tax insurance & cycling

[Tim Hall]

Membership of British Cycling or Cycling UK (formerly the CTC), or a dedicated cycling insurer like Yellow Jersey.

Wot smutchin said. See also the sticky article at the top of this sub-forum.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I have house hold insurance, what's the best way to get third party on a bike please?

Check your policy wording, it might already be included. Otherwise join a cycling group as mentioned in the post above mine ^^

 

[spen666]

Print this off and shove it under their noses. That's if they can actually read.

The West Midlands Police Traffic Unit advises -
"DRIVERS DO NOT LET YOUR PREJUDICE GET IN THE WAY OF THE TRUE FACTS"
Owen McDermott's statement is full of inaccuracies and falsehoods but it does represent the received wisdom of a large section of the public. All national cycling organisations and pressure groups should hasten to rebuff this dangerous propaganda. It should be kept simple but here are the true facts in detail:

1) "The public roads built for motor vehicles are becoming unsafe to use due to one particular community that feel they are eligible to drive on public UK roads"
TRUTH -
The public roads were built for cyclists!
They were the result of campaigning by the cycling organisations for metalled surfaces long before the existence of the motor car.
In law cycles are classified as vehicles and have every right to use the public highway.
Cyclists are the vulnerable users of the road not cars.

2). "Not only that these cyclists posses no insurance for their chosen 2 wheeled non mechanical death trap, neither do they pay road tax"
TRUTH -
Although there is no compulsion to be
insured the vast majority of cyclists are, either through their membership of a cycling organisation or through separate cover.
The road tax was abolished in 1937 and replaced by Vehicle Excise Duty. This is a tax on cars, not roads, and it goes straight into the general Treasury fund. The upkeep of the roads is paid from rates and general taxation. (Cycles don't wear out roads). It is unlawful for a Driver to be uninsured although it is estimated that 37,000 cars on the road are uninsured.

3) "Just like having to sit your theory and your practical test to obtain a driving license, Cyclists should havemf to do the same. What training have they had to use the road?".
TRUTH -
80% of cyclists hold a driving licence!!!
Drivers have to be tested because they are in charge of a potentially lethal weapon. West Midland Police say that 98% of cyclists killed or seriously injured on the involved at least one other vehicle. In 84% these cases most common vehicle to be involved was a car.

4). "Im not sure on the percentage of how many cyclists die every year due to cycling on the road but if you stick them back on the paths in a cycle lane I'm sure a lot more people will survive".
TRUTH -
In 2015, 100 cyclists were killed on the roads and 3,239 seriously injured. Which is why we are campaigning for safe segregated cycling infrastructure. Cycle paths are few and far between and were do exist they are badly designed and poorly maintained.
CONCLUSION
The whole assumption in McDermott's Statement is that Cyclists are responsible for the Collisions on the road. Maybe we get in his way so get run over! My retort to that is " Do you want all the road or just the bit I'm cycling on "

What statement is this in response to?

Do you have a link to that statement?

 

[Johnno260]

I will look at British Cycling I may just get the "Ride" membership for the liability the discounts will be nice as well.

I can't see liability on my house hold policy but I have dropped them an email to question this.

 

[I like Skol]

My son left his computer logged in this morning and I noticed this on his facebook before I shut down.....

The thing that made me laugh/cringe the most were the first few replies I bothered to read....

Reply 1. Ridiculous! So what about walkers or runners? Gonna tax them too? Ha ha

Reply 2. Pass a test and compulsory insurance make perfect sense. Convictions for breaking the law same as all other road users too!

Reply 3. The two things which cyclist should be forced to do are:
1) wear a helmet.......the number of cyclists who fail to wear a helmet absolutely astonishes me, and some of them are doing some decent speed! ….

Reply 4. Nobody pays road tax anymore. It's down to emissions and a cycle has zero !

This sort of shoot gets repeated, reposted, retweated etc, and unfortunately far to many people that can't think for themselves start to believe it!

Glad I am not on facebook etc so I don't have to endure this sort of crap. And the thing that really makes my blood boil is that the OP doesn't know the difference between their there and they're!

EDIT: some nice points from the West Mids TP there. Glad to see they have someone that will stand for sense and reason.

 

[mustang1]

Ah the old office debate. I've found generally that these type of things never end well. A bit of banter yes, but I wouldn't be getting all heated up and angry about it.

On the insurance side, people are shocked when I say I've 3rd party insurance and that most riders that they would complain about (ie those in group rides) would be insured. Once you answer a point like that, then they'll move to 'road tax'. Once you answer that the way you have, they'll move to 'well, you should have number plates...' etc and on it goes.

Car drivers should have set schedules when they can drive, just like coach companies and airlines do.
The drivers will retort "but that's different, they are coaches and airplanes!
And so I will retort "and bikes are different to cars, now what's your effin problem?"

 

[User269]

How many more times do I have to repeat this comment..........there is no such thing as 'road tax'!

The roads are paid for from council tax, (apart from motorways and some trunk roads), and are for all of us to use. Most motor vehicle users pay 'vehicle excise duty'. It's not how the roads are funded.

C'mon cyclists, it's about time we all knew this, and put paid once and for all to the nonsense about 'cyclists don't pay road tax'.

 

[mustang1]

Last time this happened the guy was driving an exempt car!

Pointing out that according to his own standards he shoul not be on the road did not go down well

As for insurance, most are covered under the personal liability on the household insurance, or hold insurance through membership of an organisation

What a, actually you know what, I'm not sure what we are supposed to call that driver.

 

[Sixmile]

How many more times do I have to repeat this comment..........there is no such thing as 'road tax'!/.

I would say 95% of people who cycle are aware that there is no such thing but I'd be surprised if more than 5% of drivers knew it didn't exist along with there being no such thing as a 'fast lane'

I suppose a bit of education was the OP's intention but it just took a turn for the worse.

 

[Poacher]

Praise is due to the West Midlands Police, but where on earth does that "it is estimated that 37,000 cars on the road are uninsured" figure come from? According to presumably reliable sources such as the MIB and ABI, the UK total is more than a million! Is 37,000 just for the West Midlands?

 

[adscrim]

What statement is this in response to?

Do you have a link to that statement?

See here - https://www.change.org/p/theresa-ma...rance-and-pay-road-tax-to-use-public-uk-roads

 

[Sixmile]

What about starting a petition to make cars pay road tax and insurance since no one pays the first and thousands avoid the second.

 

[postman]

Some motorists are so far up their own ars oles they are unbelievable.At the moment Stonegate Road here in Meanwood is undergoing a resurfacing.It has already taken longer than planned.But yesterday i walked to the local Library,on that journey i saw not one or two but FIVE road closed signs.Many motorists ignored said signs and drove down,till they were met with bollards,plastic orange fencing and a truck across the highway.I did have a little chuckle as they came past me trying to find another route,which was offered by signage

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

What about starting a petition to make cars pay road tax and insurance since no one pays the first and thousands avoid the second.

I can see the steam rising already

 

[Rooster1]

Not the first time someone has posted an incident like this on this forum.