Cyclists, insurance and road tax

20Wheel wrote: »

tax the whole cycling and escooter equipment category.

use the money to build and maintain segregated routes in the larger towns and cities.

maybe some kind of pooled insurance fund too, for victims of cyclist related injuries.

As motorists we have to be very very careful in our demands, insisting on taxing and insuring bikes and e-scooters could open a pandoras box where we end up also paying a road tax that would be exponentially more expensive than the lighter vehicles that are easier on the roads, don't cause much damage and aren't allowed use the most expensive roads in the country.

Imagine a road tax was introduced for bikes to maintain cycle infrastructure (which is cheap) and a corresponding road tax was introduced to motorists to pay for the multi million motorway network instead of it coming from general taxation?

Motorways can cost upwards of €15 million per kilometre.

Cilldara_2000 wrote: »

There are many problem on our roads. It's not a general attack on cyclists to say that cyclists sailing through red lights is one of them, as is cycling against the traffic on one way streets.

He used the words "a lot" .....which infers the majority

So, it's not attack on a few cyclists.

Allinall wrote: »

Always?

There are some forms of mercy killings allowed when people are seen flogging dead horses, particularly on bulletin board threads.

micar wrote: »

He used the words "a lot" .....which infers the majority

So, it's not attack on a few cyclists.

"A lot" is not specific. but it is common. I'm a daily pedestrian in Ireland, many years of that in Ireland's major cities. I get a certain baseline level of respect from motorists that I don't get from cyclists. I don't have to worry about the average Irish motorist and the data is clear on that point. Cyclists on the footpath, and cutting off pedestrians at junctions on the other hand ... well, one has to learn fairly quickly to get out of their way.

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Though in relative terms, gimme a complete douchebag over killing 30-40 each year any day

Most of which are not caused by the driver. Funny how you leave that part out. Also funny how you leave out the total number of Irish drivers - likely because this would show that killer drivers are extremely rare. But hey, I guess dead people are useful if you're looking for a cudgel.

VonLuck wrote: »

Well you don't know me, and I don't do that, but let's say for argument's sake that I did. Does that suddenly allow motorists to break the law?

If you are a cyclist who never mounts a kerb and never breaks a red light, then you may, as the old religious used to say "cast the first stone."

I saw some guy throw rubbish onto the grass in the park. Sure if he can do it, why don't I just throw my household waste into a ditch somewhere?

No. But if you were to throw your household waste in a ditch, you'd be in little position to criticise someone else for throwing away a sweet wrapper. Yet that's basically what some cyclists do.

SeanW wrote: »

"A lot" is not specific. but it is common. I'm a daily pedestrian in Ireland, many years of that in Ireland's major cities. I get a certain baseline level of respect from motorists that I don't get from cyclists. I don't have to worry about the average Irish motorist and the data is clear on that point. Cyclists on the footpath, and cutting off pedestrians at junctions on the other hand ... well, one has to learn fairly quickly to get out of their way..

That is bull to be fair. I lived in the city centre for years and was exclusively a pedestrian and by far the most dangerous class of road user were the professional drivers. This does include bicycle couriers but worse than them were taxis (by far no. 1), buses and delivery drivers. Most issues with private cyclists was when they were victims of an incident rather than the reason. The RSA stats would bear this out pretty clearly.
The one time I did see a cyclist hit a pedestrian was where someone was dodging through stopped cars trying to cross the road.

SeanW wrote: »

"A lot" is not specific. but it is common. I'm a daily pedestrian in Ireland, many years of that in Ireland's major cities. I get a certain baseline level of respect from motorists that I don't get from cyclists. I don't have to worry about the average Irish motorist and the data is clear on that point. Cyclists on the footpath, and cutting off pedestrians at junctions on the other hand ... well, one has to learn fairly quickly to get out of their way.

Most of which are not caused by the driver. Funny how you leave that part out. Also funny how you leave out the total number of Irish drivers - likely because this would show that killer drivers are extremely rare. But hey, I guess dead people are useful if you're looking for a cudgel.

If you are a cyclist who never mounts a kerb and never breaks a red light, then you may, as the old religious used to say "cast the first stone."

No. But if you were to throw your household waste in a ditch, you'd be in little position to criticise someone else for throwing away a sweet wrapper. Yet that's basically what some cyclists do.

Well that is BS. I’m guessing that the furthest you walk is from your car parked outside a shop, into a shop, because your experience doesn’t match anyone who has walked any further distance. You probably drive around for half an hour just to get parking outside the shop too.

So can you not just admit that you hate people when they are on bikes for no rational reason and want to punish them….although when they are on foot they are ok, and they’re really cool when delaying you when they drive?

SeanW wrote: »

If you are a cyclist who never mounts a kerb and never breaks a red light, then you may, as the old religious used to say "cast the first stone."

No. But if you were to throw your household waste in a ditch, you'd be in little position to criticise someone else for throwing away a sweet wrapper. Yet that's basically what some cyclists do.

That doesn't invalidate the original point though. If someone accuses you of committing a crime and they had committed one previously, it doesn't suddenly mean that the crime didn't happen. Objectively you are still in the wrong and you can't justify it by saying "yeah, but you kinda do it too".

maestroamado wrote: »

We are way behind the rest of Europe when it comes to sharing road space.


... demand better infastructure for bicycles but not by taking too much of the available road-space.

D’ya not think these 2 statements might be linked somehow?

maestroamado wrote: »

I made an error.
What i meant to say we are way behind the rest of Europe when it comes to general infastructure for all traffic...

No, you were correct and you also succinctly showed why we are behind much of Europe.