Cyclist 'knocked over and killed woman'

[The Baron]

Its about time cyclists contribute to road usage and what about insurance as this poor woman was killed but no recompense from the cyclists to aid the families financial loss, they should have insurance and as most cyclists I am sure are responsible people would not deny this

 

[Gunge]

Does anyone know if the guy knew the bike was illegal, just wondering as I would have no idea what makes a bike legal but i'm not a cyclist.

I'd wager that many, if not most cycles have dangerous defects, particularly with regard to brakes. The reckless don't bother with lights and think it's fine to use the pavement. If I knocked down a cyclist with my car, and the cyclist did not have any lights, who would be to blame? I've got used to encountering the buggers on my way home from night shift and proceed accordingly but the first time it happened could have had tragic consequences if my reaction hadn't been so quick.

 

[Linalmeemow]

If I knocked down a cyclist with my car, and the cyclist did not have any lights, who would be to blame?

Legally it would be the cyclist. The driver would not be held responsible under these circumstances.

 

[Linalmeemow]

Its about time cyclists contribute to road usage and what about insurance as this poor woman was killed but no recompense from the cyclists to aid the families financial loss, they should have insurance and as most cyclists I am sure are responsible people would not deny this

Any tax-paying cyclist contributes exactly the same as anyone else to road usage.

 

[terrym]

Any tax-paying cyclist contributes exactly the same as anyone else to road usage.

That would be true if there was no Vehicle Excise Duty.

 

[The Baron]

Any tax-paying cyclist contributes exactly the same as anyone else to road usage.

No they don't no road tax is paid everybody pays standard tax from their wages towards upkeep but road users should pay extra

 

[The Baron]

And while we are on the issue want about those electric wheel chair users zipping up and down at well above walking speed especially when they are on the actual road surely they should have insurance. I no that they are needed by some people but there seems to be a lot of people using them who possibly do not really need them

 

[terrym]

Does anyone know if the guy knew the bike was illegal, just wondering as I would have no idea what makes a bike legal but i'm not a cyclist.

I thought he claimed he didn't know his bike was illegal, which in my book is not an excuse. :nono:
Cycles used on the road must have two independent brakes. A fixed (rather than free) wheel counts as one brake.
When ridden at night cycles must also have front and rear lamps, and rear and pedal reflectors to the correct standard. Front and wheel reflectors are not a legal requirement.
Although a bell must be fitted to a new bike it can be removed by the owner after delivery.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Does anyone know if the guy knew the bike was illegal, just wondering as I would have no idea what makes a bike legal but i'm not a cyclist.

The cycle he was riding didn't have front and rear brakes therefore shouldn't have been on the road.

 

[Linalmeemow]

That would be true if there was no Vehicle Excise Duty.

I don't think you understand how VED works.

 

[Linalmeemow]

No they don't no road tax is paid everybody pays standard tax from their wages towards upkeep but road users should pay extra

There's no such thing as road tax. Road upkeep is paid by every tax payer from income tax.

 

[Ken L]

So, if you were in a car that has insufficient tread on the tyres or inadequate breaks. and you hit a pedestrian who steps into the road whilst on her phone, should you go to jail?

 

[The Baron]

I don't think you understand how VED works.

I don't think you know what VED is used for
1. anybody who pays VED the money goes to the general tax fund which is then divided to different tax areas of which some goes to the upkeep to roads and to fund infrastructure projects such as widening of roads, tunnels, bridges and any restructuring required including cycle lanes. This means that anybody who pays VED is paying more to the upkeep of roads and new infrastructure projects.
Not all VED is used directly for the roads but goes into the general taxation pot to be directed to other areas besides roads etc but it still contributes extra to the maintenance of roads above the standard tax that working none motorists pay

 

[MmmBeer]

I know it's not strictly related, but I saw something this afternoon that totally shocked me with its earth shattering stupidity.

I was driving south on the M40 towards junction 8, and noticed the matrix signs were flashing '50'. After a couple of miles, with no indication of the cause of the speed limit, I suddenly spotted a mamil cycling along the hard shoulder of the motorway.

The authorities were obviously aware of this idiot, I just hope they managed to catch up with him and ban him from cycling before he becomes an organ doner.

 

[terrym]

I don't think you understand how VED works.

Yes I think I do. :thumb:
Wikipedia's explanation appears to succinctly explain what VED is, as follows:-
Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) (also known as "vehicle tax", "car tax" or "road tax", and formerly as a "tax disc") is a tax that is levied as an excise duty and which must be paid for most types of vehicles which are to be used (or parked) on public roads in the United Kingdom.
How the Treasury use the VED money raised is not the issue. What is the issue is that VED is a tax on some vehicle owners, which excludes pedal cyclists.
Or put another way if I own a pedal cycle I pay nothing to ride it on the road, but if I own a car or a motorbike I have to pay VED.
And whether I am otherwise a tax payer has no bearing on whether I am a road user or not.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

So, if you were in a car that has insufficient tread on the tyres or inadequate breaks. and you hit a pedestrian who steps into the road whilst on her phone, should you go to jail?

There is a huge difference between inadequate brakes and non at all, if you drive a car knowing the brakes on the front or rear don't work and the tyres are bold and you kill someone because of these faults you deserve to go to prison, the cycle didn't have inadequate brakes it had non at all on the front and should not have been on the road i imagine the fixed wheel is also not a very effective means of breaking, i do not remember tyre tread being discussed as being a factor in the crash.

.

 

[Gunge]

So, if you were in a car that has insufficient tread on the tyres or inadequate breaks. and you hit a pedestrian who steps into the road whilst on her phone, should you go to jail?

This why the MOT test is not worth the paper it is printed on and is nothing but a means of making money for those who carry them out and the treasury. A car could pass one day and have a multitude of faults a week later. Scam, and most of them prey on the mechanically illiterate and say summat is wrong just to get the work. Last geezer that tried that on me, I told him to stop right there (he was fiddling with a chip in the windscreen which I had verified beforehand was well within legal limits). I asked if it was a fail and he just nodded 'yes', so I got in the car and went elsewhere, where it wasn't mentioned.

 

[Linalmeemow]

if I own a pedal cycle I pay nothing to ride it on the road, but if I own a car or a motorbike I have pay VED.

Or to put it another way if you ride a bike you contribute to the upkeep of the roads through income tax. The bike does not pollute and causes negligible damage to the road. Also there are lots of classes of motor vehicle that pay no VED.

 

[Linalmeemow]

I don't think you know what VED is used for
1. anybody who pays VED the money goes to the general tax fund which is then divided to different tax areas of which some goes to the upkeep to roads and to fund infrastructure projects such as widening of roads, tunnels, bridges and any restructuring required including cycle lanes. This means that anybody who pays VED is paying more to the upkeep of roads and new infrastructure projects.
Not all VED is used directly for the roads but goes into the general taxation pot to be directed to other areas besides roads etc but it still contributes extra to the maintenance of roads above the standard tax that working none motorists pay

Of course it goes into the general tax fund and of course some of that goes to pay for the roads, but it most definitely is not a tax for the use of the roads.

 

[Ken L]

He had a fixed wheel bike. Personally, having tried one back in the 80's, I wouldn't ride one but he was able to stop pedalling well enough to stop the rear wheel and cause it to skid.