'Death by dangerous cycling' law considered
Comments
-
That kind of attitude is one reason why some idiot motorists treat cyclists as fair game and deserving of being run off the road....We need to start demonising the idiot arrogant motorists not cyclists.
Road safety is about all road users having respect for all other road users... you cannot achieve that if you believe some people need to be demonised."In the future, everyone will be rich for 15 minutes"0 -
How many people have actually read the document in the OP's link? Never mind any of the links within that link.What would Buzz do?
I used to be Snow White - but I drifted.0 -
More widely we need to decide what to do about 'new transport devices' - electric bikes, Segway/hover board, electric scooters, skateboards etc. These can make a lot of sense for urban transport and are seeing wide adoption abroad but are legislated off both the roads and the pavements in the UK.I think....0
-
I'm aware of that. I was responding to a post responding to Wild Rover's point about whether there should be an offence.
Not so simple. You would then need to add legislation of bikes to be fitted with speedometers I would assume?
Would theses be mechanically driven or are you trusting bike computers?
bikes already sold,is retrofitting a requirement?
Again,how often do you see cyclists breaking the road speedlimit as a n issue?
In Edinburgh (since it was the example used) the 20mph limit is barely enforced under existing laws and the Police have stated as much0 -
How many people have actually read the document in the OP's link? Never mind any of the links within that link.
Yes,interestingly the DFT chooses to use the name of Matt Briggs.
His wife was killed by a cyclist who got an 18 month sentence.
given historical sentencing for drivers,a fairly hefty sentence.0 -
Even if bikes were going 30 mph in a 20 zone, I think the bike would do less damage than a car. Can't be bothered to do the calc but they can probably stop in a shorter distance too.0
-
Already discussed in the thread.Not so simple. You would then need to add legislation of bikes to be fitted with speedometers I would assume?
Would theses be mechanically driven or are you trusting bike computers?
bikes already sold,is retrofitting a requirement?
Again,how often do you see cyclists breaking the road speedlimit as a n issue?
In Edinburgh (since it was the example used) the 20mph limit is barely enforced under existing laws and the Police have stated as much
Councils already have powers to impose speed limits on cyclists without there being any legal requirement to have a speedometer on a cycle. As I said above, the onus is on the rider to assess their speed - whether they choose a mechanical speedometer, cycle computer or GPS/smartphone to assist them is their choice.
A speedometer fitted to a car also still just a guide - your speedometer being inaccurate is not a defence against a speeding fine."In the future, everyone will be rich for 15 minutes"0 -
Not necessarily so. The front end of modern cars is designed to reduce the damage to pedestrians in the event of a collision. The front ends of many bikes have hard projections, sharp edges and things which can 'catch' or entrap.Rosemary7391 wrote: »Even if bikes were going 30 mph in a 20 zone, I think the bike would do less damage than a car. Can't be bothered to do the calc but they can probably stop in a shorter distance too.
Injury to pedestrians usually happens when some of the kinetic energy of the vehicle (and occupants) is transferred to the pedestrian. The amount of kinetic energy required to do damage (e.g. break bones) is not very much, and a cyclist travelling at 20mph has enough. The kind of injuries suffered will depend on how the kinetic energy is transferred - and cycles are not designed to do so in a kind way.
As for stopping in a shorter distance, that depends whether the cycle is fitted with effective brakes, if the brakes are properly maintained, and if the tyres have sufficient grip. Cycles are not subject to the same legal requirements for fitting and maintenance of equipment which aids stopping quickly and under control (jam the brakes on in a car and ABS will help you steer, jam on the brakes on a cycle and you risk going over the handlebars). We'd need to do the calculations."In the future, everyone will be rich for 15 minutes"0 -
Already discussed in the thread.
Councils already have powers to impose speed limits on cyclists without there being any legal requirement to have a speedometer on a cycle. As I said above, the onus is on the rider to assess their speed - whether they choose a mechanical speedometer, cycle computer or GPS/smartphone to assist them is their choice.
A speedometer fitted to a car also still just a guide - your speedometer being inaccurate is not a defence against a speeding fine.
Seems like yet another large hammer to crack a very small nut. How many times would you say cyclists are over the road speed limit vs cars?
Given you will be using the car speedo as a 'guide' (for the poster who raised it) the cyclist maybe using a more accurate speedo.0 -
We would have to do the calculations, agreed. But of interest is the effect of a reduction in speed of the bicycle - I agree being hit is going to be unpleasant and dangerous at 20mph or 30mph, but is the reduction in potential harm enough to justify the difficulty of introducing speed limits for cycles? And the offset in reducing cycling rates, which affects public health?0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 343.1K Banking & Borrowing
- 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 449.7K Spending & Discounts
- 235.2K Work, Benefits & Business
- 607.9K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 173K Life & Family
- 247.8K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards