Should cyclists be insured?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail....ing-pay-road-tax.html

Is this Taxi boss correct when he says every cyclist should be trained and insured?

[jackthehat]

I have long believed that all cyclists should be insured.

[Brenden]

And have a license.

[Frank97]

Yes, I think they should be!

[flump1]

Absolutely, licences granted following a road proficiency test. Cyclists should have an insurance . Any vehicle with wheels that uses the road should.

[humbersloop]

Yes.

Though imo, the picture of BoJo does little to promote the cyclists' cause..

[FredPuli43]

Licensed and insured. Don't see a need for training.

We should all be insured, really. We can cause an accident in public without riding or driving, for example by 'jaywalking' or by simply by opening an umbrella without looking, and thereby causing consequential injury to someone. Such cases may, quite properly, fall within the actionable.

[ChuckFickens]

Yes they (we) should be insured, as should mobility scooter users.

[woofgang]

I used to help folk with diabilities try out various powered chairs as part of the NHS. I always advised taking out suitable insurance, often it could be added to household insurance at little extra cost. Yes cyclists should be licenced and insured and road taxed. The flimsy towed child buggies and those child seats that fit over the rear wheel and leave the child totally unprotected should be banned.

[chaptazbru]

Definitely.

[sp1814]

Yes to insurance, but I question the reason for licensing - what benefit is there in licensing cyclists? Wouldn't that be an unnecessary new 'stealth tax' which could be exploited by future governments (once licensing is in place, it would be very difficult to remove).

By the way - in the interests of full disclosure, I haven't actually read the article.

[gsr600]

I presume most of the people that have answered yes do not cycle,
I Drive a car, Ride a motorbike, how much more roadcraft do i need for a cycle,
I don't pay any road tax on my car - yet it takes up more room than a cycle & adds to congestion & spits out carcinogenic fumes.
Ban all addison lee taxis. lol

[baza]

addison lee are not taxis as they cannot be hailed in the street but have to be prebooked, the moron owner just wants to get his vehicles into bus lanes.i think he just wants the publicity.

[sp1814]

gsr600

Your car insurance is separate to your motor bike insurance. I think it fair that when you're on your cycle you should at least have some sort of 3rd party liability insurance.

However - just had a thought...if you have home insurance, don't you get personal liability insurance thrown in?

[ehtubert]

This taxi boss is pedalling popular myths.

The Insurance Myth
Most household insurances cover third party liability for cycling, all CTC members and other cycling club members have one, too. Therefore you have millions of cyclists in Britain with third party liability insurance for something that does not pose much of a risk anyway.

According to DfT estimates, 1.3 million drivers on British roads drive uninsured. Using a powerful combustion engine to move a tonne of metal down the public highway is inherently dangerous.


The "Road Tax" Myth
Winston Churchill abolished road tax in 1937!!! Nobody in the UK pays road tax, it does not exist and while some taxes have labels the government puts all tax revenue into one big pot and spends as they wish. The combination of taxes on petrol and VED provide more revenue than is used on the upkeep of our roads. These are funds necessary to fight the obesity epidemic, despots in oil exporting countries, tackle cardiovascular disease, global warming and to provide for free bus passes for OAPs.

Many cool cars like the Alfa Romeo MiTo 1.3 JTM-2 85PS Sprint Diesel, some Audis like the A3 1.6 TDI 105PS, the BMW New 1 Series 116D Efficient Dynamics, several Citroens like the new C4 1.6 e-HDi 110PS Airdream EGS6 VTR+, some Mini Coopers, some Skodas like the Octavia 1.6 TDI CR Greenline II, many VWs and other respectable VED band-A cars pay zero car tax! There is a competitor Addison Lee's operating a fleet of band-A rated Toyota Prius!


The compliance myth
Too many road users do not comply with the highway code, many seem to be ignorant of it. Passing a driving test does not stop drivers from stoping in mandatory cycle lanes and advanced stop lines, going through red lights, exceeding the speed limit etc. This taxi boss calls on his drivers to brake the law by driving in bus lanes.

The man should have his license removed and you can support a petitions for this here: http://iitm.be/AddLeeLic

[emmie]

yes, yes, yes

[Gromit]

If cyclists need to be insured, should you not also be insured for walking from your vehicle on the roads. You should also be trained as a pedestrian, and undergo estensive training to be n the same roads as thisman's taxis.

If unfortunately as a pedestrian you are killed by one of this man's employees as they attempt that days 'Sun' suduko puzzle, your home and all your worldly goods should be sequestated to him.

[JonnyBoy12]

Cyclist are a law unto themselves. They are smug and self-righteous and look down on the rest of us coach potatoes who drive cars.

They should all be made to do cycle proficiency without fail as it takes some real skill to ride a bike correctly.

[Gromit]

I would agree that all couch potato drivers should take a cycling profiCiency text.

[Gromit]

*Proficiency test*

[EDDIE51]

How many cyclists do you see with lights ? I think it is less than 10% and they wear dark clothes with no relective strip and often cycle on the wrong side of the road as well.
At night under the orange street lights they are all but invisible.