Mandatory cycling qualification for riding on road

steveofshrops3478
steveofshrops3478 Posts: 40
edited October 2009 in The bottom bracket
Just a though.

I'm mainly a mountain biker, but do a lot of commuting plus the occasional on-road training ride. I was driving to work today, and having a guy come out of a side road, completely unannounced, and ride down thr wrong side of the road towards me. I avoided him, but it was a little close for comfort, but it made me think:

I know that many cyclists, when riding on road, take risks from time to time, and, perhaps, do things that they shouldn't really do. But does anybody else share my oppinion that maybe now, it's getting to the stage where it should be complusory to have a qualification of some description, if not something as basic as a cycling proficiency, for example, to ride on road.

I understand that this would require to have bikes registeres etc, and even then would be quite hard to enforce, but I wonder if it would make a difference. I see too many people on bikes who are riding like idiots. I'm a very bike conscious motorist, and always give bikes plenty of time/space, as I fully understand what it is like for them, but some people just don't help themselves!

I guess it'd be like a CBT, but for pushbikes.

What do people think?

Comments

  • deptfordmarmoset
    deptfordmarmoset Posts: 3,118
    On the registration question, I was always amazed as a kid when in Bern (Swiss mother) that all the bikes had registration plates. The fact that they don't do it any more suggests to me that they were unable to find a cost-effective way of administering it. And if the Swiss couldn't find a way of administering it or making money out of it, the Brits would have zero chance of making it work.
    Looking for a cycling buddy?
  • Slow Downcp
    Slow Downcp Posts: 3,041
    What difference would it really make? People sit a driving test, and still jump lights, drive too fast etc.
    Carlsberg don't make cycle clothing, but if they did it would probably still not be as good as Assos
  • Ollieda
    Ollieda Posts: 1,010
    the only way you could properly enforce something like this would be to make it mandatory for any cyclist entering an event to show they had passed sed qualification........great, other than the fact that the cyclists going to cycle events (i.e. TT, road race, sportives...) are generally the ones who know how to cycle properly anyway and are not the problem!

    It's like when the government decided to cut down on gun crime by heavily restricting gun clubs and not allowing register gun club gun owners to keep control of their guns. Didn't really work seening as the ones using guns for crime weren't the same people using it for sport!

    good idea if there was a way it could be enforced though, unfortunately it would begin to veer towards having a cycling license and getting fines and points for mistakes i fear.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,665
    I think the Euro cyclist rules should apply here....
  • Cressers
    Cressers Posts: 1,329
    I passed my Cycling Proficiency test back in the early seventies. With great pride I affixed the metal badge to my handlebars, and cut my chin open on the edge when i crashed the next day...

    FFS, doesn't this nosey, bureaucratic state interfere in our lives enough already without having more ideas thrown at it?
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    It would certainly be a good way of cutting the number of cyclists - I'm surprised the SNP hasn't picked up on it yet.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • cjw
    cjw Posts: 1,889
    Cressers wrote:
    FFS, doesn't this nosey, bureaucratic state interfere in our lives enough already without having more ideas thrown at it?

    +1

    The only people who will be registered will be the usual law abiding careful cyclists.

    Similar to 1997 handgun laws. Crims still have a ready supply of hand guns and gun crime has increased. It only saved those poor little paper targets from being shot at by law abiding gun club members.

    The idiotic morons who ride like nutters won't bother, and probably wouldn't even know registration existed. It would be an easy target though for the police to up their crime stats by checking every cyclist - what a valuable use of their time!
    London to Paris Forum
    http://cjwoods.com/london2paris

    Scott Scale 10
    Focus Izalco Team
  • frontmech
    frontmech Posts: 4
    A simple licence may be a solution, but how would we learn how to ride? As children we learned in an informal way on our local streets and mostly leaned to do it about right. Then as adolecents/adults we upgraded our roadcraft skills informed by us having motorcycle/car/GCV/PCV licences.

    An easier system would be a bit like the new sex-offenders licence. You get a free "licence" with zero points on it. Then the plods can check if how many points you have. Blameless people will mainain zero points. However offenders have lots of points.

    Adults should be forced to pass a test to show they are competent. So on your 17th birthday you get some points for not having passed a test, unless you already have one.

    Overseas students automatically get points 'cos they are so gormless.

    Note that riding with iPods or hood gives you 12 points. The reasoning being that you were riding without due care and attention in a premeditated way.
  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    Ollieda wrote:
    It's like when the government decided to cut down on gun crime by heavily restricting gun clubs and not allowing register gun club gun owners to keep control of their guns. Didn't really work seening as the ones using guns for crime weren't the same people using it for sport!

    Michael Ryan, Thomas Hamilton...?? Both were gun club members....
  • cjw
    cjw Posts: 1,889
    softlad wrote:
    Ollieda wrote:
    It's like when the government decided to cut down on gun crime by heavily restricting gun clubs and not allowing register gun club gun owners to keep control of their guns. Didn't really work seening as the ones using guns for crime weren't the same people using it for sport!

