Well of course it is when there are no police on the road.
Why does the UK hate cyclists?
- Thread starter rIcK
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Well of course it is when there are no police on the road.
Another massive problem with our roads, yes. It’s like that increase in fines for mobile phone use. No one cares, because apart from one day a year when some plod draws the short straw there are no traffic police out on the roads. It would be the easiest thing in the world to grip hundreds of motorists for using mobile phones while driving, but there’s no police so it doesn’t matter what the penalties are.
And that's why we need some sort of education and competency assessment. Preferably starting from a young age. If more people are introduced to the idea it becomes commonplace. Attitudes change on both sides. We'll see safer driving from those in cars and less stupid behaviour from cyclists, hopefully with more consideration to other road users from both parties.
Deleted member 66701
Deleted member 66701
Fixing this would solve 90% of problems identified in this thread I reckon, for both sides of the argument.
Completely agree. We'd also likely see a marked decrease in dead cyclists.
We don't have much trouble with other two wheel vehicles in terms of unpredictable behaviour or breaking road rules, that says a lot about British cyclists and cycling training I think. You can't compare it to other countries because uptake of cycling activity on public roads in other countries didn't immediately result in jumping of red lights en masse and trying to undertake turning lorries and buses (still the most common cause of cyclist deaths in London). If registration plates are the only way to stop it, then so be it - let Britain be the first country to introduce such measure, specifically to cure very British problem.
I actually have a better idea than plates, one that would solve several other problems in one go - every bike in UK would have to, by law get chipped with larger version of the passive chip tech we use for pets. Owners would update purchase/sell/stolen database just like V5 for cars. Cities would then introduce automatic chip readers all over infrastructure. Bus and lorry operators would be forced to purchase readers for both sides of their vehicles. Problems solved:
- readers could prioritise traffic - many cyclists waiting = faster green light
- immediate statistics to introduce, create or reduce number of cycling lanes
- no cycling zones - readers in park entrances - a-hole cycles into pedestrian zone - immediate fine
- other immediate enforcements = cross reader line at traffic lights and get fine
- cycle next to lorrybus that has indicator on, driver gets signal in cabin that there is a bike next to his side readers
- in the same time, if you cycle between reader on bus stop and side reader of the bus (undertaking parked bus) - you get automatically fined.
- stolen bikes can be immediately traced across town/country
Removal of tags/chips would be punishable with £3000 fine. Police cars would have readers to check bikes passing by for chips.
All paid by annual cycling license of £30 for cyclists and addition of £0.02 road safety tax to every litre of fuel.
I actually have a better idea than plates, one that would solve several other problems in one go - every bike in UK would have to, by law get chipped with larger version of the passive chip tech we use for pets. Owners would update purchase/sell/stolen database just like V5 for cars. Cities would then introduce automatic chip readers all over infrastructure. Bus and lorry operators would be forced to purchase readers for both sides of their vehicles. Problems solved:
- readers could prioritise traffic - many cyclists waiting = faster green light
- immediate statistics to introduce, create or reduce number of cycling lanes
- no cycling zones - readers in park entrances - a-hole cycles into pedestrian zone - immediate fine
- other immediate enforcements = cross reader line at traffic lights and get fine
- cycle next to lorrybus that has indicator on, driver gets signal in cabin that there is a bike next to his side readers
- in the same time, if you cycle between reader on bus stop and side reader of the bus (undertaking parked bus) - you get automatically fined.
- stolen bikes can be immediately traced across town/country
Removal of tags/chips would be punishable with £3000 fine. Police cars would have readers to check bikes passing by for chips.
All paid by annual cycling license of £30 for cyclists and addition of £0.02 road safety tax to every litre of fuel.
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Most of the ones that get killed are squashed by busses or Lorries in urban areas. Normally trying to squeeze down the side of them on junctions. So I don't think more police would help all that much. What is needed is education on how to use the roads. You don't see bikers doing things like that and jumping lights etc. because they know it's dangerous (and they are also accountable).
They would if they 'educated' those cyclists on such matters. If nobody tells you what you're doing is stupid you're not gonna learn until you're under 40 tonnes of steel.
Deleted member 66701
Deleted member 66701
Or maybe we need to wake up to the fact that lorries are not compatible with cities and not fit for purpose or that some of their drivers are not appropriately trained.
The proposed ban on lorries within core times (6 am to 9 pm was it?) from cities would correct this incompatibility.
http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/services/london-lorry-control
And yet, to return to sane balance of things - we really need lorries and buses to maintain basic levels of city life and don't necessarily need cyclists for the same purpose so... (theatrically weights air in both hands)
Other than speed limits, which motorcyclists seem to be immune to. Oh noes, I generalised, god forbid.
More provably, they have a death rate far in excess of cyclists, so something isn’t right. There’s about 1.5 million motorbikes in the uk, and there’s about 2 million people who ride a pedal cycle every day, but there are like three times as many deaths among motorcyclists than cyclists.
I’m sure you could re-examine this in terms of deaths per unit time or deaths per mile travelled, but in terms of pure deaths per population number, motorcyclists have a problem.
But can't most of those cyclists also drive?
Don't think those statistics are right. Other factors apply too - miles travelled by both groups for example?
We can't go back to transporting people, goods, rubbish and tons (literally) of other stuff on rikshaws though. Lorries and buses aren't on the road for fun or pleasure, they are on the roads because we (society) don't have any other alternative. Cyclists on the other hand, are there for the activity itself, could go back to pubic transport or walking, can't be that far if they cycled, then cycle in gym later on for "fitness" or what have you.
Deleted member 66701
Deleted member 66701
We don't need lorries exclusively during the day though, where as we need more cyclists during the day to help reduce congestion and pollution.
Driving to work is more expensive than cycling, more stressful, slower... certainly for me, and I doubt I’m alone.
We do. You want your mail to keep moving, you want your deliveries to arrive, you want your food to be on shelves for lunchtime. Noise at night plus millions of people in retail working nights to unload? All so you can do gym activity on the road? Hmmm....
See it's slower to cycle for me and if I go anywhere near a road far more stressful! Thankfully I can actually get from home to work completely off-road. Definitely a cost benefit though, that's true.
It’s particularly damning that doing battle with car drivers in the driving wind and rain is preferable to some of the journeys I’ve endured on northern rail trains into Manchester.
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