I too was amazed when I first saw the video, that the cyclist was not badly hurt.
One would have thought that bearing in mind how vulnerable cyclists are, and invariably come off worst when involved in any kind of accident, the rider was not more vigilant, and aware of what other road users were doing. He was certainly a very lucky chap.
But what about the car ? Presumably no great damage was caused, but from what the video showed, the driver did not take any details from the cyclist, and when he was gone, ridden off into the sunset, so possibly was any chance of reimbursement for any damage caused, because cyclists are anonymous - no registration plate to read, to identify them.
That is another point in the conversation, should all road userâs be registered for the use of the public highway, including horse riders as well as cyclists. If I remember when I was in the Channel Islands in the seventies cycles had to have road tax. But more importantly should cyclists be insured so you can clam back for any damage if an accident is not you fault.
So what about cyclist with multiple bikes, there are two I know personally that have at least 10 bikes each. Wouldnât it be easier if the person were registered and identifiable in some way such as having their NI number tattooed on their forehead, if it were mandatory for everyone you would have the necessary information to identify anyone. The whole concept of introducing registration for every activity (being a pedestrian?) seems a dangerous one to me. Be very careful what you wish for, âBig Brother is Watching You!â. And litigate against anyone for the slightest thing, just as they do in the USA! No thanks!
The most basic bike insurance can easily be covered by many household insurance policies; but they only they insure the bikes against theft and accidental damage (expensive ones need value declared).
The next step is is much more difficult; to cover the child or rider against accidental damage and anything they might inflict, while riding, much more expensive and not so many insurerst, but if more generally available it would give a parent peace of mind.
However, any parent going to those lengths will probably already have made sure the child had been on a proper training course (my children did). And while our bikes were insured under the general household policy, at that time there was no third party or accident cover available for cyclists while cycling on any of the policies our broker could find that were also appropriate for the house.
When Hon No2 Daughter later set up her own home and used her bike to commute to work through London, she did have cycling insurance, effectively Third Party and Theft as well as Legal and a kind of emergency hospital cover for if she was knocked off the bike. After twice being hit by cars entering main roads from a side street without looking, she gave up the bike commute for the tube. Her only consolation after discovering this insurance was useless and a total waste of money was that the damage the sharp bits on her bike did to those offending cars was extensive and probably cost thousands to put right.
However, by far the most effective insurance she carried was one of the first bike helmet cameras! This proved she was not at fault and had a case against the unseeing drivers.
In these modern times why not?
Not rocket science to have an addition bolted on to your house insurance and peace of mind.
It would save all the stress and hassle for the parents and indeed the victims who get hit. Being pedestrians, cars or whatever.
Well, I always remember my father taking me some where to learn how to ride my bike away from public roads and cars. I did my cycling proficiency at school too.
I, likewise taught my children how to ride their bikes away from cars âjust in caseâ.
I also have grand children and itâs all about teaching them to have respect, be careful and to have a lot of fun! Because if they comply with all that then we all do.
As already stated, it can be âVERY EXPENSIVEâ to repair damage caused by a child crashing into a car learning how to ride a bike.
The main problem is getting the parents to accept that it is their fault at the end of the day and most would do a runner if they thought that they had not been seen!!
Children are children, but from what I have seen and witnessed with todays modern parentsâŚ
One of my neighbours is a member and a fanatically keen cyclist. At seventy years old she thinks nothing of a few hundred miles âgentle cyclingâ (her words) in a day. She rode from London to Switzerland down the scenic routes by the rivers through Germany last year to visit her daughter and deliver an electrically assisted bike.
My daughter does not ride any more, her two accidents were almost twenty years ago, and they (plus her bike being stolen a couple of times) put her off.
Unfortunately we live in a fast paced, cut and thrust selfish and aggressive society, people pay a high price not just for cars and motorcycles but for road tax , insurance and fuel, so if someone wants to jump on ÂŁ100 pushbike and mix it with all these other motorists ,there are going to be problems when they want space , respect and tolerance, particularly if they dont follow the rules themselves.
I dont have a problem with law abiding cyclists , but if we had decent marked out cycle lanes , in good condition would cyclists still stick to the rules ? as so many people just donât care anymore, or maybe I just lack faith in people nowadays.
Going off Piste a little here , but years ago there was an anti litter campaign , " Dont be a litterbug etc " but travel along any stretch of duel carriage way in Essex and you will drive past mile after mile of litter on the verges. piles of it, black bags , litter hanging from treeâs , old tyres in laybyâs like someone has tipped out a lorry load of rubbish along the road, why? because people donât care and just chuck it out of the window, Mc Donalds rubbish left piled up on their carpark roads although there are bins nearby, but people arenât bothered and chuck it out of the window anyway as they are ignorant, so unless the ingrained and bad attitude of a lot of people changes , nothing else is going to change for the good including road manners.
Everything Bosley has just posted is, sadly, true. Why people cannot simply take their rubbish home with them is beyond me. The pictures on TV recently showing literally tons of litter left by day trippers on Bournemouth beach was, quite frankly, disgusting.
Maybe McDonaldâs should put your reg no on your cups and cartons at point of sale, so you can be traceable donât tell me we havenât got the technology.
As for the big brother theorists, if you havenât got anything to hide you havenât got anything to worry about. Why should people put up with other peopleâs crap whether itâs plastic and cardboard or their Ignorance, laziness and lack of road craft, whatever mode of transport you use.
Back on topic my County Council in their infinite wisdom and using emergency (covid) funds from the government that they had to spend very quickly, so without any consultation at all, not even with the borough council as far as I can tell, have erected bollards (they call them wands) along stretches of my road, along the white line that forms the cycle lanes. This includes around roundabouts, some long stretches of road and opposite junctions etc. The road speed limit is 40. These bollards have been universally condemned by pretty much everyone including the bike riders and cyclists as doing nothing at all to enhance safety and in fact they have probably made it more dangerous for all. Many of the bollards are now getting hit repeatedly, I assume by trucks, they must just spring up again, but many now now blackened and damaged. (after just a few weeks)
They whole exercise will have cost us all a considerable amount, its achieved nothing, whereas had they simply reduced the speed limit from 30-40mph all would have benefited.
So bad is this scheme I think they have now stopped the roll out, possibly also because little of it complies with latest gov cycle lane guidance.
Make the roads safer for all, but some of the recent knee jerk stuff done has done nothing of the sort.
