E Bikes. And Should Bicycles Have Registration Plates?

[Quenched]

Personally I don't think E bikes should exist. People ride them on the pavements here, at high speed, and I can see the danger they could bring if they collide with a pedestrian. Plus theres no sound, so you don't hear them coming.

I think anything with a motor should have a registration plate, and the owner should have to pass a test, and own a licence.

There is enough danger on the roads, we certainly don't need it on the pavements aswell.

In fact the cyclists I see daily give themselves a bad name because I constantly see cyclists go through red lights to beat the traffic and do so by riding on the pavements or just blatantly pass the vehicles waiting in the queue at the red lights. And you can't report them as they dont have registration plates, so theres an argument you could say that perhaps bicycles should have traceable registration plates aswell.

Its worth remembering some of the powered bicycles can exceed speed limits. The ones I see daily are exceeding 30mph. And not traceable, is that right? 

[barry1010]

The legal limit for ebikes is 15.5 mph.  My local police do sieze the illegal bikes and prosecute the riders.  We have a bigger problem with illegal off road motorbikes and quad bikes being ridden by underage riders with no helmets on public roads. 

Mobility scooters are also a danger, especially the big 8mph beasts.  They can do something ebikes can't do - reverse.  

I'd like to see ebikes and mobility scooters have compulsory insurance with registration plates, I doubt it will happen. 

[ladybirder]

Aren't escooters banned as well but they are still on our roads and pavements here?

[Quenched]

barry1010, 

 

The problem is where do we draw a line under all the possible laws and rules with so many different vehicles?

 

What I mean is a standard bicycle can cause serious injury even death to a pedestrian. And they regularly go through red lights. How can this carry on with zero traceability?

 

I think the police have an uphill battle taking the illegal powered bikes that exceed 30mph, but if we make it so that every vehicle, whether its a bike mobility scooter, whatever has traceability via a registration plate, it would help the police in tackling the problem. 

[barry1010]

How much would such a scheme cost?  What about young children who ride bikes?  There are approximately 300,000 uninsured cars/vans/motorbikes on the road that should be at any given time despite having registration plates.

 

[Canary42]

Let's put this in perspective.

How many cyclists get killed or injured by motorists - hundreds

How many motorists get killed or injured by cyclists - er....

[Quenched]

barry1010, 

 

Thats a fair point, but children should be under parental supervision in the first place. 

 

My point is any vehicle that can share the same pathway as a pedestrian regardless of what it is, powered or physically powered should be traceable. Otherwise the person using it can basically get away with murder. 

 

Even a bicycle going downhill can exceed 30mph. I had one overtake me in my car once 😱 I couldn't believe my eyes, but nothing I could do.  I took the dash cam footage to my local police station, but they said sorry theres nothing we can do as theres nothing traceable on the bicycle. How mad is that? 😒

[ToraToraTora]

It's already the law, above 250w they need to be registered ,taxed, insured and the person needs the correct licence to drive, only on the road. Sadly the law is not often enforced in this area.

It's not practical to have push bikes all registered.

[Quenched]

Canary42, 

Its pedestrians that are at risk was my point. 

Like I said cyclists are their own worst enemy because they run through red lights, simply because they know they can't be caught. 

[Quenched]

ToraToraTora, 

So is it practical to let bicycles get away with running red lights, and to make it worse they then use the pavement to run the red light. Is that correct? 

[ToraToraTora]

18:08 no i didn't say that in fact if you knew me better you'd realise I want the law enforced on cyclists more than anyone. You'd need to set up a DVLA for push bikes and issue reg docs and number plates. Just not practical. They should be cracking down on running red lights and cycling on the pavement etc but they don't.

[Clone]

I can't remember the last time I read so much utter drivel in an OP

[THECORBYLOON]

"Even a bicycle going downhill can exceed 30mph. I had one overtake me in my car once 😱 I couldn't believe my eyes, but nothing I could do." 

What legislation had the cyclist broken?

[barry1010]

Wanton or furious cycling? Section 35 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861

[Old_Geezer]

I sympathise Quench.

I guess if it's impractical to have push bikes all registered then best simply ban them from public roads, pavements, etc..  That should work, and it'd free up the roads from such obstructions.

[THECORBYLOON]

BARRY, that Section applies only if there has been, "bodily harm".

[barry1010]

Careless and  Inconsiderate Cycling? S.29

[ladybirder]

Bikes don't polute, using them does not destroy the planet.

[david small]

People do get severely injured and killed by cyclists.

[Atheist]

OG. Are you saying that people shouldn't be allowed to ride bikes?

[THECORBYLOON]

BARRY, you neglected to include the fact you were using a different Act and I wondered why, "Causing gunpowder to explode, or sending to any person an explosive substance, or throwing corrosive fluid on a person, with intent to do grievous bodily harm." might apply...

Anyway from Ask the police,

"A cyclist can commit the offence of dangerous cycling as opposed to dangerous driving. The test to determine dangerous cycling is the same as to determine dangerous driving.

A person is to be regarded as cycling dangerously if the way he rides falls far below what would be expected of a competent and careful cyclist, and it would be obvious to a competent and careful cyclist that cycling in that way would be dangerous. Dangerous refers to danger of injury to any person, or serious damage to property.

When determining what would be obvious to a competent and careful cyclist regard shall be given not only to the circumstances which he could be expected to be aware but also to any circumstances shown to have been within the knowledge of the accused."

https://www.askthe.police.uk/view-category/?id=eabe981b-6ad2-eb11-bacb-000d3ad57443

I wouldn't have thought that overtaking a car was, in and of itself, dangerous.