cycleideas.com

[srw]

Here's a chance to win €5,000 and turn an idea to make cycling safer into reality, courtesy of the Allianz Digital Accelerator.

Promoted by Europe's largest insurance company, in partnership with CTC, who have promoted it in their latest cycleclips newsletter.
http://cycleideas.com/

(Declaration of interest - I work for Allianz in the UK, but this is promoted by the German parent company. Kudos to them for avoiding the obvious helmet-hivis-segregation trope in their publicity, and to my colleagues in the UK for using a photo of utility cyclists with not a bit of lycra anywhere and not a helmet between them in their internal publicity.)

 

[srw]

And here is that publicity shot...

(OK - it's probably Munich, but still good to see, especially from the company that, very temporarily until put right supported mandatory helmet laws.)

I've stolen the photo from Facebook - trust me, you really don't want to read the comments.

 

[oldstrath]

Yet again, the suggested ideas and criteria are all aimed at 'making cycling safer'. Cycling is safe. What is not safe are the farkwits failing to control motor vehicles. Unfortunately, these are Allianz's customers, so we'll be waiting a long time for any serious attempt at making them behave more safely.

And the nice picture (of Munich) does indeed show the other alternative way to avoiding collisions, namely good segregated infrastructure. So here's my suggestion - a surcharge on all car insurance, used to fund creation of a separated network for cycling, built to the same standard and with the same connectivity, as the current road network.

 

[srw]

@oldstrath - here's your chance to make that suggestion.

 

[Markymark]

Presumption of liability has to be the way forward...


...but I can't see an insurance company going for that.

I'm not sure what position of power any insurance company is in anyway?

 

[Markymark]

This competition is being promoted by Allianz...


...Europe's largest insurance company.

Now why do you think they might not want to promote an idea that wouldn't necessarily be in their interests?

Oh I already new that. What I'm asking, not you, is in what position is an insurance company askung about cycke safety? What position of power do they think they hold?