Is it about time all Road Users were Registered

On doing the school run today I had a run in with a cyclist. Now I know many people on this forum use there bikes for pleasure, exercise and commuting and I have no problem with this for the vast majority. Today a cyclist overtook me whilst I was turning right. I noticed what was going to happen and avoided the cyclist as he pasted me on the drivers side and then cut in front of me. I sounded my horn. We stopped and his excuse was that I had held him up. I explained that it was not a matter of holding him up but it was more of a matter that if I had not noticed him the outcome may have been different. He told me to get back into my van before he kicked my head in.
This is not a dig about cyclists but just a thought that all road users should be traceable.
In Bristol there is a great number of escooters some more than capable of breaking the speed limit and a trip down the road into Bristol tonight would see at least a few riding through red lights. There is an e-bike in Bristol that I sometimes see in the morning that is doing at least 40 mph and slows down to go through the red lights. Whilst it has pedals it is more like a electric motorbike.
So is it about time that all Road users are registered in someway.

The world is brimmed full of ***ts.

This one’s gonna be good.

Your wish for more rules is slightly unnecessary:

• The escooters are already illegal on roads.
• The ebike doing 40mph is classified as a motorbike.
• The cyclist trying to overtake vehicles turning right and threatening to assault you has an appointment to collect their Darwin award.

You should probably be chatting to Plod.

yossarian said:

Your wish for more rules is slightly unnecessary:

• The escooters are already illegal on roads.
• The ebike doing 40mph is classified as a motorbike.
• The cyclist trying to overtake vehicles turning right and threatening to assault you has an appointment with Darwin.

You should probably be chatting to Plod.

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Indeed. Not more legislation that's required. Just more enforcement.

PeteS said:

On doing the school run today I had a run in with a cyclist. Now I know many people on this forum use there bikes for pleasure, exercise and commuting and I have no problem with this for the vast majority. Today a cyclist overtook me whilst I was turning right. I noticed what was going to happen and avoided the cyclist as he pasted me on the drivers side and then cut in front of me. I sounded my horn. We stopped and his excuse was that I had held him up. I explained that it was not a matter of holding him up but it was more of a matter that if I had not noticed him the outcome may have been different. He told me to get back into my van before he kicked my head in.
This is not a dig about cyclists but just a thought that all road users should be traceable.
In Bristol there is a great number of escooters some more than capable of breaking the speed limit and a trip down the road into Bristol tonight would see at least a few riding through red lights. There is an e-bike in Bristol that I sometimes see in the morning that is doing at least 40 mph and slows down to go through the red lights. Whilst it has pedals it is more like a electric motorbike.
So is it about time that all Road users are registered in someway.

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"All road users":
I assume that you've thought this through, so please tell me more. If I take my 9 month old granddaughter for a walk in her pushchair, is it just me as a pedestrian that needs to be registered? Is the pushchair treated in the same way as, say, a trailer, so any offences are down to me? Or might she tot up penalty points in her own right eventually leading her to be banned from being in a pushchair on the road?

Hopefully your pushchair would be on the pavement.
I agree I might not have fully thought this through and it was a knee jerk reaction to the incident. The concern I have is it would be difficult to report as whilst my number plate identifies me l can only identify the cyclist was riding a black bike and was wearing a red top and black trousers.

I drive and I cycle, on both rides I can bump into inconsiderate/idiotic road users.
Cars that don’t pull out enough to overtake and pelotons that take up well beyond the road space required to keep their team safe.

In all cases they are very emotional and upsetting, I can empathise with your recent experience. They stay with you too.

Thankfully it’s a rarity. So no, I don’t think the country needs to invest a fortune to register all road users.

We register cars because a 2 ton steel cage has a certain responsibility towards more vulnerable road users. Despite your protestations at someone totally unprotected weighing a fraction of you may cause you angst the provisions of your licence is granted in exchange for you accepting that status quo.

