Thread: Cyclist aware drivers... are you one?

Originally Posted by discovery39

Texting?

WINNER!!!....... One of the reasons this debate will always only be a point scoring battle, while both sides (car owners and cyclists) drive/ride like dickhead idiots there will always be deaths no matter what laws are in place .....End of story

Originally Posted by Epic_Dragon

are also responsible for not only their own safety but other road users too, cars included.

As are all road users which many including some members here appear to forget.

Originally Posted by London Boy

Stop calling them cyclists. Start calling them people. Or better yet, start calling them taxpayers, or ratepayers. You know, the people who fund the roads you use.

Don't get me on rego, btw. Rego (a) doesn't pay for the roads, it just pays to administer permits, and (b) doesn't stop motorists breaking the law, so how would it help with people who ride bikes?

Yep. I'll modify my behavior.
Today, I was driving along and passed a few tax payers driving B doubles. I was passed by a rate payer in a Volvo not long after. One thing I did notice about these particular rate payers and tax payers, the vehicles they were driving were registered for road use and they had compulsory third party insurance just in case they injured someone. They also had an identification/registration plate affixed in case there was a need to identify them to the police.

Cyclist registration is nowadays little more than a wish by disgruntled motorists who want petty revenge on lawbreaking cyclists, as the motorist feels he can no longer do the same without penalty. As for the real world, virtually no country in the world requires cyclists to be registered. Why??? Perhaps the benefits are far outweighed by the costs.

An article on cyclist registration.

Lots of countries used to have bike badge registration schemes: from Argentina to the Seychelles. In fact, the little tin badges are collectible, and can be found on specialist websites and on eBay. The schemes were discontinued for the same reason dog licences were discontinued in the UK: administration of the schemes, such as the bicycle licensing by-law in Toronto (created in 1935, ditched in 1957 and suggested but rejected in 1984, 1992 and 1996), always costs way more than the income.

If anyone really wants to push cycle registration in this country, (and make us the laughing stock of the civilised world) perhaps they should petition that crazy new Queensland independent to add it to his platform. Any other way it won't fly. It's way too unimportant on the grand scheme of problems facing the country.

Originally Posted by London Boy

Stop calling them cyclists. Start calling them people. Or better yet, start calling them taxpayers, or ratepayers. You know, the people who fund the roads you use.

Don't get me on rego, btw. Rego (a) doesn't pay for the roads, it just pays to administer permits, and (b) doesn't stop motorists breaking the law, so how would it help with people who ride bikes?

It would make them identifiable like all the other road users

Originally Posted by bee utey

Cyclist registration is nowadays little more than a wish by disgruntled motorists who want petty revenge on lawbreaking cyclists, as the motorist feels he can no longer do the same without penalty. As for the real world, virtually no country in the world requires cyclists to be registered. Why??? Perhaps the benefits are far outweighed by the costs.

An article on cyclist registration.

Lots of countries used to have bike badge registration schemes: from Argentina to the Seychelles. In fact, the little tin badges are collectible, and can be found on specialist websites and on eBay. The schemes were discontinued for the same reason dog licences were discontinued in the UK: administration of the schemes, such as the bicycle licensing by-law in Toronto (created in 1935, ditched in 1957 and suggested but rejected in 1984, 1992 and 1996), always costs way more than the income.

If anyone really wants to push cycle registration in this country, (and make us the laughing stock of the civilised world) perhaps they should petition that crazy new Queensland independent to add it to his platform. Any other way it won't fly. It's way too unimportant on the grand scheme of problems facing the country.

So, what you are saying is, we are the laughing stock of the world because we still have dog registrations. There are a few threads on this site that would suggest dog registration is a good thing.

Great link

If pedestrians want to walk on our streets, which we pay for with all our driving taxes, then they need to pay their share and take their part of the responsibility. Anybody who walks anywhere should undergo training, should have to pay an annual tax towards the facilities they enjoy, should display a license plate so they can be identified, and should each be made to carry insurance in case they are ever involved in any accidents.

Dare I suggest training and a test before you can drive any vehicle on a public , especially arterial road and above? Probably not as it is a right to operate an uninsured, unregistered vehicle on the road.

As an aside looking at a few USA sites the big issue appears to be cyclist on cyclist prangs , esp in packs/pelaton sand someone is injured and the lawyers get involved.