Re: Cyclist says it was victims fault
A few 'If found guilty' disclaimer comments could be in order. It looks like the cyclist broke the law by riding a bicycle on the road with a fixed wheel and no front brake. How much bearing this had on what happened is what is being debated in a Courtroom and we aren't there to hear it. Regardless of the trial's outcome, a discussion about an individual cycling incident is likely to lead to criticism of cyclists in general.
I think this is unfair. Laws get broken all the time by both cyclists and motorists. Yet if one of the thousands of bad motorists kills a person, we don't jump in and say that all motorists are awful do we? No, we blame the individual motorist. When a cyclist is involved, all cyclists seemingly get lumped together and all become bad. A cyclist being involved in the death of a pedestrian is pretty rare compared to the number of motorists that are.
I drive a car and like anyone else, see some examples of bad cycling. On the other hand, I'm also a cyclist and see some pretty poor driving and parking examples. Cyclists have an equal reason to dislike cars because of the sheer number of them on the roads, along with the accidents and the bad air they cause. No one group has the moral or legal high ground as to who should be on the roads in my opinion.
Cyclists
do pay road tax. Roads are paid for out of the general taxation that we
all pay. Cyclists therefore have paid to use the roads. The Vehicle Excise Duty paid by motorists is based on the pollution that cars emit. Bicycles don't emit any. Even if VED is thought to be road tax under another name, it is motor vehicles that hammer the road to bits and cause them to need repair. Bicycles don't damage roads.
Pedestrians quite rightly complain about cyclists on the footpaths. I do too. However, another problem I come across as a cyclist is pedestrians walking on and often obstructing cycle paths. Perhaps the same pedestrians who might complain about cyclists on the footpaths?
Unfortunate for those who hold anti-cycling views but I believe as it gets more and more impossible to get places in cars due to the ever increasing road congestion and parking problems, we will see an increase in the number of cyclists. Cars get stuck in city and town snarl-ups while cyclists get to where they want to go. Motorists might see this and take to the pedals themselves, providing they are physically fit enough to do so.
I agree about insurance and I personally have some dedicated cycling insurance. I think it might be found that some of the lycra-clad cyclists have insurance too. This will perhaps become a legal requirement some time in the future.
However, the trouble is that if too much financial levy or any other barrier is put on cyclists, they might be tempted to get back into their already insured cars rather than pay to ride their bikes, so adding to all the usual traffic problems. Most adult cyclists are likely to be motorists too and so will have that option.
Rather than frowning on cycling, I think we have to start leaving our cars behind when we can. Walking and public transport often isn't a quick enough way of getting places and cycling can be the answer for many.