Bicycle number plates, insurance, tax etc

[Oddsocks]

Go on then. Someone suggest a suitable method of being able to identify a bike or rider.

By DNA when they are splattered across the bonnet!

 

[RichA]

It just makes no rational sense to the millions of us who have grown up knowing cycling to be a safe and healthy means of transportation and exercise. The huge majority of us are not lycra clad middle aged men holding up traffic on hills, Uber Eats delivery riders or cycle couriers weaving through city traffic.
Somewhere on the internet there is a forum where ramblers who use public footpaths on golf courses are calling for the mandatory registration and surveillance of plus-four and Fairisle sweater wearing maniacs who hit small hard projectiles at 100mph with so little precision that they have to carry a couple of dozen around.

 

[Backache]

You are right, I live in rural Lincolnshire where a bike is about as much use for commuting as a chocalate teapot but that, as with your comments, are irrelevant to the point of insurance. The debate is not one of car vs bike, I am sure where applicable, most people would prefer more bikes and less cars but the more bikes there are, the more need there is to ensure basic third party insurance.

This is the problem that I have tried to avoid and people keep trying to drag up. This is not an argument of car vs bike, this is about putting in place a bit of legislation to ensure that those who do suffer as a result of a colision with a bike can identify the cyclist and claim on insurance. If the bike damage issue is as non existent as you say, premiums will be pretty cheap.

All laws entail costs , insurance is plagued with false claims these would doubtless become widespread if insurance was compulsory driving up costs.
Should pedestrians and dog owners have compulsory insurance?

 

[GB72]

It just makes no rational sense to the millions of us who have grown up knowing cycling to be a safe and healthy means of transportation and exercise. The huge majority of us are not lycra clad middle aged men holding up traffic on hills, Uber Eats delivery riders or cycle couriers weaving through city traffic.
Somewhere on the internet there is a forum where ramblers who use public footpaths on golf courses are calling for the mandatory registration and surveillance of plus-four and Fairisle sweater wearing maniacs who hit small hard projectiles at 100mph with so little precision that they have to carry a couple of dozen around.

And that is perfectly fair and reasonable but the increased prevelance of MAMILs, Uber Eats riders, delivery drivers, couriers etc has changed the landscape to make these things worthy of discussion. Insistance on insurance is not a slur on the good cyclists but, sadly, a necessary by product of the existence of the bad ones.

 

[GB72]

All laws entail costs , insurance is plagued with false claims these would doubtless become widespread if insurance was compulsory driving up costs.
Should pedestrians and dog owners have compulsory insurance?

Dog owners, there are a whole raft of laws and regualtions I would have in place before someone can bring a dog home but that is a whole different ball game.

Again though, the arguments appear based on issues within the insurance industry and deflection on to other areas as opposed to why it would not be appropriate for cyclists to have some form of isurance which still seems perfectly reasonable to me.

 

[Backache]

You obviously never saw the chaos they regularly caused in London with their Critical Mass rides then.

I was not in London then it sounds like a protest rather than the intrinsic nature of the bicycle which is to reduce traffic but mass protests whether by cars bike or pedestrians will cause jams I was once stuck for two hours by a skidoo protest jam in France.
The nature of bicycles is to ease traffic flow. The do not require parking and take up far less road space.
Back in the 90's I lived and worked in Asia the only city I visited that had free flowing traffic was Beijing where bicylces were then the norm before the economy took off.

 

[Blue in Munich]

I was not in London then it sounds like a protest rather than the intrinsic nature of the bicycle which is to reduce traffic but mass protests whether by cars bike or pedestrians will cause jams I was once stuck for two hours by a skidoo protest jam in France.
The nature of bicycles is to ease traffic flow. The do not require parking and take up far less road space.
Back in the 90's I lived and worked in Asia the only city I visited that had free flowing traffic was Beijing where bicylces were then the norm before the economy took off.

Having policed it, it was an opportunity for certain elements to be bloody awkward is how I would describe it. If it was a protest it was never clear what they were protesting about.

