Thread: Cyclists.

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

Rider education is a great idea. Once the course is done, they can be issued a license.
Then register their bikes and display registration numbers (just as other road users have to) then they can be identified and fined for transgressing the road rules that apply to all (just as other road users have to).
As a cyclist, that sounds very fair to me.

You know that cyclists can actually be booked for breaking road rules... and if you have a car license you will lose the same points as if you were in a car. Well that's the rules in Qld at least.

Personally I think that there are 2 sides to this one. Licensing cylcists would not work... how do you license a 6yr old?? I do however think that there needs to be more education for people who wish to cycle. I have cycled with a few groups that did not follow what I consider correct etiquette; I didn't even complete the social ride with these groups, after seeing their road 'attitude' I left the group and cycled home alone. On the other hand I think that there are plenty of cyclists out there doing the right thing! They will be the ones you don't notice.

Vehicle drivers will always feel that they are unjustly persecuted because they have to pay to use roads and pay for licenses etc. They often feel that they are 'held up' by slower moving cyclists, but really normally it's only a few seconds and really what is a couple of seconds in the grand scheme of things?

In my mind this argument comes down to 1 thing. Respect.

Originally Posted by Eevo

its a two way street.

if cyclists followed the road rules, there would be less problems.

Yeah, 'cos obviously motorists all follow the road rules. Never speed, never jump the lights, always stop at the white line, always give way across dashed lines. And of course, all motorists stop if they can at amber lights. Like they're supposed to. Never see anyone gunning it when they see an amber, no siree.

But most motorists don't know the road rules are, in many respects, different for cyclists. Actually, can that. Most motorists don't know the road rules, period.

But I can understand that. They are actually quite complex, if you want to push the boundaries.

Originally Posted by debruiser

You know that cyclists can actually be booked for breaking road rules... and if you have a car license you will lose the same points as if you were in a car. Well that's the rules in Qld at least.

Personally I think that there are 2 sides to this one. Licensing cylcists would not work... how do you license a 6yr old?? I do however think that there needs to be more education for people who wish to cycle. I have cycled with a few groups that did not follow what I consider correct etiquette; I didn't even complete the social ride with these groups, after seeing their road 'attitude' I left the group and cycled home alone. On the other hand I think that there are plenty of cyclists out there doing the right thing! They will be the ones you don't notice.

Vehicle drivers will always feel that they are unjustly persecuted because they have to pay to use roads and pay for licenses etc. They often feel that they are 'held up' by slower moving cyclists, but really normally it's only a few seconds and really what is a couple of seconds in the grand scheme of things?

In my mind this argument comes down to 1 thing. Respect.

This.

And driver education would be good, as well. Things like how rego doesn't actually pay for the roads, that's taxes and rates. Which cyclists pay. Especially the MAMIL's, who ride instead of golf. Which means they are paid well, so pay more taxes. They pay rego as well of course, often on more than one car.

So any motorists tempted to have a go at cyclists, they should remember that the cyclist is subsidising their use of the road.

Originally Posted by loneranger

I love how whenever the topic of cyclist v motorists comes up the typical response is that cyclists break the laws. If motorists didn't break laws we wouldn't need traffic cops, multanovas, red light cameras, road safety campaigns, demerits etc etc.

This response is due to the fact that cyclist's break the law/s and get away with it. Two reasons, lack of id and the police aren't interested.

Sure, lots of motorists break the law, but we get hammered for it

I am sure the police turn a blind eye to a lot of bike offenses for fear of been seen to be picking on the poor cyclist.

The one that annoys the crap out of me is the bunch of riders blocking a lane on a road when the law says not to ride more than two abreast.

Originally Posted by d2dave

The one that annoys the crap out of me is the bunch of riders blocking a lane on a road when the law says not to ride more than two abreast.

Cyclists should have to ride in single file except when overtaking and should be fined heavily if they don't obey the first rule of the road which is keep to the left.

Originally Posted by London Boy

And driver education would be good, as well.

Yep. I've done car driver education. I now have a car license. I've also done truck driver education. I now have a truck license. Yes, I know they are the same license with different endorsements. What is so wrong with doing a cycling course and getting your license endorsed for a bicycle? I'm for it.

Originally Posted by London Boy

Things like how rego doesn't actually pay for the roads, that's taxes and rates. Which cyclists pay. Especially the MAMIL's, who ride instead of golf. Which means they are paid well, so pay more taxes.

Hey. I pay my taxes too.

Originally Posted by London Boy

They pay rego as well of course, often on more than one car.

So, you think I pay rego on only one car? What are you saying? I only need to pay rego on one vehicle and all the others are free?
If they said I would have to display a registration number on my three bicycles, I'd hapily display them.

Originally Posted by London Boy

So any motorists tempted to have a go at cyclists, they should remember that the cyclist is subsidising their use of the road.

And motorists are subsidising the roads AND bike paths. For that, the motorists get disrespected by cyclists an there is no identifying registration number the motorist can use to identify them to police.

All I am asking for is a level playing field. I'm sure you would want to be fair, wouldn't you?

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

Rider education is a great idea.

No quibbles there.

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

Once the course is done, they can be issued a license.
Then register their bikes and display registration numbers (just as other road users have to) then they can be identified and fined for transgressing the road rules that apply to all (just as other road users have to).
As a cyclist, that sounds very fair to me.

And yet there isn't a single jurisdiction on this planet that does this. Why not? Perhaps because it does absolutely nothing towards overall road safety. It costs waaay more to administer than it generates in revenue. Perhaps you know something that thousands of traffic officials don't?

Really, visible number plates/bicycle licences won't help improve the situation. Nuisance reporting will not please the police. Nothing much is done about privately reported bad motorist behaviour in any case. The idea that the majority of cyclists (especially the fast boys out on the main roads, they have the money to buy whatever they want to drive or ride) don't know the road rules is ridiculous, most are drivers too. It's just they don't see why they should follow all rules blindly if the drivers they see around them aren't either.

It would also cost many billions of dolleros to make road loops sensitive enough to trigger cameras to catch bikes running red lights in any case.

Originally Posted by debruiser

You know that cyclists can actually be booked for breaking road rules... and if you have a car license you will lose the same points as if you were in a car. Well that's the rules in Qld at least.

The was a guy in Perth got booked for speeding through a school zone on his bike a couple of years ago.

Originally Posted by debruiser

Personally I think that there are 2 sides to this one. Licensing cylcists would not work... how do you license a 6yr old?? I do however think that there needs to be more education for people who wish to cycle. I have cycled with a few groups that did not follow what I consider correct etiquette; I didn't even complete the social ride with these groups, after seeing their road 'attitude' I left the group and cycled home alone. On the other hand I think that there are plenty of cyclists out there doing the right thing! They will be the ones you don't notice.

Vehicle drivers will always feel that they are unjustly persecuted because they have to pay to use roads and pay for licenses etc. They often feel that they are 'held up' by slower moving cyclists, but really normally it's only a few seconds and really what is a couple of seconds in the grand scheme of things?

In my mind this argument comes down to 1 thing. Respect.

It would be good for the education to work both ways with educating drivers on the rights of cyclists as well.