Push bikes and insurance

[fern01]

The pedestrians have lost the footpaths.

 

Most cyclists have no consideration for people who are walking and will not even slow down and pass safely.

 

The attitude is I'm coming through get out of my way.

[NickS]

Simple solution.

 

 

Nick

[Deker]

when I see a 40 ton bike being ridden at 60mph by a half a sleep rider and ploughing into the back of stationary vehicles,or 6 drivers killed in week by a cyclist's back wheel going over them, I will advocate compulsory insurance

 

 

KW

 

People need to remember it's not just the cycle that causes damage, what happens if a cyclist pulls out in front of a 40 ton truck causing him to swerve and possible cause the situation you mentioned (truck ploughing into stationary vehicles or bus stop etc), personally I think not only should they have insurance but if they don't already have any kind of driving license then they should have some kind of proof of road safety (or at the very least a highway code test)

Edited August 17, 2014 by Deker

[clayman]

What a lot of people don't realise, is that their household insurance often covers household members for P/L while engaged in recreational / domestic sports activities away from home / in public. Our household had a situation where my 20yr son was riding his m/c safely along a road, and two silly teenagers on skate boards shot off the pavement in front of him. Nick served to avoid running over them, skidded and lost the bike (write-off) and broke his leg. Kids and parents tried to deny any responsibility and refused to investigate if they had any insurance in their H/H policy - so a court summons focused them and eventually they conceded and handed the case over to their H/H insurers, who did indeed settle in full £7,500 for bike cost, personal injury, time off work etc etc. Just because a cyclist / pedestrian / roller skater etc may not have dedicated insurance does not mean to say they may not have cover in general clauses of other policies, ie travel insurance / sports insurance / household etc may have been taken out to cover other specifics, but still contain cover that is valid for the accident that arises. Faced with the prospect of having to fight a court case and potentially have to find £1000's in compensation from their own pockets, defendants suddenly find they DID have insurance after all and pass the claim on.

[overandunder2012]

Are you serious? How would the police know which cycles were insured and which weren't? Anyway not all cyclists are road users - what about mountain bikers? Where would you draw the line with this insurance - skateboards, rollerblades, pedestrians when walking on roads needing insurance too?

 

Do you really want another layer of bureaucracy and greater police powers in this county? I'm a car driver and a cyclist, but I know that when I'm driving a car the potential to cause damage, death and injury is much greater than when I'm cycling. This is a fact.

he's got a point dont encourage them to slap you with yet another bill imagine your kids bikes needing insurance they will want mot's next

Edited August 17, 2014 by overandunder2012

[MartynGT4]

RE post 20

 

 

which equates to I ran into someone on a bike, all my mates stuck with me and said it was his fault,but they were considered quite rightly not to be independent, and after 15 mins of treatment, the cyclist was considered well enough to go home, and that due him being so reasonable, no charges would be brought.

 

KW

 

Oh great, more dribble from KW :whistling:

[victorismyhero]

cyclists????????? put em on the general licence......

[MartynGT4]

I think cyclists should pay insurance because the argument that only heavier vehicles can cause tragedies is quite flawed. I also think road cycling races should be banned unless the event is considered large enough to close the roads. I've lost count the number of times I've come across so called cycling races where cyclists have come round blind bends in rural roads three abreast, then have the cheek to look at me like I have no right to be on the road just because they're 'racing'. I see mindless cyclists riding dangerously, breaking lights, riding on pavements and endangering pedestrians pretty much every day and it sickens me, I say make them pay insurance and make them take a test of some sort so at least they have a clue about the highway code! And yes, I do mean kids too.. teach them how to ride safely and you might save their or some other poor **** life!

 

p.s. Does anyone else think the level of so called profanity filtering (and thread locking) is getting a bit OTT?

Edited August 17, 2014 by MartynGT4

[kdubya]

 

Oh great, more dribble from KW :whistling:

I think you mean drivel? dribble is the stuff that goes onto the bib your mam obviously puts under your chin before you get your dinner.

 

KW

[MartynGT4]

I think you mean drivel? dribble is the stuff that goes onto the bib your mam obviously puts under your chin before you get your dinner.

 

KW

 

On the contrary, I deliberately chose to use the word dribble as it seemed a better choice given your childish replies, I also felt using the word drivel would have been overly charitable..

Edited August 17, 2014 by MartynGT4

[kdubya]

 

On the contrary, I deliberately chose to use the word dribble as it seemed a better choice given your childish replies, I also felt using the word drivel would have been overly charitable..

nah ya didn't

 

KW

[MartynGT4]

nah ya didn't

 

KW

 

I rest my case

[shoot and be safe]

Cyclists should have insurance. They might not cause any harm with their bikes but can be a contributing factor in horrific incident.

 

Any type of vehicle using the road should have insurance, be it a bike, scooter, roller blades ect. There should also be a minimum age and test of some sort before you are allowed on the road. Would mean more work for the police though.

[amateur]

Cyclists should have insurance. They might not cause any harm with their bikes but can be a contributing factor in horrific incident.

 

Any type of vehicle using the road should have insurance, be it a bike, scooter, roller blades ect. There should also be a minimum age and test of some sort before you are allowed on the road. Would mean more work for the police though.

 

Surely all that law would create is the situation where cyclists would then increase their current use of pavements - or are you saying that all cycles, wherever they are used, should be insured.

 

At what age of cyclist would you impose this? or would all toddlers on their trikes be paying this too.

[mossy835]

i was stop at traffic lights the other day, and a chap on a bike went though 2 sets of lights that were on red, is that right, if he was hit by a car i bet the car driver would be at fault,never right

[aris]

I was having to overtake cyclists on the A3 yesterday. Ok, it is an "A" road, but akin to a motorway where the national speed limit applies. Insane.

 

This video is obligatory:

 

[shoot and be safe]

 

Surely all that law would create is the situation where cyclists would then increase their current use of pavements - or are you saying that all cycles, wherever they are used, should be insured.

 

At what age of cyclist would you impose this? or would all toddlers on their trikes be paying this too.

Cyclists on a pavement can't cause a incident on the carriageway, however should still have some form of protection.

There should be a minimum age or parents/gardens should be liable. Would you let a young child out on a busy road to play by themselves? (Any road can be busy, even a cul-de-sac can have many vehicles travelling up ad down them).

[tx4cabbie]

Don't know whether Insurance for cyclists would be possible, but I wish there was some legal protection for other road users who fall foul of the less responsible cyclists - had my Taxi 3 months, still had the New cab smell, when I drove through a green filter light and had a cyclist run into my wing, scratching the paint down to the bare metal. He had run a red light, filtering at speed past stationary traffic, and had no idea his red light meant someone would therefore have a green light.

As he lay on the road collecting his wits (half of them at most) I really wanted to break pieces of him off and would have save a) I own guns, b ) I drive a London Taxi and my badge/livelihood would be at risk, and c) he said sorry......I'm an Englishman, sorry really does have a magic of sorts.

His bike was bent and he was bruised, but more importantly, my cab, the second largest purchase I've ever made, was in need of a lot of expensive tlc. Had no recourse, as obviously no insurance, very upset and out of pocket.

I could have been a pedestrian, crossing on a green man, and at the speed he was traveling at, serious, potentially life-changing injuries could have resulted.

 

Re the point about bikes not causing deaths, I often see a cyclist on a dark coloured bike, in dark clothes, with no lights or reflectors, with earphones in, speeding through red lights, in the wee dark hours, and cars/lorries brake sharply or swerve to avoid them, potentially risking other, unrelated, innocent-of-any-wrongdoing, road/pavement users. It happens in daylight too, but at night it shows a considerable lack of common sense, at least TRY to help other road users avoid killing you?! I do not swerve or brake sharply, I won't put myself, my livelihood, my punters, or other road users at risk because you don't want to decelerate then speed up again - don't want to hit cyclists, am one myself, but it's a two way street, don't allow your safety to depend on me putting your welfare above my own, that way leads to hospital food or lillies.

