BBC Program: War on Britain's Roads

[scaryjim]

... painting the gutters a different color is not a solution. ...

Thanked *purely* for that observation.

Several times the wife and I have discussed moving to the Netherlands, and one of the driving factors in that decision - for me at least - is the quality of the cycle infrastructure there. It's been suggested in here at least once that all town planners should be forced to cycle to work - then we might actually get some thought put into cycle provision/infrastructure. Until then, I tend to advise people to avoid cycling - in Manchester, at least - unless they have plenty of experience of riding in traffic...

[Biscuit]

As the number of cyclists increase then infrastructure should be getting put in place do deal with them. Just painting the gutters a different color is not a solution.

Thanked *purely* for that observation.

Several times the wife and I have discussed moving to the Netherlands, and one of the driving factors in that decision - for me at least - is the quality of the cycle infrastructure there. It's been suggested in here at least once that all town planners should be forced to cycle to work - then we might actually get some thought put into cycle provision/infrastructure. Until then, I tend to advise people to avoid cycling - in Manchester, at least - unless they have plenty of experience of riding in traffic...

Totally agree with this but...

From the cycle side they should bring in mandatory registration of bicycles and make them display number plates, if they are not as anonymous and they can get heavy penalties then just maybe they will start to smarten up as well.

Although you're right, i think its implausible. There would need to be whole new departments set up to deal with it, that means registration would need to be paid for then there is the point that if you start adding complications to people riding their bike and they already have to deal with it from using their car... why bother with both?

[Larkspeed]

Although you're right, i think its implausible. There would need to be whole new departments set up to deal with it, that means registration would need to be paid for then there is the point that if you start adding complications to people riding their bike and they already have to deal with it from using their car... why bother with both?

Lets say they charge 10 quid a year to register a bike and it takes you 20 minutes a year to walk into an office and renew that registration or do it by mail.

Yes the majority of the money to start with would go towards enforcement but as time passed and the system settled then more of that money could be put towards the improvement of infrastructure for the bikes.

And lets face it no serious cyclist is going to complain about 10 quid and a few minutes a year if they are seeing improvement.

[scaryjim]

... no serious cyclist is going to complain about 10 quid and a few minutes a year if they are seeing improvement.

I certainly wouldn't, IF I could get a guarantee that the money would go towards improving cycling infrastructure in the area I lived in.

Looking at it sensibly, the government keep giving all sorts of financial incentives to people to use their bikes (my current bike is leased tax-free from my employer), but are doing nothing to make cycling a desirable way to travel. tbh, I'd rather pay more for my bike but have decent cycle paths and better road-use enforcement.

[b0redom]

I have some of the best lights on the market, the best high vis.

What lights do you have out of interest? I've got a Hope Vision 2 LED on the front, but only a Cateye TL-LD610 on the back. I'm going to give commuting a go tomorrow, so if it goes well, it might be worth me picking up something more substantial.

[b0redom]

Registering cycles is NEVER going to work. Why? My 2 year old has a bike. Should that be registered? What about my 5 year old? What about an 11 year old? At what point do we need to start registering?

I think it's far more sensible to stop and prosecute people who don't have a helmet on, or who aren't wearing bright lights at night. I've lost count of the people I've seen cycling about in the dark, wearing dark clothing, with no lights and no helmet massive can style headphones on, completely oblivious a lot of these on the road. These people seem to be crying out for a Darwin award.

[clifty]

I'm a cyclist. And that guy with the glasses really did the cause no favours. I'd have quite likely have wanted to mow him down myself.

I think if you feel the need to antagonise and ride defensively to stay 'safe' then you really should trade in all your lycra for a mountain bike and get your kicks with gravity rather than bus-lanes.

[Million]

Registering cycles is NEVER going to work. Why? My 2 year old has a bike. Should that be registered? What about my 5 year old? What about an 11 year old? At what point do we need to start registering?

I think it's far more sensible to stop and prosecute people who don't have a helmet on, or who aren't wearing bright lights at night. I've lost count of the people I've seen cycling about in the dark, wearing dark clothing, with no lights and no helmet massive can style headphones on, completely oblivious a lot of these on the road. These people seem to be crying out for a Darwin award.

I was in Cambridge a couple of weeks ago for a course, and in a city famed for it's bicycle culture, I was astounded at the number of idiots cycling on the roads at night, with no lights, wearing dark clothing, and by no means sticking to the side of the carriageway. Has anyone ever seen a cyclist stopped by a police officer? Any police out there, have you ever stopped one?

It's all well and good that it's illegal to cycle on the pavement, but who enforces that? Who stops those Darwin Award nominees cycling invisibly at night from becoming Darwin Award winners?

