesn't negate ops argument. You can want rid of bad drivers and careless cyclists.

I would happily have cycle lanes everywhere if the cyclists actually used them and didn't ride 3 across the whole road so you cannot pass safely which is a common sight here. They also randomly mount paths when there is the slightest bit of traffic. If you want to use the road, use it like everyone else does, you shouldn't be putting pedestrians in danger because you don't like the delay. None of us do.

I don't have an issue with cyclists who do it safely, by the side, not mounting the path, using cycle lanes when there is some. However, probably due to the cost of living there is helmetless idiots all over the place now who are putting themselves and everyone bloody else in danger because they do not know how to cycle on the road.

I'm not a confident cyclist and therefore I wouldn't bloody do it because I know it's dangerous. Better infrastructure would help but it would still be bloody lawless.

Something needs to happen because less and less people will be able to afford cars and more will cycle. It needs to be safe for everyone involved.

When people choose to cycle, it is a huge win for the community. It improves public health, reduces strain on infrastructure, reduces pollution. Every government, local and national, aspires at least in theory to get more people cycling, even if they are not very good at actually doing this. Only a complete moron would try to decentivise cycling, it would be so counter productive.

YANBU.

Yanbu

They should be forced to have insurance. Some tit came barrelling out of an alley onto the main pavement and nearly hit me last week.