Things that make me rage

[Berniman]

I think passively seeing and reporting is very different to going out looking for people doing illegal things is very different. I approve of the former!
If driver is on their phone for 10 seconds plus at a red light and don't see someone looking through their window with a camera, it's not great and i applaud the po-po for making it easier to report these dangerous drivers

Now that they have introduced new laws to punish death/injury by dangerous cycling it's only a matter of time before registration and insurance will be required to cycle on the roads.  The playing field will be levelled then and there will be a raft of drivers reporting cyclist for cycling with undue care and attention.  Then we will hear a different story no doubt.  I see just as many bad cyclists as i do drivers, especially in the tight roads where we live.

[swindonmaniac]

Now that they have introduced new laws to punish death/injury by dangerous cycling it's only a matter of time before registration and insurance will be required to cycle on the roads.  The playing field will be levelled then and there will be a raft of drivers reporting cyclist for cycling with undue care and attention.  Then we will hear a different story no doubt.  I see just as many bad cyclists as i do drivers, especially in the tight roads where we live.

Not before time Berni,  think Bennett needs to get a life.

[Berniman]

Not before time Berni,  think Bennett needs to get a life.

Bennett has got plenty going on in his life, he is busy trying to make everyone on here a tad less grumpy..

[4D]

Bennett has got plenty going on in his life, he is busy trying to make everyone on here a tad less grumpy..

He deserves the fan of the season medal, especially his trust work.

[reeves4england]

He deserves the fan of the season medal, especially his trust work.

And perhaps a cycle rack at the ground. But it's obvious that's a bit beyond the current administration.

[Berniman]

He deserves the fan of the season medal, especially his trust work.

Let's not go too far too soon..  a medal would expand his ego too soon, won't be able to get his cycling helmet on

[Bennett]

Not before time Berni,  think Bennett needs to get a life.

Which bit do you take issue with?

[Bennett]

Now that they have introduced new laws to punish death/injury by dangerous cycling it's only a matter of time before registration and insurance will be required to cycle on the roads.  The playing field will be levelled then and there will be a raft of drivers reporting cyclist for cycling with undue care and attention.  Then we will hear a different story no doubt.  I see just as many bad cyclists as i do drivers, especially in the tight roads where we live.

Successive governments have looked into the idea, they've all found it unworkable and only good for a soundbite rather than a good policy.
That said registration kinda makes sense, i look forward to Dido Harding setting it up next year.
Do you mean levelled in terms of reporting or outcome? Because nothing stops anyone reporting anything from their dashcam...

[horlock07]

Now that they have introduced new laws to punish death/injury by dangerous cycling it's only a matter of time before registration and insurance will be required to cycle on the roads.  The playing field will be levelled then and there will be a raft of drivers reporting cyclist for cycling with undue care and attention.  Then we will hear a different story no doubt.  I see just as many bad cyclists as i do drivers, especially in the tight roads where we live.

As with so much performative legislation and governance by the present incumbents of no.10 this is all going to come with a shed load of unintended consequences.

Firstly on insurance, those who seem to get the blood pressure raging the most are those wearing lycra, I would suspect that probably 99% of those already have insurance via a multitude of sources (be that personal insurance, membership of a club, membership of Cycling UK, British Cycling etc), what it will absolutely clobber is the bloke riding his bike to work or little Johnny riding his bike to school or wanting to go out and do tricks on his BMX with his mates.

Registration could possibly be a good idea, but considering how many thousands of un registered motors and unlicensed drivers are knocking about (estimated that over a million vehicles are driven uninsured or unlicensed daily on our roads) its just going to vastly increase the burden on a system that just doesn't work as it stand.

Thirdly its gonna lead to a hell of a lot more cyclists having camera's and reporting close passes etc, I don't ride with one now (would have been handy to have had one when the lorry driver who didn't know how long his wagon was hit me and put me on the verge, crushing my hand!) but would sure as dammit be buying one if this half arsed law comes into effect.

An ex traffic copper noted on Twitter the other day that actually if they bring this to the fore it potentially has a side effect that the drop in what would be defined as the "dangerous" charging thresholds to accommodate & make the legislation effective could then see hundreds more drivers jailed, bearing in mind that at present if you hit and kill a pedestrian on a bike (and are found to be at fault) you tend to do jail time (been two in last 12 years, both done time), motorists rarely do so if you are planning to level up the system, its gonna have to go the other way.

Long and short there are shit cyclists and shit drivers, but one are considerably more likley to injure and kill pedestrians so why are we wasting legislative time and money concentrating on the former (this is a rhetorical question, we all know why, its gets column inches inn the Mail and Telegraph and gets the party faithful's juices flowing) rather than using the existing laws better to manage the latter.