Edited August 17, 2014 by tx4cabbie

[aris]

His bike was bent and he was bruised, but more importantly, my cab, the second largest purchase I've ever made, was in need of a lot of expensive tlc. Had no recourse, as obviously no insurance, very upset and out of pocket.

 

Surely you could have taken him to small claims court?

[tx4cabbie]

Honestly didn't think of it til much later, wish I had. Kind of wanted him gone, was fizzing with anger, and whilst I'm pretty slowburn temperwise, all it would have taken would have been one of those smug, selfrighteous, justifications that cyclists of this one's ilk oft make, and upper St would have needed jetwashing!

As usual, lovely wife hit nail on head, it's a working vehicle, it's going to happen, just smarted a bit at the time.

[shoot and be safe]

Don't know whether Insurance for cyclists would be possible, but I wish there was some legal protection for other road users who fall foul of the less responsible cyclists - had my Taxi 3 months, still had the New cab smell, when I drove through a green filter light and had a cyclist run into my wing, scratching the paint down to the bare metal. He had run a red light, filtering at speed past stationary traffic, and had no idea his red light meant someone would therefore have a green light.

As he lay on the road collecting his wits (half of them at most) I really wanted to break pieces of him off and would have save a) I own guns, b ) I drive a London Taxi and my badge/livelihood would be at risk, and c) he said sorry......I'm an Englishman, sorry really does have a magic of sorts.

His bike was bent and he was bruised, but more importantly, my cab, the second largest purchase I've ever made, was in need of a lot of expensive tlc. Had no recourse, as obviously no insurance, very upset and out of pocket.

I could have been a pedestrian, crossing on a green man, and at the speed he was traveling at, serious, potentially life-changing injuries could have resulted.

 

Re the point about bikes not causing deaths, I often see a cyclist on a dark coloured bike, in dark clothes, with no lights or reflectors, with earphones in, speeding through red lights, in the wee dark hours, and cars/lorries brake sharply or swerve to avoid them, potentially risking other, unrelated, innocent-of-any-wrongdoing, road/pavement users. It happens in daylight too, but at night it shows a considerable lack of common sense, at least TRY to help other road users avoid killing you?! I do not swerve or brake sharply, I won't put myself, my livelihood, my punters, or other road users at risk because you don't want to decelerate then speed up again - don't want to hit cyclists, am one myself, but it's a two way street, don't allow your safety to depend on me putting your welfare above my own, that way leads to hospital food or lillies.

Point well made

[nobbyathome]

a big bugbear for me this one i believe any road user should have insurance regardless what vehicle i actually work for a courier company that employs over 40 push bike couriers none of them have insurance not 1 single one of them they make there living on the roads of london and some do have accidents that are there own fault every other vehicle in our company passenger cars vans motorbikes all get courier insurance push bikes should not be exempt

there are many ideas on how all pushbikes could be insured this could be done ie general policy per year or when a new bike is sold an insurance premium is put on the price of it

if you are not insured get off the road

[Mentalmac]

As a cyclist, car driver and motorcyclist I wouldn't mind spending £20 a year on public liability ins in case. Not only or grumpy car drivers with a scratch on their car because they tried to mow me down and didn't succeed, but for if a numpty makes me fall off and doesn't stop.

[amateur]

 

...........if you are not insured get off the road

 

But that is my point - see above. There are too many cyclists on pavements at present. If compulsory insurance came in, the whole darn lot of 'em would be creating even more mayhem than they do at present.

[Yellow Bear]

 

But that is my point - see above. There are too many cyclists on pavements at present. If compulsory insurance came in, the whole darn lot of 'em would be creating even more mayhem than they do at present.

Then every cyclist (over the age of say 14) caught cycling on a footpath not designated as a cycle track should be hit with a large fine as would a motorist or motorcyclist doing the same and this includes particularly those that jump from the road to pedestrian crossings and back to road to avoid waiting at lights and junctions.

 

And before the cycle mafia jump on this - yes it does happen, I see it every day and virtually every time I use one particular junction.