Ken wants bicycles to have number plates!

[lighterthief]

I foresee the day when all vehicles - bikes included - will have little transponders, enabling the authorities to track all journeys made by road.

 

[mattie]

I assume it would clip onto the rod under the seat just as you would a light.

But there's a limit to how big you can make them if they go there. Not sure how they would be readable.

 

[djbombscare]

My bike hasn't got a bike rack, so that's a non starter!

Where on earth could a numberplate - large enough to be read - go on here?!

I would expect they would go with a clamp that fits around the seatpost and could mount a numberplate sidways on would be the solution. I expect as well that they would come up with a different format of the plate that was perhaps just numbers or something like that which could mean that plates were more like US sizes as they wouldn't need to be as visible form as far as distance as powered vehicles.

I think it could all be very possible engineering wise

Things is anything that would be mounted to a bicycle would be easy to knick and in fact copy. Unlike numberplates on other vehicles it would be more possible to forge them as you do not have V5's etc with cars.

 

[kained&able]

I don't get the problem. It would be nice to be able to hold the cyclists are are being illegal twats acocuntable for there actions in the same way car users are.

If someone skips a red light or mounts a pavemeant or does something illegal it would be nice to have some recourse other then yelling twat at them. Might mean that everyone has abit more respect for the laws of the road and stop me and all the other car users comaplining quite so much on this forum.

dave

 

[mattie]

I foresee the day when all vehicles - bikes included - will have little transponders, enabling the authorities to track all journeys made by road.

Singapore have such a system for cars, however I think they just use it to deduce toll charges for certain roads at certain times (i.e Orchard Road at rush hour) which accumulate over a journey. I'm not sure it's used for any other regulation.

 

[editor]

I would expect they would go with a clamp that fits around the seatpost and could mount a numberplate sideways on would be the solution.

Err, that would get in the way of my pedalling. And how would you see it if it was sideways mounted - my legs would be covering it?

And because it would have to easily removable (otherwise I wouldn't be able to pack the bike away) that means it would be easily nickable - so dodgy cyclists would just nick a number plate and ride home on that.

Or would I be expected to lug a big numberplate around every time I lock up my bike?

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Stopping cyclists from running red lights = good idea

This proposal = bad idea

 

[editor]

I foresee the day when all vehicles - bikes included - will have little transponders, enabling the authorities to track all journeys made by road.

Why not embed them in our heads too and be done with it?

 

[strung out]

I don't get the problem. It would be nice to be able to hold the cyclists are are being illegal twats acocuntable for there actions in the same way car users are.

If someone skips a red light or mounts a pavemeant or does something illegal it would be nice to have some recourse other then yelling twat at them. Might mean that everyone has abit more respect for the laws of the road and stop me and all the other car users comaplining quite so much on this forum.

dave

yes. exactly

 

[editor]

Oh, and for the record, I'm fed up with cyclists dangerously running red lights too, but this is a stupid, expensive and unworkable 'solution.'

 

[exosculate]

That really is the most preposterous suggestion I have heard for a good while!
Ken really does try to play the audience.

 

[Roadkill]

Oh, and for the record, I'm fed up with cyclists dangerously running red lights too, but this is a stupid, expensive and unworkable 'solution.'

Agreed.

Doubtless cyclists would be forced to pay for this scheme, despite the fact that there'd be plenty of hassle and no benefit in it for them.

if the money raised were to be put into a) creating more cycle lanes and bike parks, and b) setting up a system to penalise motorists who cut cyclists up, open doors without looking etc etc then it might not be quite such a shit idea, but I cna't see that happening.

 

[djbombscare]

Err, that would get in the way of my pedalling. And how would you see it if it was sideways mounted - my legs would be covering it?

And because it would have to easily removable (otherwise I wouldn't be able to pack the bike away) that means it would be easily nickable - so dodgy cyclists would just nick a number plate and ride home on that.

Or would I be expected to lug a big numberplate around every time I lock up my bike?

Ed sorry I meant mounted like this:

But attached to the seat post. at the rear It shouldn't get in the way of cycling I would of thought. And to a degree I dont think your legs would cover it up that much.

If it was clamped on like some of the lights are it would be removable. Which again brings up the getting it knicked scenario so youd' have to remove it ALL the time yourself and lug it about. Like I sadi though I'd expect they come up witha differnet format of plate for cyclists rather than the car style ones.

And I still cant see how they can narrow the registration down to specific owners and bike make and model as you'd be unable to tell.

It would also have to be implemented nationwide for people that brought bikes in to the capital and Ken doesn't have that power does he ? Its probably just an unthought out comment, thought out loud.

 

[sir.clip]

Great..
What a fantastic idea..
How much is it going to cost me to register my bike....?
I wonder if this applies to all bike's for children & adults..

I want a badboy number plate...

Would it not be better to make it compulsory to wear a helmet first..?


How about learner plate's & indicators.. ?
Maybe we could fit an engine & add abit of polution..
Or we could just sort out the streets so Bicycles do not have to break the law, in the first place...


P.s That way of mounting number plates on the front mud guard is illegal now, as it is very dangerous in an accident..

 

[djbombscare]

Or we could just sort out the streets so Bicycles do not have to break the law, in the first place...

I hope you dont mind but can i just ask why bicycles have to break the law ?

 

[jæd]

And I still cant see how they can narrow the registration down to specific owners and bike make and model as you'd be unable to tell.

It would also have to be implemented nationwide for people that brought bikes in to the capital and Ken doesn't have that power does he ? Its probably just an unthought out comment, thought out loud.

This is a more reasoned argument against, rather than the concerns about attaching the number plate...!

 

[editor]

Ed sorry I meant mounted like this:

That wouldn't work either: my bike hasn't got front (or rear) mudguards and even if they did, you wouldn't be able to fold the bike so effectively with a great big number plate stuck on it..

 

[exosculate]

I hope you dont mind but can i just ask why bicycles have to break the law ?

Most bicycle criminality stems from fear of death from busy roads and unscrupulous car drivers.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Or we could just sort out the streets so Bicycles do not have to break the law, in the first place...

There is no reason at all why a cyclist has to break the law with roads as they are at the moment.

 

[Crispy]

I hope you dont mind but can i just ask why bicycles have to break the law ?

Because in many cases it's dangerous not too.

EDIT: But let's not argue about that here. It's been done to death

 

[djbombscare]

That wouldn't work either: my bike hasn't got front (or rear) mudguards and even if they did, you wouldn't be able to fold the bike so effectively with a great big number plate stuck on it..

That why I said "attached to the seat post at the rear "

Theres load of bikes that dont have mudguards at all and I just think that this will be where, if they went for it, they'd go looking to place them

 

[detective-boy]

Clearly there are some practical difficulties involved but I think it is a mistake to assume the only way of doing it is exactly like it is done with cars. Given time I think a workable system could be achieved (though whether that time would be taken is another matter!).

And there would be an improvement in the chances of getting stolen bikes back to their owners.

 

[pootle]

Oh, and for the record, I'm fed up with cyclists dangerously running red lights too, but this is a stupid, expensive and unworkable 'solution.'

Agreed. And without wanting to sound all smug, I always stop at red lights, cos well, I want other road users to stick to the rules, so I should too...what's the solution then? On the few occasions I've tried to point out to other cyclists that they are acting in a stupid, and occasionally dangerous way, I've had nothing but abuse in return

 

[pootle]

And there would be an improvement in the chances of getting stolen bikes back to their owners.

There are plenty of proven workable ways to tag your bike already, without the need for a big old numberplate!

 

[editor]

That why I said "attached to the seat post at the rear "

But you illustrated it with a number plate on a front wheel! No wonder I'm confused (well, that and the hangover).

Anyway, I think the idea's daft: there's no way you can come up with a one-size-fits-all numberplate that is:

(a) practical
(b) visible
(c) that can physically fit bikes of all shapes and sizes
(d) isn't easy to nick - or forces cyclists to walk around with it
(e) doesn't end up costing the tax payer/cyclist an absolute bomb

 

[Groucho]

There is a problem with anti-social cycling. Paths are becoming hazardous at times and red lights re regularly jumped by twats who think pedestrians are there to be scattered to the wind. An increasing minority of gits are creating a division betweem cyclists and pedestrians and it has to stop.

But Ken's solution is daft. We should be encouraging people off buses and tubes and out of cars and onto bikes and feet. Even cycling on paths is tolerable if the path isn't busy and the cyclist is considerate. The South Bank path is usually ok.

The real solution needed is bycicle friendly public transport (let's have either bikes allowed on trains - extra bike carriages needed) and/or safe bike storage at stations. Let's have more cycle lanes - that's the best way of getting bikes off roads and out from under lorries, and off paths and out from on top of pedestrians.

In the meantime we pedestrians should police the cyclists ourselves. A stick or brolly between the spokes of dangerous cyclists will soon bring their numbers down in a cull of the irresponsible.

 

[Roadkill]

In the meantime we pedestrians should police the cyclists ourselves. A stick or brolly between the spokes of dangerous cyclists will soon bring their numbers down in a cull of the irresponsible.

IN a similar vein, I've always thought buses should be equipped with bull bars and allowed to barge cars out of the way when they're blocking the bus lane...

Chelsea Tractor vs double-decker. No contest!

 

[perplexis]

(not mad@lighterthief, just inspired to be generally incensed)

I foresee the day when all vehicles - bikes included - will have little transponders, enabling the authorities to track all journeys made by road.

Yeah, fuck it all, let's just get subcutaneous RFID tags implanted in our necks now and save everyone the bother! That way a computer could track if you'd been exceedng the speed-limit or burning red-lights automatically and issue you with appropriate fines/prison/death sentences.
Quality!
In fact, let's make them explosive like those things in The Running Man, and then just detonate the heads of anyone who breaks the law!

ARGGGGG!

 

[djbombscare]

Most bicycle criminality stems from fear of death from busy roads and unscrupulous car drivers.

Because in many cases it's dangerous not too.

Sorry guys I dont get it.

This morning I had a bike fly out on me when I was on a roundabout. If I hadn't have seen him in the corner of my eye and suspected he wasn't stopping he would have t-boned into the side of my car. In order to do this he jumped a redlight. he then proceeded to hop up onto the pavement on the otherside of the roundabout and continue on his way.

Now IMO he deserved to be spitting blood flayed across my bonnet reason he wasn't is that I'd be paying for the damage.

That may be an extreme case, but I have never seen a cyclist TBH not break the law on my commuting to and from work. And stuff like that is a pretty regular occurence to me.

I totally understand that cyclist have to fight for there bit of space. I have to on the motorbike. Splitting lanes etc aint breaking the law.

Jumping red lights, going the wrong way on one way streets, riding on the pavements, not giving way at giveway junctions etc are. And at no point can I see that it is safer to break those rules or that fear of death from busy roads and unscrupulous car drivers would make anyone do this.

Sorry but that just seems mad and more dangerous.

 

[exosculate]

Sorry guys I dont get it.

This morning I had a bike fly out on me when I was on a roundabout. If I hadn't have seen him in the corner of my eye and suspected he wasn't stopping he would have t-boned into the side of my car. In order to do this he jumped a redlight. he then proceeded to hop up onto the pavement on the otherside of the roundabout and continue on his way.

Now IMO he deserved to be spitting blood flayed across my bonnet reason he wasn't is that I'd be paying for the damage.

That may be an extreme case, but I have never seen a cyclist TBH not break the law on my commuting to and from work. And stuff like that is a pretty regular occurence to me.

I totally understand that cyclist have to fight for there bit of space. I have to on the motorbike. Splitting lanes etc aint breaking the law.

Jumping red lights, going the wrong way on one way streets, riding on the pavements, not giving way at giveway junctions etc are. And at no point can I see that it is safer to break those rules or that fear of death from busy roads and unscrupulous car drivers would make anyone do this.

Sorry but that just seems mad and more dangerous.

I think there were circa 120 deaths last year of pedestrians killed by cars driving onto pavements. Cycles causing deaths on pavements to pedestrians was 0. This was posted on another thread. I think this says all you need to know about relative risk.