[scaryjim]

I've been flagged down (many years ago) for not having a rear light (more to the point, I had one but the batteries had gone flat while I was out, and I didn't have much choice other than to bike home without it) - although they didn't stop me, they just pulled up alongside in their car, wound the window down, and said "you haven't got a rear light on, mate". I've not seen anyone stopped in a long while, although I couldn't swear that in that time I've ever seen a police officer ignore someone biking without lights, either.

I have to admit that I'm always tempted to bike into other cyclists who don't have lights, then give them a stern "well I couldn't see you, you haven't got any lights on" before biking off. Haven't done it (yet!), but the temptation is always there...

[TheAnimus]

What lights do you have out of interest? I've got a Hope Vision 2 LED on the front, but only a Cateye TL-LD610 on the back. I'm going to give commuting a go tomorrow, so if it goes well, it might be worth me picking up something more substantial.

On the front I think it was a:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cateye-hl-el...k-front-light/
for strobing.

And a http://www.wiggle.co.uk/exposure-race-mk7-front-light/ for potholes and general constant light.

On the rear I've got a TL-LD610 as well, but also a:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/smart-12-watt-rear-light/ higher up, for strobing.

Strobing really does help.

[Smudger]

Reach for the lasers...

[scaryjim]

... And a http://www.wiggle.co.uk/exposure-race-mk7-front-light/ for potholes and general constant light. ...

OMG! How expensive is that? Anyone else remember when you could get incandescent bulb bike lights for ~ £15 a set and they actually lit up the road? I used to bike round unlit country lanes with lights I could buy out of my pocket money and never hit anything!

Gotta say I really miss those days...

[Flash477]

Registering cycles is NEVER going to work. Why? My 2 year old has a bike. Should that be registered? What about my 5 year old? What about an 11 year old? At what point do we need to start registering?

I think it's far more sensible to stop and prosecute people who don't have a helmet on, or who aren't wearing bright lights at night. I've lost count of the people I've seen cycling about in the dark, wearing dark clothing, with no lights and no helmet massive can style headphones on, completely oblivious a lot of these on the road. These people seem to be crying out for a Darwin award.

Well it should start when they are cycling on the road, not just in their neighbourhood, but for commuting. I should hope that you wouldn't have a 2 or 5 year old doing that.

The fact is that if a cyclist does something wrong you literally have to pysically catch them as there is no way of knowing who they were otherwise. So why should more money be spent trying to catch these people in the act, especially given that they don't have to pay anything to use the roads. So much more money could be saved as with their own form of number plate the same kind of systems that catch all other road users could be used for bikes (such as cameras at traffic lights catching people who skip red lights, or people being able to take down the number plate when they cause damage - i.e. taking off peoples wing mirrors)

[scaryjim]

Well it should start when they are cycling on the road, not just in their neighbourhood, but for commuting. I should hope that you wouldn't have a 2 or 5 year old doing that.

I was biking to school on the roads at 8 or 9. Should I have to be registered then? It's a nice idea, but really quite impractical. And that's speaking as a cyclist who supports registration!

[MadduckUK]

OMG! How expensive is that? Anyone else remember when you could get incandescent bulb bike lights for ~ £15 a set and they actually lit up the road? I used to bike round unlit country lanes with lights I could buy out of my pocket money and never hit anything!

Gotta say I really miss those days...

I agree, I used to have http://www.brauns.com/gc/gc_item.exe?K=ALICATF-B1DOUBLE

100mins run time and a kilogram battery, ahhh yes, those were the days.

[santa claus]

Well it should start when they are cycling on the road, not just in their neighbourhood, but for commuting. I should hope that you wouldn't have a 2 or 5 year old doing that.

The fact is that if a cyclist does something wrong you literally have to pysically catch them as there is no way of knowing who they were otherwise. So why should more money be spent trying to catch these people in the act, especially given that they don't have to pay anything to use the roads. So much more money could be saved as with their own form of number plate the same kind of systems that catch all other road users could be used for bikes (such as cameras at traffic lights catching people who skip red lights, or people being able to take down the number plate when they cause damage - i.e. taking off peoples wing mirrors)

So, will all pedestrians require a number? They are road users too. Perhaps the number could be tattooed on the forearm...

Car drivers would need a number too for the odd times that they actually get out of their cushy little box.

As for not paying to use the roads, I pay council tax, vehicle tax for a car and motorbike, income tax and value added tax. I cycle for health reasons which means saving on the tax you pay for the NHS. Swings and roundabouts.

Registering bikes won't work. Bikes are changed often and DVLA wouldn't be able to cope. It just isn't necessary anyway.