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Petitions and activism

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

All road-going bicycles must be licenced - safety matters!

37 replies

QNAnow · 09/04/2019 11:53

It’s high time to licence all road-going bicycles
#PlatesforBikes

SIGN THE PETITION HERE: chng.it/Gzz8vTdtxC
WATCH HERE:

Newly-formed pedestrian rights organisation Pedestrians Have Rights Too launches today a petition supporting calls by Professor The Lord Winston, the Labour peer and television presenter, to introduce licence plates for all road-going bicycles in the UK.

Last year, there were 18,000 serious incidents involving cyclists on Britain's roads, with serious injuries topping 3,000, more than 100 deaths and 300 reported collisions with pedestrians.

OP posts:
AskMeHow · 09/04/2019 12:14

Because driving licences have stopped serious road accidents haven't they?

What utter rubbish. I won't be signing.

UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername · 09/04/2019 12:17

Where will the money come from to implement this?

CMOTDibbler · 09/04/2019 12:21

I'd spend the money that this would take on making motorists actually respect their fellow road users. License plates won't stop those 100 cyclists dying, but enforcing exisiting legislation to make motorists respect close passing could save a lot of them.

I'm a driver and a cyclist. I've been spat at, driven at, sworn at, have been nearly forced off the road. I deserve to be safe whatever mode of transport I use.

Countrygirl38 · 09/04/2019 12:30

Totally disagree with this OP. It may discourage people from cycling and this will end up them costing the NHS money. Cycling decreases the risk of a number of diseases. Also cyclists statistically cause only a small amount of accidents. I agree with CMOT - let's work on getting car drivers to he more respectful to other more vulnerable road users.

mumeeee · 09/04/2019 12:35

I agree with others that this isn't the right thing to do. More cycle paths would be better and teaching all road users to respect each other.

Snog · 09/04/2019 12:43

We need to increase cycling rates and not put up barriers to cycling. We should be prioritising cyclists on the roads over motorists and making the streets safer for cyclists.

MikeUniformMike · 09/04/2019 12:45

I live on a one way street and people cycle down it the wrong way, often while talking into a hand held phone, and often at night without lights and wearing dark clothes.
I have nearly been run over by a cyclist when crossing the street.
I have recently had a cyclist ride into me when I was walking on a pavement - fortunately I wasn't injured, but I could have been.

BlueSkiesLies · 09/04/2019 12:45

No. How small minded and selfish can you be that you think this will help anything?

Biker47 · 09/04/2019 12:51

No thanks, we need less bureaucracy please, would also be a nightmare to administer and enforce.

Whynham · 09/04/2019 12:53

Not a chance. Its the roads and cycle paths that should be improved not penalising the cyclists.

NicoAndTheNiners · 09/04/2019 12:59

I think the figures you quote are misleading. In the context you write in it makes it sound like cyclists are responsible for those serious incidents, deaths, etc. I suspect in reality in the majority of cases they're actually the victim.

NicoAndTheNiners · 09/04/2019 13:03

I cycle commute.

So far this year I've been hit by 2 cars pulling out of side streets without looking. And yes I do have lights.

Only yesterday another near miss on a canal path with a pedestrian and dog. They saw me and stood at the side of the path, dog was sat down. I'd assumed on a lead. I slowed down to pass and when I was a foot away the dog jumped infront of me. I only missed it as I jumped out the saddle and planted my feet on the floor. The brakes wouldn't have stopped me in time.

So that would have been another statistic but not one I'd have caused.

LiveFatsDieYoGnu · 09/04/2019 13:04

ODFOD

SilverDragonfly1 · 09/04/2019 13:04

Well, I must selfishly and small mindedly agree. I find it really odd that cyclists don't want the rights having a licensing and insurance scheme would give them. It would be a step on the route to equality with car drivers as well as increasing safety for pedestrians. Cyclists who ride on pavements are far more selfish than anyone who signs a petition to try and increase their rights and visibility in a legal sense.

Motorists who know a collision with a cyclist will result in them being taken to the cleaners by the cyclist's insurers and the legal team that would be covered will be an awful lot more careful. Kids who are riding dangerously will know their parents can be easily traced and informed. People with no plates will be immediately identifiable as having criminal intent (you can probably deduce that I live in an urban area).

I would want any training schemes for under 18's to be free and their insurance costs heavily subsidised and further discounted based on parental income.

Ultimately, a cycle is a vehicle and cyclist, driver and pedestrians all need to be protected from injury and the consequences of stupidity.

Charley34 · 09/04/2019 13:08

No way cars and drivers need tougher laws fines Etc, roads should be better for cyclist,there are too many cars on the road and I do believe that you should be retested regularly from a certain age .be healthy and safe.

Macaroonmayhem · 09/04/2019 13:09

This is just another thing being used to increase the alienation of cyclists as road users. There are idiotic cyclists and there are idiotic motorists and there always will b,e but this new narrative of ‘ooh aren’t cyclists dangerous’ is not helpful.

I’ve had one accident in 30 years as an independent road user and, just like Nico below, it was a car driver pulling out of a side road, behind a give way sign, into me, on my bike, pedalling along a clear road with no other traffic, wearing high viz. They had a license and it was of no help to me. And, they never got charged with anything.

Youshallnotpass · 09/04/2019 13:16

Just no

havingtochangeusernameagain · 09/04/2019 13:20

Time to licence all those pedestrians who can't walk in the straight line due to staring at their mobile phone screen as well then.

DRIVERS are the danger on our roads, not cyclists or pedestrians.

Lets sort out dangerous drivers like the one yesterday who swerved into the side road that I was crossing, at the last minute, without indicating.

FunkyKingston · 09/04/2019 13:21

Fucking stupod idea dreamed up by someone who should stick to something he knows something about, like infertility treatment rather than using his unelected unaccountable position for his hobby horse. There are more flaws in his brain fart than a piece of Swiss Cheese.

cuddlymunchkin · 09/04/2019 13:21

Absolutely yes.

IncrediblySadToo · 09/04/2019 13:21

What a monumental load of shite

FunkyKingston · 09/04/2019 13:22

There are more flaws in his brain fart than a piece of Swiss Cheese.

Holes, not Flaws. Mixing my metaphors there.

MNHQ
AnyaMumsnet · 09/04/2019 13:26

Hi there all,

We're going to move this over to petitions.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 09/04/2019 13:30

I also agree. If you really want to protect pedestrians and cyclists petition to get presumed / strict liability introduced.

Original poster
QNAnow · 09/04/2019 13:45

Thank you. Could you please let me have the link as to where it is located now?

OP posts: