A motorist's tweet boasting about hitting a cyclist

[DHTiling]

Toby Hockley was on the 100-mile Boudicca Sportive ride in Norfolk when he says he was struck by a car and flung into a hedge. The driver didn't stop. Hockley emerged from the hedge, sore but intact.
It sounds like a run-of-the-mill depressing incident from the UK's roads. But the shocking part came later.
A young woman tweeted: "Definitely knocked a cyclist off his bike earlier. I have right of way - he doesn't even pay road tax! #Bloodycyclists."
The post was retweeted hundreds of times and took on a life of its own.
Soon cyclists had informed the police, identified the woman, tracked down where she worked and told her employer.


Then it went mad , cars v cyclists ... :yikes:


info from >> BBC News - Why the war between drivers and cyclists?


Then read this >>>> I Pay Road Tax

So is it road tax or car tax...?

And should cyclists pay for road use..?

 

[Ian]

Not sure they should pay road tax, there are no emissions and don't really wear the road surface out. I do however think that they should have insurance. The police also need to start fining cyclists who use the pavements.

 

[Concrete guy]

Road Tax doesn't exist, the roads are paid for repaired out of general central taxation.

A cars tax disc is VED, Vehicle Excise Duty, and is simply based on the number of Carbon Dioxides it chuffs into the environment.

 

[Concrete guy]

duplicate

 

[DHTiling]

Road Tax doesn't exist, the roads are paid for and repaired out of general central taxation.

A cars tax disc is VED, Vehicle Excise Duty, and is simply based on the number of Carbon Dioxides it chuffs into the environment.

hence why i posted the second link lol..

 

[Concrete guy]

I have no issue with cyclists, or anyone for that matter, using public roads.

What I have an issue with is people who seem to feel the rules of the road don't apply to them, particularly ignoring lights, using pavements etc.

 

[Ian]

I didn't read the second link, lol! Still zero emissions though.

 

[DHTiling]

So .. Should they be insured.. ?

They can and do scratch cars etc.. so some sort of liability insurance maybe..?

 

[Ian]

So .. Should they be insured.. ?

They can and do scratch cars etc.. so some sort of liability insurance maybe..?

Most definitely. If they are on the road, they are just as likely to have an accident as any other road user. Why should a vehicle driver have to claim off their insurance for damage caused by a cyclist.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

On yer bike son! And get some insurance.

 

[dave l and l]

i am a road cyclist, i dont go on the pavement nor do i jump through red lights
i also have a large van and a car tat i also use and i pay road tax on both of them, so why would i be paying for a bike too
fundamentally a cyclist will only hold you up for a few seconds maybe minutes on the odd occasion,
that girl should go to jail or be sectioned for that as she is obviously insane or has no concept of her actions

 

[Ian]

i am a road cyclist, i dont go on the pavement nor do i jump through red lights
i also have a large van and a car tat i also use and i pay road tax on both of them, so why would i be paying for a bike too
fundamentally a cyclist will only hold you up for a few seconds maybe minutes on the odd occasion,
that girl should go to jail or be sectioned for that as she is obviously insane or has no concept of her actions

what about insurance? Lets say you damaged a car and you were considered to be at fault, do you think the driver should foot the bill or would you pay out of your own pocket?

 

[CJ]

Byclists are a pain in the bum around my way. Bloody great gangs of them every weekend.......4-5 wide, that have the bloody nerve to shout abuse if you go too close.

Tax them off the road.

 

[dave l and l]

yeah perhaps an insurance for cycling on roads, it would be much anyway as there is not that much damage a bike will do...
if i damaged anything i didnt own i would pay for it out of my own pocket anyway,
cj if a cyclist is shouting at you that you are to close then you must be to close simple as that,, to be honest how long do they hold you up ? probably seconds out your day. mind if you hit one of them there is a great chance you would kill them.,,,,
.

 

[ianflem]

If they ride the road I believe they should sit a test,Abide by the highway code
and have some sort of insurance cover incase of any accidents/injury

"yeah perhaps an insurance for cycling on roads, it would be much anyway as there is not that much damage a bike will do..."

Cyclist is jailed for killing by 1861 law | Metro News

 

[dave l and l]

TOUR DE FRANCE!!! 2011 - RIDER GETS HIT BY CAR!!! - YouTube

thats what happen when a car nips you at slow speed

 

[ianflem]

Cyclist knocked down and killed teenage girl, court hears - Telegraph If convicted he faced a maximum fine of £2,000 pounds !!!

Driving down road wi your head oot van window,Shouting to cyclist "OOT THE WAY AM NO
STOPPIN"

Laws,differences & Justice Eh !

 

[CJ]

yeah perhaps an insurance for cycling on roads, it would be much anyway as there is not that much damage a bike will do...
if i damaged anything i didnt own i would pay for it out of my own pocket anyway,
cj if a cyclist is shouting at you that you are to close then you must be to close simple as that,, to be honest how long do they hold you up ? probably seconds out your day. mind if you hit one of them there is a great chance you would kill them.,,,,
.

I'm close sometimes.....but only when they are weaving all over the road. Can't fail NOT to be.

 

[Andy Allen]

There a pain round our way to, ride in the middle of the road with no consideration for other road users, if they want to ride in groups why can't they ride in single file so other road users can get by..? And as for holding you up for a few seconds, lv'e been stuck behind them for miles, beep the horn to let them know your there and want to get by seems to make them stay there even longer, even had one swerve in to my path to try and stop me overtaking when I finally found a save place to do so........tax them, and they need insurance IMO..

 

[dave l and l]

you should not be close at all. wait until the time comes to safely overtake like you would do with any slow moving traffic. its easy enough to do ,

you cycle in groups in order to stop people nipping past you
and in regards to being in the middle of the lane thats where you are meant to be to many holes drains and people opening car doors near the side
plus its easy to go onto the other lane to overtake at a safe point after having to sit behind them for a whole three mins

 

[dave l and l]

and what are we paying tax for?? insurance maybe ... but tax is alot of bull

 

[Marksmithtiling]

"you cycle in groups in order to stop people nipping past you "

So purposely holding up traffic ???? Clearly causing an obstruction,I have had to replace a few mirror glasses and a whole mirror casing due to weaving cyclists in traffic and why do they think that leaning against your vehicle is ok at traffic lights,the ones that do stop at red lights. Insurance as a minimum may make cyclists a bit more responsible.

 

[dave l and l]

for one yeah i do cycle in a bunch for a variety of reasons, one of the main ones being i dont want traffic to just squeeze by i want it to treat me like another vehicle and overtake at a safe point giving yourself and myself plenty of room. cyclist are not an obstruction to anybody they have just as much rights as cars and pedestrians
that kind of comment gets right on my nerves reffering to cyclist as an obstruction, who gives you more rights than them
maybe you should use your mirrors more often and give them space when they are moving past you in slow traffic that way you would be an obstruction to them

 

[Andy Allen]

imo, you only got yourself to blame then if someone knocks off if you think ridding your bike in the middle of the road is the right thing to do......you ever seen a cycle lane...THERE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD..!!!!

 

[DHTiling]

This is from the Gov.uk code for cyclists...

66

You should

• keep both hands on the handlebars except when signalling or changing gear
• keep both feet on the pedals
• never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends
• not ride close behind another vehicle
• not carry anything which will affect your balance or may get tangled up with your wheels or chain
• be considerate of other road users, particularly blind and partially sighted pedestrians. Let them know you are there when necessary, for example, by ringing your bell if you have one. It is recommended that a bell be fitted.

So riding in bunches as you call it , is ignorant IMO..