Having got the pompous bit over with, a lot of cyclists are selfish, self-centred twats who for darwinian purposes should come off worse in the 2 ton versus 25kg contest. However in wanting to license all then you also have to consider my daughter in law who's pram loaded with my two young grandsons were almost wiped out by an idiot rushing to his tennis club around a bend on a road with no footpath: You have to consider my dear old long gone Mum who at 85 years old was crossing a road pushing her walker when someone not seeing her took her walker away. Should they be wearing number plates?

No. It's a totally impracticable suggestion. And to the motorist who left me in A&E in June with concussion, a broken nose, split lip and mangled hand, plus £180 damage to my bicycle, when he forced me into the side of the road whilst saving himself 10 seconds, yes cyclists can be twats, but no need to take it out on me. His complaint was that he may get points on his license because someone was using the road who doesn't pay "road tax". I nearly ended up with my life ended, facing a lot of dental treatment and with half of my left hand still almost useless. The damage to his car was zero, he was never going to be hurt. Why we license the relatively invulnerable compared to the vulnerable,

And yes, cyclists can be twats, there are a lot of them around and the temptation to want them identified is a big one. Im sorry that after driving with total awareness of other road users you were treated to abuse by a tosser whom you had probably saved from injury or worse.

I think the last lot of revisions do a decent job and catch up with how Germany has been for a good while.

https://www.motoringresearch.com/advice/hierarchy-of-road-users/

Today you completed a correct manoeuvre and didn't complete the turn and prevented injury/death. At this point it's a good idea to pat your self on the back and enjoy the rest of your drive.

The confrontation is never worth it and only made a bad but inconsequential moment worse. He was never going to respond well to that situation.

Two things I have long given up on are:
• The ability to re-educate fools.
•The effectiveness of legislation.

I rode back today at lunchtime from work. And not one but two cars went through the red light of the pedestrain crossing (cycle lane takes you there and its a crossing point)

In Wales the previous week. A van and car pass me when I'm doing 25mph in a 20mph as we start to leave the town (we're still in the 20mph) . The van had been pressuring me for a few miles hence my speed.

I rode out of Southampton at 34kph and then went to 38kph on my bike. Numerous cars passed me - speed limit is 20mph.

I left work tonight and a road by the office is just abused. Half a dozen cars were parked on double yellows, and a few on the zig zag to the crossing point. So you had to weave in and out and it narrow to start with. Car in front pulled up and parked behind another car already parked.

Dont get me started about car racing and cars weaving in out of lanes. Seems its a free for all sometimes

And people who sit in the middle lane of the motorway.

Or the chap on the bike that skidded up behind me, went around me, and through the red light when I was on my bike.

Cycle wise ..... only knocked off once on the bike. Young lady pulled out directly in front of me and I landed very nicely on my back side on her bonnet. Apparently didn't see someone who is 6ft 5in and built like Desperate Dan.....

Motorbike wise...... only once. Chap pulled out and u-turned directly in front of me (in London) to circumnaviagate road restrictions. I practised my Superman, 007 forward roll manoeuvre but didn't quite make my feet. Possibly not enough height / speed on my part

Wouldn’t matter if he was on a bike or in a car. Either way, the bloke is a total bell end.

You should see some of the driving in central Birmingham around the ghetto’s. Red lights, double yellows, speed limits etc etc mean absolutely nothing to those people.
Zero enforcement, even though it’s in plain sight.

So therefore, I’m not sure bike registration will make a jot of difference…

One for Cylcling Micky?

there have been some very good comments made here and I totally agree with the comments that there are a minority of idiots that use the road. We all have a duty of care not to cause harm to anyone or anyone’s property.
I guess the main thing it has highlighted to me is we all need more awareness. Yesterday I was using my mirrors and was able to take the appropriate action to avoid a collision with another road user.
The confrontation part was not well thought through on my part and in hindsight I should not done it. I should just be thankful that I am not talking to the Police and my Insurance company this morning.
Take care and have a good weekend.

