Isn't It Time Cyclists re-claimed the road?

[katex]

Originally Posted by accyman

regardless cyclists should have cover to protect people from the damage they do to cars or personal injuries they cause to pedestrians,i dont see why cyclists shoudl get off scott free when they are negligent on teh roads

Don't think anyone would disagree with that (only road tax) .. if that child yesterday had scratched the side of my car .. could only have approached the parents for compensation.. eeew hek .. that could have been a bit shaky.

[glasgow guy]

Originally Posted by accyman

for most of my life like many others i was under the false impression that road tax was collected for the maintainance and buildning of new roads and that myth has been deep routed into my memory.I later remembered that road tax is not used for that and is merely a tax which gets spent on anything but roads.This argument arose a few years ago on here about road tax and somone fished out the relevant information proving road tax isnt for road maintainance and is merely the name given to the tax and not a descriptoion of its purpous.Hence my two contradicting remarks

regardless cyclists should have cover to protect people from the damage they do to cars or personal injuries they cause to pedestrians,i dont see why cyclists shoudl get off scott free when they are negligent on teh roads

but not all cyclists get off scott free - the damage they may do to cars or pedestrians is sometimes caused by them hitting the car or person? and more often than not any personal injury is sustained by the cyclist..and I know of quite a few cyclists who have insurance so obviously the ones you know? dont have and dont care..
and what about the uninsured driver who hits me?
and inregards to pedestrians - if someone walks out infront of me and doesnt stop why should I swerve into the traffic on my right to get out the way and cause a possible accident to myself/car/bus etc..like I mentioned earlier - I had a woman who stepped out infront of - who saw me coming - tell me she wouldnt have walked infront of me if I were a car but did cos I was on a bike..which to me beggars belief..

[Hiddlebit]

Mate of mine was hit by a cyclist. Cyclist was on the pavement. My mate was walking. Broke his collarbone. Cyclist scraped his knee. Police were not sympathetic towards the cyclist but refused to take any action because "there's no point"

[katex]

And another thing Accyman ... LOL... Car tax is based on Co2 emissions. If cycles were introduced it would add a new lower grade (i.e. none or really low emissions). It's likely that this would lower the other thresholds,meaning you would pay more tax for lower emission levels. This is because the average for Co2 emissions would lower (based on the introduction of bicycles).

Get it ...

[accyman]

Originally Posted by katex

And another thing Accyman ... LOL... Car tax is based on Co2 emissions. If cycles were introduced it would add a new lower grade (i.e. none or really low emissions). It's likely that this would lower the other thresholds,meaning you would pay more tax for lower emission levels. This is because the average for Co2 emissions would lower (based on the introduction of bicycles).

Get it ...

depends what they have eaten, if they eat beans or curry emmisons will be higher

anyway when the govenment gets its way and gets all decent sized engines off the road they will hike up smaller engined cars road tax regardless of its emmisions and when they cripple the owners of them cars teh cyclist will be next.

all this tax according to emmisions is a huge con if teh government actualy gave a damn about emmissions and been green they wouldnt target the people the would target the manufacturers and factories that are the main polutors but you can get more money out of millions of people than what you can thousands of companies.

been green is the biggest con of the current century and nothing more than a tax exercise to screw us out of even more money for things we need or enjoy

10 years plus we have had waste and been green shoved down our throats and still to this day any toy or item purchased comes in 10x more packaging it requires.

well maybe not sardines lol

[SPUGGIE J]

So we put a CO2 monitor on cyclists then based on them peddeling like mad going up hill. Then charge us for global warming if we have a love for beans on toast and veg curries as the amount methane produced will be horrendus.

[cashman]

all this debate about insurance, using pavements etc could be easily avoided if my suggestion early in the thread was adopted, roads would be safer, pavements safer, just "Shoot" em. Problem solved.

[mattylad]

Why the heck would a cyclist hit your car accyman?

Perhaps because your driving too close to them or not giving them enough room?

And despite what you think, a cyclist is entitled to cycle in the middle of the road.
It's not something that is done just because being in the middle might slow cars behind down.
(unless your drunk!).

With the state of our roads, the left side of the roads can be a heck of a bad place to be, grates missing, sticking up etc - all will damage the cycle wheels & cause the cyclist to be thrown off & potentially under a moving vehicle.

What is it with you all, moaning about cyclists not using the road, moaning about cyclists that are using the road. Perhaps if they had gas guzzling, fume emitting motors in them they would be better?

