Evil8Beezle:
ANYWAY - The point i was TRYING to make was that if bike penalties were put on your driving licence, what would be the incentive not to take the car? As in my eyes, riding while intoxicated and driving while intoxicated, are 2 very different things…
You could always walk or get a taxi ~I do that quite regular because I like my licence. Like you I also have a bike and have used it in similar circumstances but unfortunately the law is the law!!! It really is not worth the risk and I have altered my habits.
I don’t think you can loose your driving licence in the UK no matter how drunk you are whilst cycling, the drink driving laws relate to motorised vehicles and having excess alcohol in your blood. You can be prosecuted for being drunk on a bicycle, however the police must show you were drunk through some sort of sobriety test, high levels of alcohol in your blood does not prove you are drunk.
You will need to check this for accuracy, but as far as I can remember the German drink driving laws are as follows
32mg if you have been in an accident in a motorised vehicle
50mg if you haven’t been in an accident in a motorised vehicle
160mg if you are on a bicycle. (160mg is double the english driving limit, so i guess could be as much as 4 or 5 pints, which is quite generous)
tachograph:
I’m afraid that anything that penalises cyclists in London is doomed to failure, Boris Johnson appears to be determined to blame lorries for everything and completely ignore the appalling riding by some London cyclists.
Possibly registration plates on bikes may be a better option, perhaps some sort of detachable foldable identification plate so cyclists who do stupid and dangerous things can be identified.
the idea of detachable plates is an excellent idea,they take them off when at work or home but make it law to have them attached when riding and a fine if not displaying said plates
Gangan:
Of all the daftest ideas I’ve seen this is up there with the worst. At what age do they propose to force people to have a push bike licence from, five years or seven or what? Or does the author of this ill thought through petition expect all kids under the age of 17 to be banned from having a bike. Who will be expected to pay for the tests, the parents no doubt. Then of course this leads to enforced insurance for all cycles which will mean them having to have number plates. Who will police cycle licenses? What will be the consequences of not having a licence? Who will pay for the additional bureaucracy because the fee for the licence wont cover it? Its just madness.
although he does state children,we have to assume he means adults,can you really imagine children as young as five riding through londons traffic,i think not
Evil8Beezle:
It would be an interesting experiment to see if applying points on a driving licence for cycling offences did make a difference, but I think it would be the thin end of a wedge… I for one would NOT agree that riding under the influence on a bicycle should be relevant to your driving licence!!! - I don’t give a monkies if I get slatted for saying this, but i ride my bike home from my mates all the time while under the influence. And the reason i do it, is because I’ll NEVER EVER drink and drive!!! Besides, who exactly am I likely to kill on a bicycle other than myself? It’s not like I’m in control of a large lump of metal that will plow over people if i lose control… In fact the most likely outcome is that I end up in a ditch, as I ride on the pavement if there are no pedestrians about.
Now if the law was changed, and being drunk on a bike counted as DD on your car licence, what exactly would be people incentive not to use the car■■?
P.S. I also used to Roller Blade home from the pub! (Should that also go on my driving licence?)
you would prob end up riding under the wheels of a wagon, and the current cyclist are invincible law the wagon driver would be thrown away in jail and be the one that suffers.
Bluey Circles:
I don’t think you can loose your driving licence in the UK no matter how drunk you are whilst cycling, the drink driving laws relate to motorised vehicles and having excess alcohol in your blood. You can be prosecuted for being drunk on a bicycle, however the police must show you were drunk through some sort of sobriety test, high levels of alcohol in your blood does not prove you are drunk.
It is possible to loose your licence, read the link I posted above.
Bluey Circles:
I don’t think you can loose your driving licence in the UK no matter how drunk you are whilst cycling, the drink driving laws relate to motorised vehicles and having excess alcohol in your blood. You can be prosecuted for being drunk on a bicycle, however the police must show you were drunk through some sort of sobriety test, high levels of alcohol in your blood does not prove you are drunk.
It is possible to loose your licence, read the link I posted above.
“although he does state children,we have to assume he means adults,can you really imagine children as young as five riding through londons traffic,i think not”
I have not bothered to read the detail of this because I think the idea of it is just ridiculous. Kids as young as five do ride bikes in London, I have news for you… the traffic in London is not much if any worse than any major town or city. Try driving though Burton on Trent at rush hour, I’d swap it for London any time! If this is aimed at London only then its even more of a stupid idea!
Socketset:
I think all city cyclists should wear a hi-viz tabbard by law with a reference number stencilled on it.
Oh good, taxi has arrived…
I know for a fact this is being discussed along with other forms of identification for cyclists in inner cities (friend of a friend etc), the opposition from the cyclist groups is fierce as any form of accountability is their kryptonite.
Whats going against them is these pompous twunts reading out car registrations from their diva cams then placing the vids on youtube (ironic in a way).
Basically the definitive point is that cyclists want to be treated the same as other vehicles and behave when its suits them as if they where as wide as a motorvehicle so should be equally as accountable in inner cities.
Edit: Im allowed to reveal that the consultation phase was begun last year and has only recently be restarted in fact it could be a while before a white paper is produced. But cyclists will no doubt in true sub species fashion bring about their own downfall.
Hiviz vests, stickers, on the spot fines for not displaying reg number etc are all on the table.
Doubt we will ever see a bike like this but something similar in London by 2020.
All very well but doomed to failure. All that’s needed is more police in places the offences are committed, cyclists pulled over & given on the spot fines. The message would soon get through.
I wear a hi viz top when cycling, hasn’t stopped me getting knocked off by motorists. Stickers on bikes! Most can’t even see registration plates on vehicles. In the last five years of biking to work I’ve seen about two police cars so I can ride around with a feeling of impunity, going through red lights as I please without fear of getting caught.
It does work, but not always as intended for the complaining motorist.
(Should that also go on my driving licence?)