PeteS said:

there have been some very good comments made here and I totally agree with the comments that there are a minority of idiots that use the road. We all have a duty of care not to cause harm to anyone or anyone’s property.
I guess the main thing it has highlighted to me is we all need more awareness. Yesterday I was using my mirrors and was able to take the appropriate action to avoid a collision with another road user.
The confrontation part was not well thought through on my part and in hindsight I should not done it. I should just be thankful that I am not talking to the Police and my Insurance company this morning.
Take care and have a good weekend.

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Hopefully he will repeat the same maneuver with somebody less alert than you. He will either learn or prove once again how right Darwin was.
To me it is pretty obvious that with "All road users" you meant actually cyclist. They are the ones required to use and abide by the same rules as licensed vehicles, like stopping at road traffic lights (not pedestrians), indicating when turning, stay on the appropriate lane etc. I would certainly be in favour of them having a small number plate to identify them, especially running red lights, and with a compulsory third party insurance. They are the ones who may end up in a conflict with a car, cutting them off, overtaking where not allowed etc. unlikely grandma pushing the little nephew on a pram will attempt a similar maneuver.
The same twat driving a car is unlikely to run a light that turned red well before he got there. Because he could get caught. With a bike? it's a no brainer, no rules apply if you can't get caught.
Last week police was writing a ticket at two cyclist that simply ignored the pedestrian area and thought they could just ride past children, prams and others in a very busy area. Some rare justice.

PeteS said:

there have been some very good comments made here and I totally agree with the comments that there are a minority of idiots that use the road. We all have a duty of care not to cause harm to anyone or anyone’s property.
I guess the main thing it has highlighted to me is we all need more awareness. Yesterday I was using my mirrors and was able to take the appropriate action to avoid a collision with another road user.
The confrontation part was not well thought through on my part and in hindsight I should not done it. I should just be thankful that I am not talking to the Police and my Insurance company this morning.
Take care and have a good weekend.

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All you will ever achieve with confrontation is aggression. At no point will anyone apologise and admit they’re in the wrong. At best , verbal abuse, worst a punch/knife. People on the road do not possess humility just fcuk you attitude.

PeteS said:

On doing the school run today I had a run in with a cyclist. Now I know many people on this forum use there bikes for pleasure, exercise and commuting and I have no problem with this for the vast majority. Today a cyclist overtook me whilst I was turning right. I noticed what was going to happen and avoided the cyclist as he pasted me on the drivers side and then cut in front of me. I sounded my horn. We stopped and his excuse was that I had held him up. I explained that it was not a matter of holding him up but it was more of a matter that if I had not noticed him the outcome may have been different. He told me to get back into my van before he kicked my head in.
This is not a dig about cyclists but just a thought that all road users should be traceable.
In Bristol there is a great number of escooters some more than capable of breaking the speed limit and a trip down the road into Bristol tonight would see at least a few riding through red lights. There is an e-bike in Bristol that I sometimes see in the morning that is doing at least 40 mph and slows down to go through the red lights. Whilst it has pedals it is more like a electric motorbike.
So is it about time that all Road users are registered in someway.

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The E-Scooters in Bristol are, on the whole, misused by the riders.

We have Voi electric rental scooters at the moment (soon to change to another company) that are licensed to be on the road and can only be rented by people who have a full or provisional driving license. They can also only be ridden by one person. But you regularly see them ridden by two people and youngsters who are clearly under 17 years old.

They are only allowed on the road or Bike Lanes but you see them on pavements all the time. Since the rental scooters have arrived we now see lots of private electric scooters on the road too. These are all unregistered and probably uninsured and are illegal, but nothing seems to be being done about them.

And don't get me started about the riders traveling through red lights. How we haven't had more accidents in the city is beyond me. This also applies to cyclists who also seem to think that the rules of the road don't apply to them either.

You really have to keep your wits about you when you drive through the city now.

Alan

sidepod said:

All you will ever achieve with confrontation is aggression. At no point will anyone apologise and admit they’re in the wrong. At best , verbal abuse, worst a punch/knife. People on the road do not possess humility just fcuk you attitude.

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Not always. In London I was once confronted by an angry man accusing me of riding my bike the wrong way down a one way street. This was actually correct, but I was on a contra-flow cycle lane (a cycle lane on a one-way street that is there for cyclists to ride "the wrong way").

