Why do bicycles get bus lane sign 'green lights'?

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by hindle8907

I think cyclists as road uses should have to take a training course just like car and motorcyclists do and should have some form of insurance too.

I've had my car license since I was 18, I've also got a motorbike license to, that I've had for 6 years. Why should I have to take another test to ride my pusher on the road ?

As for insurance, well my household contents will cover some things, some of the cycling clubs, IIRC particularly CTC, you can purchase personal injury & 3rd party liability insurance through, most sensible, decent law abiding cyclists will have this. Especially if they are riding about on a few thousand pounds worth of carbon fibre machine.

You cant legislate or license against people who have no fricken common sense and RLJ ( Red Light Jump ) for example, they'll do it whether they have a pedal bike license or not...

I'd be inclined to wager, most of the cycling d*ckheads have full car licenses, and full well know that you arent supposed to jump a red light, or ride along a one way street against the traffic flow, but the problem is that they are d*ckheads and as said above, you can't legislate against that.

[hindle8907]

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

I've had my car license since I was 18, I've also got a motorbike license to, that I've had for 6 years. Why should I have to take another test to ride my pusher on the road ?

The same reason you wasn't just allowed to ride a motorcycle ?

I have had a few close shaves with cyclists not my fault and what would of happend if an accident occurred and i was hurt or my bike was smashed up real bad ?

I bet it would be an even more painful process than a car/motorcycle claim. and probably wouldn't get anywhere .
At the end of the day all road users should prove that they are capable of using the roads and have insurance like everyone else IMO.

the same goes for old granny's on them electric scooters av seen a few of them nearly cause accidents !

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by hindle8907

At the end of the day all road users should prove that they are capable of using the roads and have insurance like everyone else IMO.

No at the end of the day, we should have a road infrastructure system that caters for all forms of transport that want to use it. That means massive investment, because

Pedestrians and cyclists dont mix, shared usage cyclepaths are sh*te

Cyclists and motorised road traffic dont mix, those poxy cycle lanes that are painted onto the road are cr*p as well.

I actually agree on the insurance aspect, sometimes accidents happen, but I've been hit in my before by an uninsured driver and that was complete and utter pig to get sorted out. So its not the be all and end all that it should be.

Colliding with a cyclist is no different than being driven into by an uninsured car driver, the outcome is still the same...

I wander what the percentage of uninsured drivers / motorbike riders is compared with the amount of cyclists on the road.

I still dont see how licensing will solve any of this, especially as said the majority of cycling idiots are people commuting who more than likely have a car license and know that they shouldnt jump red lights anyway...

This is only going to get worse, more and more people are taking to cycling as a way to get to work especially if petrol prices are on the rise again. Its precisley this kind of new cyclist that are the worst offender, they just dont think the rules apply to them. Some experienced cyclists also set a bad example. If you see Mr Roadie on his carbon bike in his lycra riding through red lights, then Mr commuting cyclist is going to copy him / her...

[Bibio]

bicycles are for children, motorcycles are for adults. end of.

the large majority of pushbike cyclists i come across act like children so point proven.

i think cyclists should be made to where a helmet as well

just another thing to add to the discusion

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

Colliding with a cyclist is no different than being driven into by an uninsured car driver, the outcome is still the same...

No its not - the MIB is not interested if the other vehicle is a bicycle so you cant get ANYTHING back.

And if the cyclist caused you to hit another vehicle, kiss your NCB goodbye...

Just to give you my take on things as Ive been cycling around London for a few years now (dont worry, getting a real bike again now).

I often jump red lights and zebra crossings. I dont do it to get where Im going faster or to look cool but to get the hell away from all the idiots in their cages who are constantly trying to kill me.

Jumping a red light allows you to get away from big turnings where cars often do the stupidest things without checking for cyclists. It also means that if you're going straight ahead, you have a jump start on the cars which means they *should* have plenty of time to actually see you and be aware of you as you're in front of them. Basically I follow the idea of aggressive road positioning to make other road users aware of you.

It may be illegal but when laws interfere with my right to not get splatted all across the road, those laws take second place. I call this the common sense approach.

This isn't to say I zoom through traffic lights with no regard, but if I can put space between myself and cars, I take it. Cycling is much like motorbiking - its up to you not to get into a crash as you're always going to come off worse. However cyclists cant accelerate out of a trouble, or sometimes brake in time. We also dont have the same advantage of being able to hold our place in the line of traffic due to the speed we're going. Instead we're forced into the most potholed, debris filed part of the road squeezed up against the kerb so we need to make sure that whatever we can do to make ourselves less of a target we do and that includes not being in the firing line (ie near cars).

Really surprised to find bikers moaning about cyclists as both groups often suffer due to the inattention of car/van/bus/lorry drivers who've got better things to do than, y'know, pay attention to where they're going and whats around them.

My 2p and hope that helps.

edit give some love to our 2 wheeled brethren who like to enjoy the feel of the wind in their hair!

[hindle8907]

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

I still dont see how licensing will solve any of this,

think how many more idiots would be on the road if you didn't have to take a car/motorcycle licence ?

why should it be any different for cyclists ? cyclists are still on the road and should have to go through similar procedures to cars/motorcycles
Theory Test / Practical Test and have some form of Insurance.
To prove they can handle being on the road with other road users and that they know basic highway code, and if they they are involved in an accident it can be handled as any other insurance claim would.

Originally Posted by hindle8907

think how many more idiots would be on the road if you didn't have to take a car/motorcycle licence ?

why should it be any different for cyclists ? cyclists are still on the road and should have to go through similar procedures to cars/motorcycles
Theory Test / Practical Test and have some form of Insurance.
To prove they can handle being on the road with other road users and that they know basic highway code, and if they they are involved in an accident it can be handled as any other insurance claim would.

I agree to a point but then you get into a situation where by pedestrians would need to take a licence before they could cross the road. Hitting a ped in the car will cause as much damage as a cyclist to your paintwork and THEY don't have insurance. By having a licence to drive a motorised vehicle you have (or should have) been deemed sensible enough to appreciate that more vunerable and less qualified road users such as peds and cyclists will not have the same level of training and road craft as you, and as such should expect them to do stupid stuff - you have a duty of care to them in other words, as the road user who can cause more injury and is better protected should look out for the idiots.

As bikers we know that car drivers are sometimes not as aware as a biker. The same applies to cyclists - you must allow for the fact they may have less training than you, and EXPECT them to behave in a way which you might not want them to.

boo hoo cyclists this cyclists that ffs you lot sound like ****ing car driver's.