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White cycle helmetCyclists should be registered, insured and be made to wear helmets say Cambridgeshire councillors
Two Cambridgeshire councillors have called for tighter regulations on cyclists, such as making third-party insurance and helmet use mandatory, reports Cambridge News. The councillors argue that legislation is needed now that cyclists are having ‘large amounts money from the taxpayer poured onto them’.
The councillors were speaking at a highways and community infrastructure committee meeting at which it was revealed that serious accidents involving cyclists were up by around 30 per cent since 2005, with the number of cyclists up by around 50 per cent in the same period.
After first asking police whether it was illegal to ride without a helmet, Conservative councillor William Hunt, who represents Haddenham, said:
"I think cyclists could contribute a bit to their safety and I think we should see if we can bring in some sort of local legislation to make it illegal to ride a bicycle without a helmet, and make it illegal to ride with one of those ridiculous flimsy tent things for their children.
"It seems unreasonable for us as a nanny state to make everything great and spend lots of money when the people themselves aren't regulated and aren't helping themselves with a crash helmet."
UKIP’s Gordon Gillick, who represents Waldersey, echoed Hunt’s sentiments before expanding on them.
"They are now having large amounts of money from the taxpayer poured onto them and there should be legislation for them to adhere to. They should be registered, they should go through a national cycling test and they should carry third-party insurance."
However, the council's cycling projects leader, Mike Davies, pointed to a drastic reduction in incidents involving cyclists following improvements at the Catholic church junction at Hills Road and Regent Street as evidence that the money was being well spent.
Whether or not cycle helmets should be compulsory is a perennial debate. Last year, a Transport Research Laboratory report concluded that such legislation would “prevent head and brain injuries, especially in the most common collisions that do not involve motor vehicles, often simple falls or tumbles over the handlebars”.
In contrast, Henry Marsh, who works at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, London, said his patients who have been in bike crashes have not seen any benefit. “I see lots of people in bike accidents and these flimsy little helmets don’t help,” he said.
Campaigners also argue that evidence indicates that cycling levels fall once helmet use is enforced. They therefore argue that such a measure has a detrimental effect on public health in a broader sense.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
Latest Comments
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Nothing new about zebra [or light controlled] crossing on roundabouts. Sheffield has had them for decades, possibly since the 1970s.
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In all fairness, it almost certainly NEVER happened…
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62 comments
C. Hunt ...(as in councillor)...does actually suit his name.
I'm pretty sure that he is on the ball with his thinking and that these cyclingist chappies, should contribute...I mean obviously cyclingers don't pay any tax whatsoever...do they?
It's not as if they deserve to be on the roads is it...
ScreenHunter_199 Mar. 18 17.24_0.jpg
I wear a helmet and through circumstances and BC am insured and registered. When do I get the "large amounts money from the taxpayer poured onto me"?
i seem to remember that a large chunk of my "cyclist" wages
disappear every month in ..... TAX, guess that makes me a
TAX payer AND a cyclist ... who'd have thought it ...
phukktards .....
Sorry, amongst all the fluff:
WHAT?? Did a Conservative councilor really call themselves a 'nanny state', and did they really state that cycle helmets are not helping??
Got to love the irony of bemoaning our 'nanny state' and calling for compulsory helmets in the same sentence.
What I also found grimly amusing about this was that an elected coucillor thinks that it is possible to introduce some "local legislation" to enforce helmet use. Nice to see our elected representatives so clued up on what local councils can and can not do. Isn't there some sort of training course these people can go on... maybe some sort of national test that they have to pass before they can get on their high horses?
I spotted that also - the Conservative Haddenham councillor sounds like a UKIP councillor in disguise. What worries me is what other ill-informed entrenched opinions do they have on things that they can influence.
This is the latest stick to beat bike users with but its just the road tax argument repackaged.
The local rag carried an opinion piece at the weekend from another bored and angry retiree cross that his driving privileges were being challenged and kicking up a fuss. This and usual arguments backed up by prejudice-based pseudo facts and surprise surprise - he turns out to be a friend of gloating arch-turd Keith Peat.
i saw a comment on that story that it starts to look like a generational conflict - people of a certain age who have been sold the dream of motoring freedom all their lives and invested a lot of their money and self-worth in a car realising that it was all a sham and looking for someone to blame. Stuff them, i want the roads to be safe by the time my kids are adults.
right, you can have the soap box back now.
A generation that got to enjoy cycling in childhood before cars were so common on the roads, too.
What are 'bike users'? We are cyclists...
Personally I think the worst thing in this article is that people feel the need to use words like 'they' when referring to others who decide to throw a leg over a bike to go somewhere.
Interestingly, those figures suggest that the number of cycling accidents per capita (of cyclists) has actually fallen since 2005.
Gordon and William can go swivel.
Stupid old duffers. Fat too.
how about a FAT tax, these fat people are having loads of money spent on them in the NHS, with Heart surgery and statins and gastric bands and strokes..
Why do they think cyclists are not the "taxpayer".. I sure am the taxpayer.. I am a car owner, I am a pedestrian, I am a Train user..I pay road tax x3 I am people. I am voter.
I must get into politics and become an MP, clearly none of these idiots have any sense and yet they are representing us.
maybe I should stand for the UK cycling party? who will vote for me?
Manifesto - cycle paths for all, cycling super highway, coffee shops everywhere and car free zones on strava climb segments on a Sunday? Let me know what else we need?
I'll find out how you get into this politics thing on google..
anyone fancy being my campaign manager? we will need some banners anyone any good at that?
While I do find the idea somewhat appealing, there are all kinds of pitfalls. It would no doubt end up being done on BMI which is a totally stupid measure that assumes you do no exercise. For example, my BMI says I am "overweight" (just) yet a medical consultant recently described me as being of slim build. What do you think the BMI of a track sprinter is?!
Cyclists beware: Leg muscle gets counted as fat.
The ignorance, miss-guided intentions and sheer stupidity of those in elected office at all level just beggars belief.
Large amounts of money pouring into cycling infrastructure.
About time too.....i paid my taxes now i want something i can use.
I'm just about to go and pick my daughter up from pre-school in one of those flimsy tent things. Hoping someone pours some money onto me on the way home.
Your doing it all wrong!
You need a Chelsea Tractor minimum to run your child to/from school
The stupidity and impatience I witness from motorists every day is just baffling. Unless there is a fatality it just isn't taken seriously or even considered an issue.
Same with pedestrians? Train passengers, plane passengers, bus passengers? All have even more huge amounts of money from the taxpayer poured into them. HS2 is costing billions of public money - all HS2 passengers should have a number plate
!!!!!!!
Is this conservative and UKIP policy for the general election. These representatives of there parties should recieve more publicity on this so people know what there parties stand for.
Just two individual councillors no-one's heard of. Not MPs. Not even candidates for Parliament.
As you would suspect all he parties would say they are pro cycling. Why wouldn't they? As it happens cycling policy isn't really a party political matter. It's road policy and the main influencers on policy are civil servants in the DoT and highways Officers in local authorities. It's very difficult for any politician of any stripe to just change that policy. It's usually years in the making and it's evidence based. Meaning it's slow.
How does that effect us cyclists. Positively actually. The obvious answer to urban congestion is cycling. All over the world big cities are recognising this. Ok so it's slow. On the other hand nutty politicians don't get a look in. Politicians tend to go with the expert policy flow. There is no upside to not doing that. Going against the experts and the evidence is risky. Increasing or reducing the pace of travel in the policy direction is about all they can do and not even a lot of that because that becomes risky as well.
Cycling is a bit like football. It's not party political. Nor are cars. People like cycling or don't like it irrespective of their politics. There will always be people that try to make cycling as an activity fit into some agenda or another. You can pitch that either way. or any of the other ways you like. There will be some idiots like these two councillors in every major party and there'll be some avid cyclists in that party as well.
Politically what is far more interesting is what you mean by a "pro cycling agenda". That can mean a variety of things. For example I am wary of wholesale segregation. Some might see that as a pro cycling policy. But I want to ride safely on the road not be forced on to a segregated path. So I support cycle infrastructure and some segregation where it makes safety sense. But I am not a cheerleader for segregation because it absolves the powers that be from even trying to make integrated cycling much safer.
In general I'd rather make the roads safer for cyclists than do things to get cyclists off the road. I think that's pro cycling. But others that are pro cycling think the opposite. Being pro cycling in policy terms has a lot of permutations and possible empases. It's not as easy as you think. And not really party political.
Cambridge councillors can get stuffed. Do they have any idea how much that would cost to enforce ??? Who would pay ???? I live in Canterbury - another student town where the majority of cyclists you see at night do not have lights. The rozzers take absolutely no notice.
If they really care about public safety how about making sure those 100kg mobility scooters with 125kg lardies on board stick to the rules. Most are technically classified as invalid carriages which should be registered and insured but they're not.
I passed through Eastbourne while walking the seven sisters a few years back. I was amazed to see how many mobilities there were and actually saw people scootering into each other.
Cambridge*shire*. They both represent constituencies quite a way out of Cambridge. If they ever visit the city it will certainly be by private car, at which point they will be apoplectic at the congestion caused by lots of other people in private cars, and will be upset at people on bikes moving about freely.
However, transport is controlled at a county level, so they do get a say in the cycle infrastructure in Cambridge. One council for Cambridge and south cambs needed soon.
Did we not do this last week, and the week before that?
Local councillors do not have law-making powers, so it really doesn't matter what they say in this context. They DO have to ability to make cycling safe for everyone through infrastructure improvements, and should continually be pushed to make their areas more pleasant for people on bikes.
Relax everyone it's not going to happen. Some wanker from UKIP and a Tory no-one's heard of from a local council is about the same as listening to two retired council officers propping up the bar at a golf club when they've had 3 too many brandies.
If government wants to actually enforce regulation on cyclists, then the government better get off their butts and actually penalize and incriminate motorists who harass cyclists and endanger cyclists with reckless driving.
Who am I kidding, that will never happen.
But they aren't the government. It's two councillors in Cambridge. Not even from the same party and another party has a majority on the council. Plus the council officer pointed out the error of their ways.
It isn't really news except this is a cycling blog and bikes are mentioned better still helmets which are always click bait.
Yes, can be guaranteed to get forumites in a froth.
What are the flimsy tent things?
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