    Michael Ryan, Thomas Hamilton...?? Both were gun club members....

    True... and led to a complete politically fuelled overreaction as MPs pontificate and want to be seen to be doing something for publicity.
    London to Paris Forum
    http://cjwoods.com/london2paris

    Scott Scale 10
    Focus Izalco Team
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    deptfordmarmoset wrote:
    On the registration question, I was always amazed as a kid when in Bern (Swiss mother) that all the bikes had registration plates. The fact that they don't do it any more suggests to me that they were unable to find a cost-effective way of administering it. And if the Swiss couldn't find a way of administering it or making money out of it, the Brits would have zero chance of making it work.

    I don't think the Swiss are the only ones to have tried this, I heard that Canada and the Netherlands had bike registration schemes but couldn't make them work.

    I doubt this would make much difference to idiots on the road. There has been a driving test since when? The 1930s? Yet there are still thousands of accidents a year and judging from my own experiences on the road, many drivers have no clue what they are doing. Not saying that cyclists are perfect, certainly not, but the worst offenders appear to be chavs on full sus BSOs who would probably just evade the test anyway.
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • Tonymufc
    Tonymufc Posts: 1,016
    Slow Downcp wrote:
    What difference would it really make? People sit a driving test, and still jump lights, drive too fast etc.

    Damn you I was gonna say that.
  • Tonymufc
    Tonymufc Posts: 1,016
    What do we do about all the little hooded chavs that ride around the housing estates causing trouble. The police put fat old coppers on two wheels to try and combat it. Waste of time and money. Like someone else said, it would just be the regular law abiding cyclists that would do it. ( Just a thought, who'd love to be a cycling copper. No chav would ever be safe).
  • gergusmcbergus
    gergusmcbergus Posts: 57
    In theory at least I can see how their might be a few benefits, but a massive part of the beauty of cycling is that anyone can just pick up a bike and ride, and although this inevitably has its downsides, such as dangerous idiots, take this away and I think far fewer people would be inclined to ride a bike - the hassle free nature of just getting on a bike is what makes people cycle in the first place, and have to put up with sweat, headwinds, cold etc.
    like a rolling stone
  • Mithras
    Mithras Posts: 428
    Tonymufc wrote:
    The police put fat old coppers on two wheels to try and combat it. Waste of time and money. Like someone else said, it would just be the regular law abiding cyclists that would do it. ( Just a thought, who'd love to be a cycling copper. No chav would ever be safe).

    Call me old again and I'll slap you I'm only 42 :wink: .....And yes I am a cycling copper and no they aren't safe due the fact that there are no rules regulating Tactical Impacts on Pedal Cycles.... :twisted:
    I can afford to talk softly!....................I carry a big stick!
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    Tonymufc wrote:
    What do we do about all the little hooded chavs that ride around the housing estates causing trouble. The police put fat old coppers on two wheels to try and combat it. Waste of time and money. Like someone else said, it would just be the regular law abiding cyclists that would do it. ( Just a thought, who'd love to be a cycling copper. No chav would ever be safe).

    Bike licensing would probably end up just like the old dog licenses that were abolished in the 1980s. Dog licenses were meant to discourage irresponsible dog owners, however irresponsible owners were exactly the people who didn't bother paying for the license in the 1st place and it was never actually enforced. So effectively it was a tax on decent, law abiding dog owners.
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,686
    As pointed out by others drivers have tests and we still see examples of p!$$ poor driving everyday. Do you really think cyclists don't know what they are doing is wrong?

    Licencing for something like that is a bureaucratic nightmare, remember they used to have dog licences and that got ditched. Do you really think that if it was workable the Government wouldn't be taking advantage of the opportunity to tax us on something new?
  • Mister W
    Mister W Posts: 791
    I think a "survival of the fittest" scheme should be implemented.

    If you take, and pass, a road cycling proficiency test you get a sticker or badge to fix onto your bike. I would then make it legal for motorists to run over anyone without a sticker or badge. That would be a pretty good incentive for taking the test :D
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,665
    Mister W wrote:
    I think a "survival of the fittest" scheme should be implemented.

    If you take, and pass, a road cycling proficiency test you get a sticker or badge to fix onto your bike. I would then make it legal for motorists to run over anyone without a sticker or badge. That would be a pretty good incentive for taking the test :D

    FCN numbers could play a significant part in that.......... :wink:
  • sicknote
    sicknote Posts: 901
    softlad wrote:
    Ollieda wrote:
    It's like when the government decided to cut down on gun crime by heavily restricting gun clubs and not allowing register gun club gun owners to keep control of their guns. Didn't really work seening as the ones using guns for crime weren't the same people using it for sport!

    Michael Ryan, Thomas Hamilton...?? Both were gun club members....

    I think it was Michael Ryan
    That after it happened they was that he should never had been aloud to have guns if it had been looked into properly.

Categories