I'd love to be able to cycle to work in the summer, its the car drivers that do not pay attention to their surroundings that is one thing that puts me off doing so.

[jaysay]

You can always tell happy cyclists they have dead flies on their teeth

[Less]

Originally Posted by mattylad

With the state of our roads, the left side of the roads can be a heck of a bad place to be, grates missing, sticking up etc - all will damage the cycle wheels & cause the cyclist to be thrown off & potentially under a moving vehicle.

Does this give the cyclist the right, morally or legally to make pavements unsafe for pedestrians?

What is it with you all, moaning about cyclists not using the road, moaning about cyclists that are using the road.

Notice the title of this thread?

Instead of moving onto the pavements shouldn't cyclists be insisting on their right to use the roads safely?

I'd love to be able to cycle to work in the summer, its the car drivers that do not pay attention to their surroundings that is one thing that puts me off doing so.

A very poor excuse, a cyclist by obeying the rules of the road and by riding defensively CAN use the roads safely.

Don't use bad practice of motorists as an excuse to use bad practice yourself, the pavement is a sanctuary of safety for pedestrians, you have no legal right to perambulate along it.

If, as I have already mentioned the Police actually enforced the laws already at their disposal, ensuring motorists took care on the road making it safer for cyclists and ensuring that without exception anyone found riding a bike on the pavement or ignoring traffic lights and other such misdemeanour's was prosecuted we would not need this discussion.

Strangely enough, I have a great deal of admiration of the cyclists that do use the road and do obey the rules, it's a shame that these heroes of the road are often lumped together with the poor examples set by the, 'I don't give a sod about you brigade' of ignorant riders.

[accyman]

Originally Posted by mattylad

Why the heck would a cyclist hit your car accyman?

Perhaps because your driving too close to them or not giving them enough room?

And despite what you think, a cyclist is entitled to cycle in the middle of the road.
It's not something that is done just because being in the middle might slow cars behind down.
(unless your drunk!).

With the state of our roads, the left side of the roads can be a heck of a bad place to be, grates missing, sticking up etc - all will damage the cycle wheels & cause the cyclist to be thrown off & potentially under a moving vehicle.

What is it with you all, moaning about cyclists not using the road, moaning about cyclists that are using the road. Perhaps if they had gas guzzling, fume emitting motors in them they would be better?

I'd love to be able to cycle to work in the summer, its the car drivers that do not pay attention to their surroundings that is one thing that puts me off doing so.

perhaps they know you and are infact actualy paying extra attention to you which explains your need to fear them.I find myself wanting to run you over already

[jaysay]

Super Less man on a mission

[Less]

Originally Posted by jaysay

Super Less man on a mission

No, not on a mission, just wanting to travel safely from A to B without having to avoid Ignorant cyclists, if they do not have the competence to use the roads then they should give up cycling & walk I want the pavements for pedestrians and courteous cyclists able to travel on roads where they should be.

Surely that isn't too much to ask?

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Less

No, not on a mission, just wanting to travel safely from A to B without having to avoid Ignorant cyclists, if they do not have the competence to use the roads then they should give up cycling & walk I want the pavements for pedestrians and courteous cyclists able to travel on roads where they should be.

Surely that isn't too much to ask?

Only kidding Less only Kidding

[glasgow guy]

Originally Posted by Less

if, as I have already mentioned the Police actually enforced the laws already at their disposal, ensuring motorists took care on the road making it safer for cyclists and ensuring that without exception anyone found riding a bike on the pavement or ignoring traffic lights and other such misdemeanour's was prosecuted we would not need this discussion.

Strangely enough, I have a great deal of admiration of the cyclists that do use the road and do obey the rules, it's a shame that these heroes of the road are often lumped together with the poor examples set by the, 'I don't give a sod about you brigade' of ignorant riders.

I would love to see the police 'police' cyclists better to be honest - and those who ride on pavements? a caution would suffice for first offence and then its taken from there if caught a second time - and over the last 3 years since I began cycling I have only seen once a cyclist getting an on the spot fine for 'RLJing' - red light jumping - he went straight through a red light at a busy junction where a patrol car was sitting and as soon as he passed the lights the car was out behind him and he was done for it - £60 on the spot fine..which I applaud and would love to see more of..
I can honestly say I have never jumped a set of lights as you just dont know whats coming through the other side of the junction..
I would like to get to work/ get home and would never take the chance..

and inregards to your last paragraph -
that says it all and should really end this thread.