 

[Rooter]

If the bike damage issue is as non existent as you say, premiums will be pretty cheap.

Here lies a massive problem, The cheapest i can get bike insurance for, is actually more than fully comp on my volvo xc90!!! I forgot to add, this has zero public liability either!!



QUOTE details:

Our Bicycle Cover includes the following: INCLUDED

• Crash, accidental & malicious damage (at home + away from home)
• Theft (at home + away from home)
• Cycle hire to hire a cycle whilst waiting for repair/new bike(£500)
• Taxi fare reimbursement (up to £250)
• Cycling accessories, personal gear, additional wheelsets, and all sold-secure locks to the value of £250

Our Third party liability (Legal Cover) includes the following: NOT INCLUDED

• Cyclist Public Liability for third party death, accidental bodily injury, loss of property, or damage resulting from an accident involving your bike where you are found legally liable (up to £2m).
• The Cyclist Public Liability would not only hold benefits for yourself but would be extended to those family members residing with you permanently, provided they are over the age of 18.

Our Injury Cover includes the following: NOT INCLUDED

• You will be covered if you are riding your bicycle and you are killed, injured, or become ill as a result of an accident. We will pay the appropriate benefit per the benefit scale shown in your policy schedule.
• You will also be covered for emergency physiotherapy, private medical care, optical or dental treatments, within 24 hours of an Accident, or Physiotherapy sought and obtained for injuries sustained in an accident within 7 days of such an Accident. Up to the benefit limit of £1000.
• You will also be covered for serious/permanent injury up to the benefit limit of £20 000.
• The Cyclist Personal injury cover would not only hold benefits for yourself but would be extended to those family members residing with you permanently, provided they are over the age of 18.

 

[GB72]

Here lies a massive problem, The cheapest i can get bike insurance for, is actually more than fully comp on my volvo xc90!!! I forgot to add, this has zero public liability either!!



QUOTE details:

Our Bicycle Cover includes the following: INCLUDED

• Crash, accidental & malicious damage (at home + away from home)
• Theft (at home + away from home)
• Cycle hire to hire a cycle whilst waiting for repair/new bike(£500)
• Taxi fare reimbursement (up to £250)
• Cycling accessories, personal gear, additional wheelsets, and all sold-secure locks to the value of £250

Our Third party liability (Legal Cover) includes the following: NOT INCLUDED

• Cyclist Public Liability for third party death, accidental bodily injury, loss of property, or damage resulting from an accident involving your bike where you are found legally liable (up to £2m).
• The Cyclist Public Liability would not only hold benefits for yourself but would be extended to those family members residing with you permanently, provided they are over the age of 18.

Our Injury Cover includes the following: NOT INCLUDED

• You will be covered if you are riding your bicycle and you are killed, injured, or become ill as a result of an accident. We will pay the appropriate benefit per the benefit scale shown in your policy schedule.
• You will also be covered for emergency physiotherapy, private medical care, optical or dental treatments, within 24 hours of an Accident, or Physiotherapy sought and obtained for injuries sustained in an accident within 7 days of such an Accident. Up to the benefit limit of £1000.
• You will also be covered for serious/permanent injury up to the benefit limit of £20 000.
• The Cyclist Personal injury cover would not only hold benefits for yourself but would be extended to those family members residing with you permanently, provided they are over the age of 18.

The current policy offerings would need amendeding as most of that is irrelevant. It would be up to you wheher you wanted anything in the first and third sections as it would only be effectively a public liability policy that would be needed.

 

[Rooter]

The current policy offerings would need amendeding as most of that is irrelevant. It would be up to you wheher you wanted anything in the first and third sections as it would only be effectively a public liability policy that would be needed.

I can add those, but i'm then at over 40quid a month. Just the theft and accident alone is 300quid a year.

 

[Jimaroid]

This is the problem that I have tried to avoid and people keep trying to drag up. This is not an argument of car vs bike, this is about putting in place a bit of legislation to ensure that those who do suffer as a result of a colision with a bike can identify the cyclist and claim on insurance. If the bike damage issue is as non existent as you say, premiums will be pretty cheap.

