Radio 2 Jeremy Vine Today (Monday 11th April)

[Paul_L]

I wish our laws were similar to what they have in Germany. Their road laws pertain to "Transport" where ours tend to relate to "Motorised Vehicles" therefor bicycles are subjected to the same laws as cars. In fact you can get points on your drivers licence for mobile phone use, RLJ, wrong way in a one way street, even loose your drivers licence for drinking and cycling (although the limits are more generous for the cyclist). Not quite sure what they do if you don't have a drivers licence, but since nearly all adult cyclists do, I think it would concentrate a few minds.

Back to this topic and cyclists knocking down peds on pavements, the cyclist in Germany would be charged under the same law as if he had been on a motorbike or motor car, and quite rightly so.

and that's why this really is such a non story.

No sane cyclist would defend another cyclist injuring or killing someone whilst riding on a pavement.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I love the idea of someone getting so irate they phone in to complain about a hypothetical problem in an unspecified future.

Fabulous eh?

They'd make perfect H&S people, finding problems which don't exist.


Anyhow, to be serious for a moment, if they made pedestrians wear crash helmits there be less deaths from cyclists hitting them. That's how the motoring lobby tells it.

 

[Stevie]

I admit i cycle on the path but only when i have my 4 and 6 year old with me until we get to the cycle path.

 

[funnymummy]

http://www.facebook....ion/45665414353

I

 

[downfader]

The way I see this is down to elements of risk. There is more risk from a motor being driven like a bat out of hell than a cycle. The resulting events can be way more catastrophic and everyone knows this, this is why there is a higher jail term available (and often sadly never used). Perhaps we need to reword the Offences Against the Person Act, make it clearer and more modern.. though part of me says its pretty clear and 2 years is fair.

With the Bennet case, I do feel the CPS didnt properly investigate the tools at their disposal, a failure on their part not the law. He should have been additionally charged and received the 2 years. Not long after iirc a man (with special needs) was sentanced and recieved a suspended jail term, and another cyclist who went around a corner and killed an old man got the jail term. It can happen.

Do we as a nation really need to justify bringing in a new law at great expense for something that will rarely be used? I dont think we can justify that.

The wife of the cyclist and Roger Geffen made several good points - that public opinion is against the cyclist and that the current laws are not being implemented properly across the board.

I had a thought today. We have laws to deal with antisocial driving where property can be confiscated by the Police. Can we use those same laws to confiscate antisocial cyclists bikes? Was it s59? I forget?

 

[jefmcg]

I think its this 10 minute bill - http://www.andrealea...e-rule-bill/265

Does this quote from the comments shock anyone else?

I sometimes drive a coach through London and it can be terrifying at times, especially when you consider that I would be held to account for any incident, whilst the cyclist would be immune. On occasions, when confronted by a Kamikase cyclist I have felt like obliging them!

Seems this must be almost the attitude of the cyclist, and he wasn't driving a 10 tonne coach. The comments are clearly vetted, and yet no one at the MP's site thought that this was totally out of order

 

[biggs682]

guys radio 2 rocks

so leave it alone

missed this tho

 

[Jezston]

So the people who phoned in making the usual daft comments about road tax, RLJ or whatever they phoned in about, were they promptly smacked down with hard facts, or left to perpetuate their lies in the interests of 'balance'?

And no I don't want to listen to the show to find out. My blood pressure is high enough as it is.

 

[downfader]

I think it is totally out of order too. I tried to question Trevor Wynn's comments on the web site however my post has not been accepted. I have emailed the MP (Andrea Leadsom) directly, If Trevor does indeed drive a coach I hope his company will be contacted and his comments on killing cyclists are put on record.

I saw it more as a frustrated vent than a "watch me, mark my words" kind of comment. And I would disagree with him, though, he wouldnt be held account if he's in the right. Many coaches have CCTV facing out, I would hope that would back the guy up.

I'd like to see bus and coach companies release footage of cyclists, motorists and pedestrians in a road safety campaign in much the same way the Police have with level crossings. Come out and say this road is a problem, look how close you came, please stop. Etc.

So the people who phoned in making the usual daft comments about road tax, RLJ or whatever they phoned in about, were they promptly smacked down with hard facts, or left to perpetuate their lies in the interests of 'balance'?

And no I don't want to listen to the show to find out. My blood pressure is high enough as it is.

Christ no. Thats the BBC for you, I've emailed them with a few facts and asked that they stop giving a voice to people that are clearly in the wrong but they wont. They dont see a problem with it. If people get angry, they phone in, and the BBC prolly makes a few quid off the lines.