[Berniman]

Successive governments have looked into the idea, they've all found it unworkable and only good for a soundbite rather than a good policy.
That said registration kinda makes sense, i look forward to Dido Harding setting it up next year.
Do you mean levelled in terms of reporting or outcome? Because nothing stops anyone reporting anything from their dashcam...

Reporting which leads to outcome.  Let's face it, if a lycra clad cyclist reports number plate XXX then they have something to work with, if the driver reports a blue bike with a bloke wearing purple lycra, that could mean anyone of a 1000 cyclists out on the road.  Cyclists are a lot more vocal about when there is an incident because they just take a photo of the number plate, a driver has no chance of getting listened to.

[swindonmaniac]

Which bit do you take issue with?

How can you be accused of dangerous driving if you look at your phone for ten seconds at traffic lights ??  You’re not even moving.  Too many people sticking their noses into other people’s business
One man one job,  enough do goodders about,  let the police do what they’re paid for.

[horlock07]

Reporting which leads to outcome.  Let's face it, if a lycra clad cyclist reports number plate XXX then they have something to work with, if the driver reports a blue bike with a bloke wearing purple lycra, that could mean anyone of a 1000 cyclists out on the road.  Cyclists are a lot more vocal about when there is an incident because they just take a photo of the number plate, a driver has no chance of getting listened to.

Not sure what lycra has to do with it, but if you report someone to inspector knacker with just a number plate but no photographic evidence they won't even look into it, when that wagon hit me the fuzz didn't even acknowledge the report!

[Bennett]

How can you be accused of dangerous driving if you look at your phone for ten seconds at traffic lights ??  You’re not even moving.  Too many people sticking their noses into other people’s business
One man one job,  enough do goodders about,  let the police do what they’re paid for.

I didn't say dangerous driving, but you must be in control of your vehicle at all times. Checking your phone isn't doing that...see 149 here
https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/general-rules-techniques-and-advice-for-all-drivers-and-riders-general-advice.html

I said going out of your way to report people isn't cool, but if i spot someone driving dangerously or checking their phone whilst driving I wouldn't hesitate to report them

[Bennett]

Reporting which leads to outcome.  Let's face it, if a lycra clad cyclist reports number plate XXX then they have something to work with, if the driver reports a blue bike with a bloke wearing purple lycra, that could mean anyone of a 1000 cyclists out on the road.  Cyclists are a lot more vocal about when there is an incident because they just take a photo of the number plate, a driver has no chance of getting listened to.

There's also a range that the cyclist is realistically going to be within from the incident. Report them all, see if the police can be arsed to track them down given they've given up on registration plates for taxed or insured cars, even when some get reported.

I guess i'm coming from this from an emotive place of - I've nearly been killed by drivers and their cars driving way too shittily. I don't see a danger that cyclists pose to drivers that could warrant a level playing field.

If we're talking about "ummm achtually you ought to be in that box" or "you passed on a partial red", absolutely fair playing field.

[Berniman]

Not sure what lycra has to do with it, but if you report someone to inspector knacker with just a number plate but no photographic evidence they won't even look into it, when that wagon hit me the fuzz didn't even acknowledge the report!

Not sure what things like 2 ton wanker tractor or the likes has to do with it but the cycling community love to throw them out there and drivers don't get offended, take it as a term of endearment.

I guess i'm coming from this from an emotive place of - I've nearly been killed by drivers and their cars driving way too shittily. I don't see a danger that cyclists pose to drivers that could warrant a level playing field.

If we're talking about "ummm achtually you ought to be in that box" or "you passed on a partial red", absolutely fair playing field.

I am just debating the other side of the discussion because car drivers tend to get tarred with the same brush when the cyclists raise the issue.  Cyclist are right to raise it, they are putting their lives at risk when choosing to ride on a road on a bike for sure, but they do choose to do that.  I get that they don't choose to have cars driven close to them or hitting them in the same way that car drivers do not choose to have their cars scratched or damaged when a cyclist decides to come too close to them in traffic or just pedals straight through a red light. i get it, their lives aren't at risk, but i choose not to take that risk.  Some cyclist choose not to wear helmets, choose to wear no protective clothing and in most cases no protection over their skin at all.

I guess i am just saying that the mightier than thou attitude of some because they are using pedal power, not polluting and it is always the drivers fault, does not do the cyclists group any favours. And like with so many other areas of life, there needs to be less of a split and more of a level view.

And as far as danger to drivers, i would agree there is not much at all, except if you have ever been in the unfortunate situation where you hit a cyclist when they are cycling like an absolute plank, especially when that cyclist is a child, then you might have a different view..