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.

Blimey I’m not going to read the who,e thread…….im sure enough People have pointed out to the OP that e scooter riders are not cyclists. You may as well start a thread with the title that motorists are breaking the law and then slag off e scooters. They have as much to do with cars as they do bikes,,,,,,ie nothing.

bikes going above 20mph whether with a battery or not is not illegal even if breaking a 20mph speed limit. The speed limit is for engine vehicles, bikes don’t need a speedo so can’t be made to abide to speed limits. You might disagree with that law but you can’t say cyclists are breaking the law. I cycle a lot, it’s fairly hard unless downhill to get above 20mph. And I consider myself a good cyclist who rides with a club. E-bikes, are ironically harder as the motor cuts out at 15.5mph and the bikes weigh a ton. You might get the odd person who has messed about with the settings and their motor doesn’t cut out but that’s illegal and they should be dealt with.

As a cyclist on a club ride I see at least one, often several cars breaking the law on every ride. Some friends of mine had a motorist do a u turn a deliberately drive into them recently……he got 12 points , a massive fine in court and lost his licence and lost his job. I have a camera on my bike now and report motorists to the police most weeks, for close dangerous passes, for abuse, for throwing things out their car at me. 🤷‍♀️

What you need is “are you an arsehole” test. That would be helpful for drivers too. Unfortunately regulation and displaying a number plate doesn’t get arseholes off of the road, that’s evident from driving.

If you need help identifying them, one unofficial arsehole test is that they drive large SUVs like Range Rovers in urban areas.

Agreed @Redundantrobin

The local police did some traffic enforcement at the station a couple of days ago. As well as making someone remove an illegal tint, they also booked a Range Rover driver for an illegally-spaced numberplate. I wonder how long the vehicle had been going around with a numberplate that is less readable than it should be?

I bet the OP has a vanity plate with illegal spacing. They seem the sort.

No I don't think he is lying, but what is the point of someone like him in such a prominent position, stirring up shit about a near miss, a non story. My point is - which you seem to have missed - is that near misses happen all the time

Incorrect
It was NOT a "non-story" and that is a fact

He was highlighting the dangerous plight of many cycle riders that you see on dark mornings/nights and no lights. That is a big story that needed to be addressed

Why did you post the abuse at Richard? I know for a fact you'd never say that to him face2face, so why on here?

Excellent work from Police Scotland:
www.facebook.com/share/p/h6nexdaxus4zbDTa/

Obviously if what Madeley says is 100% correct with no exaggeration and no bias he is correct. If a cyclist is cycling in the dark they need lights and are stupid not to. However he says the cyclist shouted abuse at him…….which makes me suspect there is much more to this story than he has said……I would love to hear the cyclist’s side of things. I have a tiny suspicion the cyclist may not recall it being as dark as what Mr Madeley recalls it to have been. But guess we will never know.

@DistingusedSocialCommentator

He was highlighting the dangerous plight of many cycle riders that you see on dark mornings/nights and no lights. That is a big story that needed to be addressed

Do you consider this a bigger problem than the thousands of people killed or seriously injured by drivers every year?

If you could wave a magic wand and fix one of these two problems, either no one killed or seriously injured by drivers OR no cyclists on dark mornings/nights and no lights, which would you pick?

The dangerous plight of cyclists?

come now, OP, don’t tell me you’re going soft.

It’s lovely to see your hard Clarkson exterior melting away to a soft Jeremy Vine core.

She would 100% pick the cyclists and no lights.

Without a doubt.

No question.

No hesitation.

And yes , I do accept that cyclists can and do cycle in the dark with no lights. Though from the ones I’ve seen they tend to be people riding bikes rather than “cyclists”. And I do think that’s an important distinction that motorists may not appreciate.

i told some teenage tracksuit clad teens off in my village the other week for weaving up and down the high street in the dark with no lights. And posted on the village fb group asking what on earth parents were thinking letting their kids out with no lights. In my mind they are not cyclists. They’re daft teenagers who happen to be on bikes. People who are passionate about cycling and consider themselves a serious cyclist don’t tend to act like that. The people I see in town riding the wrong way, no helmet, jumping lights are not dressed in Lycra on a decent bike. Sadly they give cyclists a bad name.

I don’t tend to believe that all car drivers act like the boy racers do8ng doughnuts in the retail car park at night. They’re the same sort of sub set of “Neds” just some are on bikes and some are in Corsas.

The people I see in town riding the wrong way, no helmet, jumping lights are not dressed in Lycra on a decent bike

And yet every single thread or comments section below a post about bicycles on any social media or news platform you care to name will invarably descend to a mention of mythical "lycra louts".

It's a bit like Godwin's Law.

Not at all surprised here, as a much-abused pedestrian. You'll get shed loads of 'whatabout cars then?' from defensive, arrogant cyclists though.

OP drives a massive, child-killing Range Rover. You’re aligning yourself to the wrong side.

You should see the OP's other thread about pedestrians where she fumes about them having the right to cross the road.

I'm aligning myself to MY side, thank you very much.

still the wrong one.

Well as someone who commuted in London for circa 25 years by bike, I’ll just say most of my near misses were by pedestrians, stepping out onto the road whilst glued to their phone/headphones.

Lucky I was alert and riding a nice mountain bike with very good disc brakes, otherwise we’d all be in a mess on the tarmac…

Another reason to have number plates

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13333243/thief-snatches-woman-mobile-phone-cycling-crime-London.html

^ very true^

The hooded mugger would have got on his bike for a decent days mugging, but then put on his number plate high vis and got on to his bike with number plates, and just as he was setting out, thought to himself…. “Hmmm I might get caught… best not go mugging today…”

That’s exactly how it would work! Omg it’s a brilliant idea, you should be a member of govt, OP, and form policy with these game changing ideas!

Agreed. He definitely wouldn’t use one of the 77k bikes that are stolen a year. Nope. In the same way other criminals never switch plates about. Or swear it wasn’t them driving/riding. And with masks difficult to prove. Yup OP. Foolproof

Nope. In the same way other criminals never switch plates about

Ahhh, but you see, the thief would have had to put his high-vis on, displaying his identification number plate, as criminals of course are going to stick to the OP’s groundbreaking new law. And then they’ll get caught! That’ll learn em.

So no more muggers or anything, simples!