I pointed my finger to the cycle lane, and asked him "which way is the arrow pointing at"? His jaw dropped, and actually apologized, and said he didn't know those existed. Clearly not been paying much attention.

To the original poster, worry not. Those that are not registered road users are also the most vulnerable and the ones that stand the most to lose by not following the rules of the road. As someone else already pointed out, sooner or later this "gentleman" will pay his price if he doesn't change his ways

Front facing number plates on motorbikes might be worth enforcing. Our village bypass which is long and straight is a Sunday morning magnet for high speed bikers. If a mobile speed trap happens to be there it won’t identify the bike due to its side facing front plate.

GrumpyGranddad said:

Front facing number plates on motorbikes might be worth enforcing. Our village bypass which is long and straight is a Sunday morning magnet for high speed bikers. If a mobile speed trap happens to be there it won’t identify the bike due to its side facing front plate.

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Here they get around that problem by having two cameras. One takes a pic of the front, and one of the back.

I've seen pics of motorcycles in India with front number plates. Have to say they look rather silly

GrumpyGranddad said:

Front facing number plates on motorbikes might be worth enforcing. Our village bypass which is long and straight is a Sunday morning magnet for high speed bikers. If a mobile speed trap happens to be there it won’t identify the bike due to its side facing front plate.

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When was the last time you saw a motorcycle?
Front (sideways facing) no plates haven’t been used since the earth cooled !

sidepod said:

When was the last time you saw a motorcycle?
Front (sideways facing) no plates haven’t been used since the earth cooled !

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Really? So they now have front facing plates? Maybe I should go to Specsavers.

GrumpyGranddad said:

Really? So they now have front facing plates? Maybe I should go to Specsavers.

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Front number plates on motorcycles are only required in very few countries. India and Indonesia are two I'm aware of, but there may be a handful more (probably mostly in Asia)

In all other countries, including the UK, motorcycles have no front number plates, with the exception of some vintage motorcycles as back when dinosaurs roamed the earth they had side facing plates on the front mud guard.

In some countries it's actually illegal to have a front facing plate on a motorcycle, for pedestrian safety I believe

I believe it's acceptable to get the speed reading of the approaching motorcycle then the operator records the numberplate as they go past.

Back on topic; I think all road users should carry third party insurance. I have done for 20 years on my pushbike and also have legal cover which I have used in the one time I've had a serious accident (hit by a lady in a people carrier who "thought I had enough time to overtake you before turning left" - she didn't, she hit me at 40mph). Registering is totally impractical. The "rules" are generally up to scratch, it's the enforcement. The one that gets me around here are the "bally lads" on scooters, robbing bicycles, bike-jacking motorcyclists and bag/phone snatching. As they don't have helmets, plod refuse to pursue them. I have seen the same gang operating for over a year (and they clearly have a wide range as I've seen them in different parts of Manchester) - they're obviously not being caught as they're still at it!

Outside of the rules, I would suggest a fair proportion of car drivers simply don't realise a) the size and speed of their vehicle and b) the vulnerability and speed of cyclists. It doesn't help that modern vehicles are basically an entertainment suite on wheels, so people are even more engrossed in their latest WhatsX and InstaFace notifications, obsessing about how many extra disciples they've managed to snare by uploading a video of them unscrewing a bottle of ketchup in a seductive way (no, I don't know how either).

PeteS said:

there have been some very good comments made here and I totally agree with the comments that there are a minority of idiots that use the road. We all have a duty of care not to cause harm to anyone or anyone’s property.
I guess the main thing it has highlighted to me is we all need more awareness. Yesterday I was using my mirrors and was able to take the appropriate action to avoid a collision with another road user.
The confrontation part was not well thought through on my part and in hindsight I should not done it. I should just be thankful that I am not talking to the Police and my Insurance company this morning.
Take care and have a good weekend.

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The only part of this statement I disagree with is:

there are a minority of idiots that use the road

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Unfortunately, I'd say it's the majority...