Best way to identify a cyclist

ThorOdinson

Thank goodness for Yandex I guess, otherwise he would have got away with it. Good job I got him on camera.

Imagine thinking it was okay to crash into and damage someone's car, and then leg it to avoid responsibility.

MacPingu1986

ThorOdinson said:

A better solution might be to licence the rider. Riders in sports already wear identification.

We don't require people on bicycles to wear ID numbers for exactly the same reason you don't need to wear a numbered vest or pin on a number when walking on public pavements. Motor vehicles are regulated with number plates and insurance because of the *much* higher risks posed to the public by a multi-tonne piece of heavy machinery, weighing at least 15x more than a bicycle and rider with 200x the power. Different risks, different regulations. 

Bicycle racing has different equipment and safety requirements to normal everyday commuter cycling in exactly the same way as motor racing has different equipment and safety requirements to everyday driving (eg: when driving you're not required to wear a full face crash helmet and fireproof overalls).

ThorOdinson

People don't walk down the middle of the road, or cause £2k of damage to vehicles when they walk into them.

He put his bike on Facebook marketplace, so a good result.

alidai

It’s gone up to £2k now!! Wow

MacPingu1986

ThorOdinson said:

People don't walk down the middle of the road, or cause £2k of damage to vehicles when they walk into them.

He put his bike on Facebook marketplace, so a good result.

People walk on (and cross) roads all the time, and people on foot commit all sorts of crimes, including those far more serious than collisions causing £2k of property damage, without any requirement for pedestrian number vests or registrations.

As I explained above - motor vehicles are regulated differently to people on bicycles and pedestrians because the risks that motor vehicles pose to the public are vastly greater - different risks, different regulations. 

ThorOdinson

alidai said:

It’s gone up to £2k now!! Wow

Genuine parts, labour, equivalent hire car... It adds up fast. He should have had insurance.

Herzlos

ThorOdinson said:

A better solution might be to licence the rider. Riders in sports already wear identification.

For anyone using a bike, including toddlers on balance bikes?

Ignoring the sheer volume of people and administrative cost, how would the identification work?

How does that fit with encouraging more people to travel in green and active ways?


Given how little damage bicycles cause, all of the numerous studies into it have shown that it's just not worth the hassle. I know some will say that this bike caused £2k of damage, but I'd be willing to bet the damage would have been much worse if OP had been hit by a motorbike or car.

ThorOdinson

Shocking how many people seem to be fine with this guy trying to literally run away from his responsibilities.

It's just lucky that he hit a car and not a person. Too busy looking at his phone.

MacPingu1986

ThorOdinson said:

Shocking how many people seem to be fine with this guy trying to literally run away from his responsibilities.

It's just lucky that he hit a car and not a person. Too busy looking at his phone.

No one is saying they are fine with this person. We have simply been explaining why using a bicycle is regulated differently to driving a car. This is because the latter is multi-tonne heavy machinery with 200x the power of a human powered bicycle. Different risks, different regulations.

ThorOdinson

MacPingu1986 said:

ThorOdinson said:

Shocking how many people seem to be fine with this guy trying to literally run away from his responsibilities.

It's just lucky that he hit a car and not a person. Too busy looking at his phone.

No one is saying they are fine with this person. We have simply been explaining why using a bicycle is regulated differently to driving a car. This is because the latter is multi-tonne heavy machinery with 200x the power of a human powered bicycle. Different risks, different regulations.

None of which helps the victims, does it?

I'll wait to see what the police do, given I've handed them a video of him hitting me and then running away. I'm just glad he sold the bike because there is no law to ban him from riding until he learns to do it safely. I've asked my MP to raise it too. It's getting worse now we have e-bikes.

I was driving on Sunday when a cyclist with a trailer carrying two toddlers crossed the a dual carriageway. She did use a crossing so points for that, but as she was going through the fences in the middle partition that are designed to slow people like her down and avoid accidents, she turned too hard and the trailer slammed into the metal railings. Totally oblivious as to the location and safety of her children.

If there was some way to ID her I'd report it to the police. Not sure if I can be bothered to check the video for a good shot of her face and then go searching again.