Regulation will spell the end for bicycles

megilleland
megilleland Posts: 786
edited October 2009 in Campaign
"Pedal-powered two-wheelers are a free and fun way of providing the essence of the liberty we crave, but now then: about this idea that the motorist will always be responsible in any accident involving a bicycle. I've had a think about it and what I think is this: everyone is assuming that it's bad news for the driver, but in fact it's bad news for bikes".

James May in The Daily Telegraph, 5th October continuing the debate that motorists should be liable in any cycling accident. Worth reading the comments.
The more you spend - the faster you go - the less you see.

Comments

  • downfader
    downfader Posts: 3,686
    Quite a good article. I like the bloke, probably just as much as Clarkson (cant stand the Hamster though, little annoying bleep). I do however think there is some justification in the rants and grumbles some of us end up having and perhaps some motorists who have never been on two wheels or have forgotten wont empathise. They wont have felt the risk personally.

    Workmate of mine has just got into riding the bike. He'd only been a motorist until his knees went, and then after a lot of surgery and physio and being a passenger he had an image of what cyclists were like burned into his brain. However this week he rode to work for the first time, his knees are better and the doc says he can do it. So off he toddled only for a car to reverse out a driveway and nearly cause him to smash into the side of said car. He still doesnt know how he managed to stop.

    He shouted at the driver to "please look" and the guy stuck his middle finger out of the window. My workmate now empathises with us. Its a hard lesson sometimes
  • the motorists dont seem to equate exceeding the speed limit with any sort of wrongdoing on their part despite it being far more prevalant and routine criminality than RLJ and pavement riding.

    People only see what they want to see - you don't see the half a dozen blokes quietly sat on their bikes in the same queue as you waiting for the lights to change, you only see the one pr1ck shooting through them on red before you drive off and accelerate up to 40 on the 30mh road. cursing and muttering about all cyclists ignoring the law.
  • downfader
    downfader Posts: 3,686
    One of those comments on there seems to suggest a driver commited without due care and didnt watch out for filtering cyclists. He then blames the cyclist for the "damage" to his car. Big deal. :roll: