Cycling Clamp Down

[Wildfisher]

I see the UK Gov. are talking today about a clamp down on irresponsible cyclists. Now they constantly talk about doing things and seldom actually do, a lot of hot air, but as both a motorist and a cyclist I reckon this is long overdue.

Talk is of compulsory insurance, clear means of identifying the cyclist and even perhaps basic proficiency tests.

I'll believe it when I see it. For a government with an 80 seat majority they have achieved exactly the square root of f-all so far.

What do you think?

[IanR]

One shot a red light yesterday as I was waiting to turn right. I "tested" the horn, and the p1llock looked at me as if I had no right to be there 

Lycra clad tw4t 

[Noddy]

I've seen them come up to a red light and rather stop they use the pavement.  They then go round the corner and back onto the road. 

Jim

[Guest_8]

Grant Schnapps attempts at deflection away from a disaster of a government are fun eh?. Incredible that people are sucked in by such utter drivel.

We need more journeys made by bike, not less - which is what that would result in, and why it'll never happen.

[Inchlaggan]

I cycled four or five miles to work (and back) each day for many a year in Edinburgh 30+ years ago.
Until a cretin pulled out without looking and I ended up with chipped vertebrae and on my back for 9 months.
Sod just buggered off.
If I had been a registered road user with insurance, he might have been pursued and I might have been compensated.
At least the self-righteous, eco-warriors that hurtle through red lights and along pavements vanish when it rains.

[Guest_8]

I'm neither self righteous, nor an eco warrior, although I'm not sure when being aware about our responsibilities to our natural environment makes you an eco warrior, maybe I am?!. 

You'd have to ask yourself how big is this as an issue, in reality*?. I'm more concerned about the amount of drivers who no longer seem to know or understand what an amber light is, never mind a red one.

A far bigger danger and nuisance to society (and the health service) is the demon drink, maybe we should think about insurance and number plates for drinkers, then those affected by their actions can pursue them, maybe a wee number plate around their necks?. 

I spent a few days in Belgium a few weeks back, the electric scooters are a tremendous way to get around the city, can you imagine it here though? the Daily Heil would be hilarious, we'd have Tory Gammoners foaming at the mouth!.

Anyway, it's all irrelevant, none of it will happen. This is all designed to deflect away from a lame duck prime minister, a party with dumb and dumber as a choice for a new leader, who are utterly detached from society and have no clue of how to run a country.

But it's awrite, we got Brexit done. Sort of.


* Really annoys me when I see folks on bikes jumping red lights or popping up onto pavements tbh, I'm not for a minute gonna defend them.

[Wildfisher]

I think most cyclists are fine.

I am ....... obviously 

There is however a minority of complete arseholes like the ones who travel in 10MPH shoals 4 abreast and 10 deep who seem intent on causing as much disruption to traffic and to people who actually work for a living as possible. This got much worse during the start of the pandemic but it as dropped off a bit now.  It is far worse I believe in the H&I

As far as gov. action and law change goes it's well overdue IMO but that requires common sense and political courage and that seems to be in short supply now north and south of the border.

[Guest_8]

It's actually a lot easier to get past a group riding in that formation, than any other option they have. If they rode single file, that group of 40 cyclists would be over 100m long, for you to pass them as per the highway code, then you need to pass them with a safe enough margin that you'd then be on the wrong side of the road for the whole time.

FWIW I used to race road bikes, it's actually incredibly rare to see groups of that size out and about, I couldn't tell you the last time I did, and there's a hell of a lot of road clubs around here. And yes, like every other tranche of society, some them are dicks.

The roads are not just for cars, indeed bikes, horses and pedestrians were there before our 4 wheeled obsession came along. And the speed limit is not what some drivers think it is, it's a limit, not a standard advisory speed. Some of the back road around here should never be NSL, 60mph is a ridiculous speed to be doing on a country lane, a 33 year old cyclist was killed just up the road last week, 6.30 in the morning on a perfectly straight piece of road by a van. Wife and two kids left behind. 

Helmet compulsion in Australia resulted in a huge drop in the number of people cycling, that's the last thing our nation of fat couch dwellers require.

[Wildfisher]

I agree completely that the roads are not just for cars. However all users must be treated equally and that means having systems in place to protect everyone. That has to include registration, identification and third party insurance.

[Guest_8]

We'll agree to disagree.