This Wiggins incident has brought the numpties out...

[fossyant]

Registration - baloney.

 

[fossyant]

I bet there are a number of posters on here that don't have proper 3rd party insurance whilst on their bikes ! Glass Houses and stones ?

 

[dodd82]

It's not 'baloney', it's a logical suggestion that has good points and bad points.

If registration is so useless, would you do away with car registration as well?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I think it's definitely the answer - I just think it's something that warrants a discussion, because there are huge amounts of cyclists that cycle incorrectly and probably have no idea that they're doing anything wrong.

 

[fossyant]

Is baloney - won't work ! OK I register the bike, crash into a car, smash a wing mirror and cycle off - made no difference. Dog licences never worked. What difference does registration make ? No purpose. How would you identify a bike ?

PS do you have propper 3rd party insurance when on the bike ?

 

[dodd82]

Is baloney - won't work ! OK I register the bike, crash into a car, smash a wing mirror and cycle off - made no difference. Dog licences never worked. What difference does registration make ? No purpose. How would you identify a bike ?

PS do you have propper 3rd party insurance when on the bike ?

I do, yes.

It depends what you set up registration to achieve. I think there might be some things that it could help, namely identifying the bike in cases of an accident, and also ensuring that all bike users are identifiable to communicate safe road practice.

I will reiterate - I'm not saying it's definitely the right way to go, I'm saying that rather than dismiss it, it's probably worth a discussion.

Personally, I think that the concept of a cyclist having some sort of acknowledgement - whether it's an agreement, training or even a test - before they're allowed on the road is a credible one.

Don't you think it's a little dangerous that anyone can jump on a bike and share a road with vehicles, without any knowledge of what they should be doing?

 

[Davidsw8]

Registration is not the answer -

1. Poor cycling no matter how crazy it may look from the perspective of a lot of experienced cyclists (and drivers) is not the cause of the majority of accidents.
2. Registration of motor vehicles doesn't seem to affect how well people drive.
3. Various countries have tried it and it doesn't work - After all if the Swiss with their bureaucratic skills could not do it there is no chance it would be viable in this country.
4. As others have said if enforced it would just reduce the number of people cycling.

The key thing is to change the behavior of drivers, it is motor vehicles that are responsible for the majority of the death and injuries of cyclist, motor vehicles are driven by people - it is people that are responsible for causing the death and injuries of cyclists (and too many pedestrians and passengers in cars) - it is people that must be made aware of their responsibilities as drivers and made responsible for their actions.

I completely agree about changing the behaviour of drivers (hence the comment about making a few hours cycling a part of the driving test).

However, I wonder if registration might have a positive effect on cyclists' behaviour too, the obverse side of your point 2 seems to be that not insuring/registering a car does appear to have an effect on people's driving:

'These uninsured drivers are 10 times more likely to have been convicted of drink driving, and are five times more likely to have been involved in road collisions, to fail to comply with other road traffic requirements and to be engaged in other criminal activity.'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...t-by-uninsured-drivers-to-keep-no-claims.html

 

[benb]

It's not 'baloney', it's a logical suggestion that has good points and bad points.

If registration is so useless, would you do away with car registration as well?

No, because bad driving is quite likely to injure or kill someone, but bad cycling is not very likely to.
The problem is so tiny that it's not worth the effort in solving it.

 

[Davidsw8]

Dog licences never worked.

I think they should bring these back too

 

[dodd82]

No, because bad driving is quite likely to injure or kill someone, but bad cycling is not very likely to.
The problem is so tiny that it's not worth the effort in solving it.

Fair enough - at what point does it become worth it though? London in particular seems to have seen a real rise in the numbers of people cycling, so is it something that should be monitored?

 

[fossyant]

Don't you think it's a little dangerous that anyone can jump on a bike and share a road with vehicles, without any knowledge of what they should be doing?

Yes, but you can walk across the street doing the same thing. The issue is you won't stop the bad cyclists. Or indeed you actually may stop cycling by many people if they had to register them and the bike and have training.

And just having a driving license doesn't stop the poor drivers does it, even though their cars have visible registration, but who knows !

Really cant see it ever working. Those of us that are sensible and have insurance, and don't ride like an idiot (mainly as I want to be riding till the day I die an old man) will still be here, but those that don't give a monkey's, won't give a monkey's.

I really think the insurance issue should be pushed, rather than registration, but again, it's difficult to get folk to insure a vehicle for 3rd party, never mind a bike.

 

[fossyant]

I just really can't see how there is a workable solution ? I am not against the idea, but I can't see registration working. To be frank, I'm very easy to recognise on a bike on a daily basis, than, say a lad in a track suit. How would you apply registration to someone like that, who really has no interest in bikes, just that it gets him to college/work cheaply (and the fact they re usually on the pavement - big gripe of mine).

 

[Davidsw8]

What's the ballpark cost of 3rd party insurance for a push bike? I should get some myself to be honest...

 

[dodd82]

Yes, but you can walk across the street doing the same thing. The issue is you won't stop the bad cyclists. Or indeed you actually may stop cycling by many people if they had to register them and the bike and have training.

And just having a driving license doesn't stop the poor drivers does it, even though their cars have visible registration, but who knows !

Really cant see it ever working. Those of us that are sensible and have insurance, and don't ride like an idiot (mainly as I want to be riding till the day I die an old man) will still be here, but those that don't give a monkey's, won't give a monkey's.

I really think the insurance issue should be pushed, rather than registration, but again, it's difficult to get folk to insure a vehicle for 3rd party, never mind a bike.

I'm not so sure.

If you gave people the chance to learn that riding on the pavement is illegal, for example, I think many would stop doing it.

I don't think a comparison with a pedestrian is useful, because they're not sharing the road. I appreciate the sentiment, but I do think it's an entirely different thing.

I also appreciate the numbers argument and agree to a certain extent - it's close to being an unenforcable law I'd have thought. But I don't think we want people on bikes, on the road, if they don't know what they're supposed to be doing!

 

[dodd82]

than, say a lad in a track suit. How would you apply registration to someone like that, who really has no interest in bikes, just that it gets him to college/work cheaply (and the fact they re usually on the pavement - big gripe of mine).

Completely with you on that - and this is the crux of the problem.

Not sure how to solve it, but I guess the answer lies in one of three choices:

- Formal legislation and enforcement
- Campaigning and education
- Give up

 

[Davidsw8]

Maybe another option is to have more police on the streets who are actually willing to pull people over for bad cycling?