Why so many assumptions that cyclists aren't already insured? Not direct just to you, it happens all the time and is happening repeatedly in this thread.

Various cycling clubs and organisations include 3rd party liability insurance. Hundreds of thousands of cyclists are already insured. Yes, I know millions of bicycles exist.

Like Backache says, policy on the hoof doesn't work, many incorrect assumptions keep being made to support the validity of the policy.

 

[Jimaroid]

Here lies a massive problem, The cheapest i can get bike insurance for, is actually more than fully comp on my volvo xc90!!!

3rd party liability insurance is really cheap - included in British Cycling membership for whatever that is, 40 to 70 quid a year from memory.

I also have the same problem with my other policies to cover theft and damage though. That costs more than my BMW X1 per year but it's kind-of OK as the bikes combined are worth more than that heap of rubbish car.

 

[stefanovic]

Been coming.
Cyclists nowadays are so irresponsible they think pavements are for them. Few have bells to warn pedestrians they are behind.
Happened to me again yesterday. Cyclist who thinks he is Mark Cavendish gives me no indication he is right behind me.
Riding on pavements which are for pedestrians should result in confiscation of bike.
Pedestrians are treated like slalom poles in town centre squares.
Coventry a good example. Somebody is going to get killed.

 

[Backache]

Been coming.
Cyclists nowadays are so irresponsible they think pavements are for them. Few have bells to warn pedestrians they are behind.
Happened to me again yesterday. Cyclist who thinks he is Mark Cavendish gives me no indication he is right behind me.
Riding on pavements which are for pedestrians should result in confiscation of bike.
Pedestrians are treated like slalom poles in town centre squares.
Coventry a good example. Somebody is going to get killed.

In no way do I condone bad or dangerous cycling.
As a matter of interest should drivers convicted of speeding offences have their cars confiscated?

 

[GB72]

Why so many assumptions that cyclists aren't already insured? Not direct just to you, it happens all the time and is happening repeatedly in this thread.

Various cycling clubs and organisations include 3rd party liability insurance. Hundreds of thousands of cyclists are already insured. Yes, I know millions of bicycles exist.

Like Backache says, policy on the hoof doesn't work, many incorrect assumptions keep being made to support the validity of the policy.

No assumption being made at all. Great to hear that there are loads of cyclists insured, just want to make it compulsory.

I have been very careful not to criticise the many responsible cyclists when making my points, that helps nobody and just puts the many good cyclists on the defensive when they are the very ones that are needed onboard.

 

[clubchamp98]

In no way do I condone bad or dangerous cycling.
As a matter of interest should drivers convicted of speeding offences have their cars confiscated?

And parking on the pavement I hate that .
Pushing my grandson in his pram I have to go on the road to pass.

 

[clubchamp98]

No assumption being made at all. Great to hear that there are loads of cyclists insured, just want to make it compulsory.

I have been very careful not to criticise the many responsible cyclists when making my points, that helps nobody and just puts the many good cyclists on the defensive when they are the very ones that are needed onboard.

Maybe part of car insurance should be free insurance if you leave your car at home and cycle.
Same reg number but a smaller plate.
For those with no car a government backed scheme for a nominal cost stopping the shark company’s taking the pee.

 

[Brads]

Just seen this thread and was not disappointed.
Bloddy cyclists blah blah blah blah hate em no insurance blah blah mamils blah.

The roads are not just for cars. Get used to it.
Bikes are not motorised transport
Get used to it
Bikes do not emit pollutants that cars get “taxed” for
Get used to it.

Tax and insure my grand daughters little bike shall I ? She even rides on the pavement !!!!

 

[Swinglowandslow]

Unless you have an exempt vehicle. So it’s not true that we have to pay to use them.

How long has an exemption meant that the general rule is untrue.?
Unbelievable logic of some.
??

 

[BiMGuy]

Tax and insure my grand daughters little bike shall I ? She even rides on the pavement !!!!

Kids these days. Hooligans the lot of them!