Even more cyclists now breaking the law

[DistingusedSocialCommentator]

Most drivers and pedestrians will be aware of this as many have seen or been victims of a cycle rider.

Watching Talktv this morning there was a lady who had lost her mother due to an e-scooter rider on the pavement. The show had a lawyer on talking about what I agree with, IE cyclists are very hard to identify if they get away from an accident.

E-scooters we all know are against the law unless provided for by your local council in central London. Several times over the years, me and the family have had close calls with them on pavements and parks as they zoom down, you cant hear them and they often dress in all black clothing.

Push bike riders are travelling faster and faster as many more have those battery packs on them

With the introduction of 20mph zones in vast areas of London, even more, push bike riders are now breaking the law, EG travelling well over 20mph in a 20mph and passing slower cars travelling at 20mph We are all aware how some push bike riders have ignored the rules for years, EG jump red lights, ignore pedestrians on crossings, cause accidents and walk of or rise off and now, much more able to break the speed limits off 20mph with almost 100% impunity and some that at red lights get o the pavement and cross a red light that way or some just ride on pavements

For the record, note, Its some cyclists not all but we have all seen them more so as going to work, or dropping off children at schools the speed of some of these riders

The Talktv debate also talked about those who kill people while riding a push bike/scooter, I think they said the maximum prison sentence was two years (I may be wrong) but the laws needed vast improvements.

This had been talked about a lot before but nothing happened.

AIBU proposes that all cyclists have number plates/easily identifiable markings, all have insurance, all have a bell and lights, and all wear a helmet and hi-vis jacket (This would in my judgment make many more riders more responsible for their actions and our roads/pavements safer for all)

The police need to be more proactive on e-scooter riders. However, as cyclists are almost impossible to identify, my proposal as above will aid the police and hopefully, modify the dangerous behaviours of those cyclists that are now regularly breaking the law, EG, travelling at more than the speed allowed, jumping red lights, putting pedestrians at risk on crossings and pavements.

Do you have a question or is this a Conservative manifesto statement?

Cyclists on pavements where I live (it's a very small town and the roads here are NOT remotely dangerous) piss me right off. If you're going to come up behind me, either get a bell and ring it or call out something. People don't know you're there!

They are a bloody menace and they get away with everything.

There are some clear signs that cyclists are not allowed on the pavement by my house. Do they care? No, it’s like a bloody velodrome out there.

Fine every single one and confiscate the bloody bike.

100% agree. Noone should be unidentifiable on the road

AIBU proposes that all cyclists have number plates/easily identifiable markings, all have insurance, all have a bell and lights, and all wear a helmet and hi-vis jacket

I’ll get all of these when pedestrians have to comply as well. And car drivers/passengers need helmets too.

How would a helmet stop a cyclist jumping a red light?
How would you fit a readable number plate on a bike?
Would these rules all apply to children? From what age?

For what it’s worth, number plates on cars don’t prevent speeding or drink driving; thousands of motorists are convicted or given a fixed penalty every week

Are pedestrians on wheels in your universe?

Must be quiet over on the GB news forums today.

The 20mph+ ones are already illegally modified electric bikes. Legally electric bikes can only assist when you're pedalling and are limited to 15.5mph. The police don't enforce that, what makes you think they'd start arresting cyclists without number plates or bells?

And if you're really concerned with cyclists killing pedestrians, how would making it the law that the cyclist has to wear a helmet and a yellow jacket help. Far more cyclists are killed by car drivers than pedestrians by cyclists - and strangely, when being knocked off your bike and run over by a several tonne vehicle, a polystyrene hat doesn't do much to help.

I say this as someone to cycles to and from work in a busy city who always wears a helmet and a proviz reflective jacket, with multiple lights on my bike. To do what limited things I can to try to reduce the risk of drivers knocking me off and then saying "sorry I didn't see you".

NB: The reason I stated bike riders must wear "helmets" as well as easily id/ins/etc etc - this is to increase the safety of the rider as accidents do happen and no driver wants to see anyone injured or more seriously injured.

TBH: I am confused as to why no government has sorted out this dangerous mess where* cyclcists not being easily identifibale, have insurance, wear hi-vis, have bell and Lights etc as this would reult in less accidents all road therefore increase safet, a real vote winner IMHO

MNHQ edited 'of' to 'where' at OP's request

Cyclists are a problem but drivers are far worse. Cyclists will usually only hurt themselves if they do something stupid (like wear all black at night). If they ride on the pavements, they are annoying, but not particularly dangerous (and there is an argument that they take up less room on top of their bikes than walking alongside it). Teenage boys cycling in shopping centres, on the other hand...but if they are not on their bikes they'll find another way to be annoying.

