Drivers ‘should be liable for cyclist accidents’

The ironic things about cycle lanes and motorists misguided insistence we should use them (because it suits their nonsensical road tax argument) is the overwhelming majority do not comply with the Department For Transport own specifications in size or markings, they are often in a dangerous state of disrepair with little or no maintenance by the appropriate authorities, and the national guidelines from bikeability are that if you are cycling at over 15mph then you should be in the main carriageway of the road anyway! We as cyclists are damned if we do and damned if we don't.

walkers with red flags and fluorescent jackets should march in front of cyclists at all times.

highlandsflyer":3jhs2zs1 said:

I don't think people with entrenched views are going to take a blind bit of notice to the possibility of being presumed at fault if they hit a cyclist.

Too late for the cyclist in many cases.

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Neil, if you left my post in context rather than stripping it out you would not have made the error of twisting the meaning.

Your comparison with speed cameras is specious. There is evidence of an offence with a speed camera.

This proposed change in law would result in people who have committed no offence being presumed guilty of one.

You don't think educating drivers works, I don't the mooted change in law would work. Opinions.

retrocomeback":3jhs2zs1 said:

The ironic things about cycle lanes and motorists misguided insistence we should use them (because it suits their nonsensical road tax argument) is the overwhelming majority do not comply with the Department For Transport own specifications in size or markings, they are often in a dangerous state of disrepair with little or no maintenance by the appropriate authorities, and the national guidelines from bikeability are that if you are cycling at over 15mph then you should be in the main carriageway of the road anyway! We as cyclists are damned if we do and damned if we don't.

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I agree completely.

Have you cycled in countries where there are distinct through ways for cyclists? It is quite a revelation when you can relax and cycle with total separation from polluting vehicles. I am not suggesting for one minute that where that is impractical to provide cyclists should be corralled into dangerously designed or unkempt cycle ways. I am aware of the research showing the dangers of separating then mixing cycles with mainstream traffic repeatedly.

My hope is for removing cars, etc, from large swathes of the inner city, and the provision of totally distinct cycle highways for commuting, extra urban journeys, etc.

I am not campaigning to remove the rights of cyclists to merge where necessary, merely desirous of seeing an alternative for those of us who would prefer to cycle without the spectre of that one in ten drivers who would rather flick to track thirteen of their iPod pop mix than look at the road ahead.

I would rather they encounter a bus or lorry as a wake up call than knock a cyclist over fatally.

So sue me!

highlandsflyer":1ajf42om said:

highlandsflyer":1ajf42om said:

I don't think people with entrenched views are going to take a blind bit of notice to the possibility of being presumed at fault if they hit a cyclist.

Too late for the cyclist in many cases.

Click to expand...

Neil, if you left my post in context rather than stripping it out you would not have made the error of twisting the meaning.

Your comparison with speed cameras is specious. There is evidence of an offence with a speed camera.

This proposed change in law would result in people who have committed no offence being presumed guilty of one.

Click to expand...

I disagree - the analogy isn't specious at all, in the speed camera scenario, the RK will be assumed guilty by default. If he / she genuinely can't remember, or truly doesn’t know, who's driving, then they'll have to make a credible argument to a magistrate to reverse the assumption that they're just keeping schtum.

In the proposed scenario, the vehicle driver will be, by default, assumed to be liable / negligent - but not necessarily guilty of some criminal offence.

highlandsflyer":1ajf42om said:

You don't think educating drivers works, I don't the mooted change in law would work. Opinions.

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The reasoning behind my opinion is based on how in fairly recent times ingrained attitudes on things like drink-driving and speeding have changed in response to how they're dealt with and marketed.

A year or two back when I first read of such a notion, I hated the idea, I thought it abhorrent. But in the interim I've read, watched and listened, to the media, people in general public I encounter, and I've concluded that something needs to be done to address the rot, ignorance and arrogance in many drivers regarding cyclists as traffic.

And it's not like I'm 100% behind it - I do have some misgivings, but all the same, something has to be done to contextualise ego with risk to life and limb, and whilst education is the normal mantra, it ain't gonna cut it.

How about plain clothed officers on cycles pulling drivers over for inappropriate driving?

highlandsflyer":1r5gwcwz said:

How about plain clothed officers on cycles pulling drivers over for inappropriate driving?

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Good idea. I still have my blue headlights somewhere. Always fun when I put them both on a bike and then put them on flashing mode.

oof

In essence, I agree with this.

A cyclist is a human on a bike. At the moment, drivers can drive past them at 60mph, with inches to spare and no consideration of the potential consequences.

Such liability proposals would surely make them think twice about such ridiculous behaviour.

Officers in plain clothes don't have the power to pull a vehicle. Thy have to be in uniform to have that power, though they can be in an unmarked vehicle.

Unfortunately, I suspect a fully uniformed Bobby on an unmarked Marin might still be noticed.

I'm sure drivers wouldn't spot they were coppers if they were on bicycles. Speaking of which, we have a bobby on a bike round here. Why is the bike so poor, and poorly maintained?

But then we know the police are as bad as the pubic with cyclists

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK00wAF-tRI[/youtube]