The e-scooters are a different issue, and they are dangerous. But if you let your children ride non e-scooters when it's not appropriate, like in shopping centres and on busy school run pavements, you can't really complain when teens decide to ride the e versions! Kids have legs, get them to use them.

Personally the biggest issue for me is drivers parking on pavements (and in cycle lanes) and forcing pedestrians into the road. But they only seem to care about that in Scotland.

Also don't see why drivers care about cyclists and helmets so much. Stick to worrying about your own standard of driving.

None of those measures you mention makes drivers any safer. Many are still total morons and should never have been given licences.

Also - lots of cyclists do have insurance. I am a member of Cycling UK - some will be members of British Cycling, and others may have insurance via other means.

All this poster does is post Conservative manifesto statements to generate froth.

Incredible. No one stated it would stop "all" that will never happen as many clowns around that will break the law

However, as per my OP. if rider did have easily idnentiflble marks it would, indeed it would reduce the law breaking and you cannot deny that.

Has any other country done this ? No ? What have they done ? Oh yeah, built proper segregated infrastructure so that cyclists can travel safely and not get dragged into an arms race of motorisation, aggressive / defensive cycling techniques, kept separate from motor vehicles lowering driver frustration etc. We don’t need cyclists on a register we need safe spaces to cycle, like actual modern civilised countries have.

But you are more likely to be knocked off if you wear a helmet in the uk because drivers see that you are "protected "

You are far more likely to be killed by a car than a cyclist , but any actions to try and control the car is seen as evil , and we focus instead on the small number of accidents caused by cyclists missing the huge number of accidents caused by car drivers

It's like winning a penny after spending a grand on a raffle and thinking you are winning

YABU, you Tory. Most cyclists will not be going 20mph unless they're Chris Hoy or going downhill.

However, as per my OP. if rider did have easily idnentiflble marks it would, indeed it would reduce the law breaking and you cannot deny that

Well I can, because it doesn't stop drivers doing stupid things on a regular basis, even when the police are chasing them!

I never said all drivers or all push bike riders were good. What is your point? Are you against easily idenfible cycle riders, why?

There are hundreds of miles worth of cycle lanes in London. They still ride on the pavement.

Why are cyclists responsible for people on e-scooters? Surely you can't ride an e-scooters and a bike simultaneously?

Presumably you will be delighted to know that cyclists are more than 12 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than pedestrians, they have got it coming to them for having the temerity to get on a bike.

In 2021, 42 people travelling by car were killed or seriously injured per billion miles travelled, compared with 956 cyclists and 2,040 motorcyclists. In addition, 76 pedestrians per million people were killed or seriously injured

https://www.health.org.uk/evidence-hub/transport/transport-trends/deaths-and-serious-injuries-by-road-user-type#:~:text=In%202021%2C%2042%20people%20travelling,were%20killed%20or%20seriously%20injured.

"Dangerous mess of cyclists"

Silly goading thread

Actually, proper research, not your ill-formed ranting, shows that helmets increase the likelihood of accidents between cars and bikes, as the perception of how much they protect cyclists increases the dangerousness of driver behaviour.

Also, the greater regulation of cyclists reduces cycling usage, which increases traffic, pressure on public transport and reduces public health.

When the risk to pedestrians is far greater from cars, and the risks and inconveniences is far greater TO cyclists, FROM drivers, it seems a strange hill to die on, if you want to improve public safety.

Because London cycle lanes are made of paint. Other countries are literally grade separated infrastructure with physical barriers to keep motor vehicle drivers away and pedestrians safe.

Cyclists don’t need insurance because they are statistically very unlikely to cause harm to other road users. There are about one or two cases a year of cyclists seriously injuring pedestrians. These can be dealt with through normal legal channels (cyclist gets prosecuted or sued). There are literally thousands of cases of motor vehicles killing and seriously injuring people every year. It’s multiple orders of magnitude different.

I agree e-scooters can be a problem. But they’re not cyclists, so irrelevant to a debate about cycling.

Very few cyclists are able to exceed 20mph on the flat. As a PP has said, any e-bikes capable of exceeding 20mph are already illegal because the e-bike limit is 15.5mph. The police could crack down on illegal e-bikes but mostly choose not to. Feel free to lobby them to do this.

Cyclists should not run red lights. If the police want to deal with this they already have the tools - it’s not like a cyclist can outride a police car. But mostly they don’t bother, because they don’t see it as a priority.

Helmets are a matter for the cyclist. Nobody else’s business.

If you can’t see a cyclist in daylight, hi vis or no, you shouldn’t be driving. At night cyclists already legally require front and rear lights.