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Cyclists should be registered, insured and be made to wear helmets say Cambridgeshire councillors

Argue that legislation is needed now that cyclists are having ‘large amounts money from the taxpayer poured onto them’

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.

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62 comments

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cerutticolumn | 9 years ago
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Shouldn't there be some sort of 'national test' for councillors? Either these councillors are ignorant or just cynical. Haven't they read any reports, published by the likes of the Department of Health, the World Health Organisation etc., that say that each new cyclist generates around 500 pounds of benefits to the community in terms of reduced health costs? Or that the average return on every pound spent on measures to promote cycling is 12 pounds? I suppose not. Far easier to to pander to the most subsidised transport users - car drivers, who only civer approximately 15 per cent of the total costs generated by their acticvities.

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skull-collector... | 9 years ago
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"It seems unreasonable for us as a nanny state to make everything great"

>everything great

Really?

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antonio | 9 years ago
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Pricks in cars, get rid of them, problem solved.

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Greebo954 | 9 years ago
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I believe :
Nobody has paid a ''Road Tax'' since the early 1930's, it was abandoned so car drivers would not feel they owned the roads which were originally built and used for horse drawn carriages and cycles  1 The tax was collected to pay for damage to the roads caused by vehicles. If paying for damage means ownership then there are a lot of windows owned by kids!
Vehicle Excise Duty or Car Tax is based on the amount of toxic emissions produced by the vehicle, a 6.0L V8 pumping out in excess of 400 mg / mile pays a lot. Electric, most small hybrids and even some small internal combustion engines pay NOTHING, ZERO, NOWT, SOD ALL or about the same as fellow car drivers pay for the bicycles they use except.........ALL VED is collected by the general treasury NOT the department of transport, along with Income, Whiskey and Kebab tax and is then divided up among the various Government departments that require funding ( all of them ) so in fact any VED paid is as likely to be funding aid to Vanuatu or school dinners as it is to ( not ) repairing the roads in this country.
Anybody who buys anything in this country that is subject to tax helps maintain the road network.
Please correct inaccuracies in the above if you know better.

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DaveE128 replied to cerutticolumn | 9 years ago
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cerutticolumn wrote:

Shouldn't there be some sort of 'national test' for councillors?

Try to make that free of political influence!! It would prove difficult I think.

The problem is, everyone is ignorant or poorly informed about something.

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oozaveared replied to DaveE128 | 9 years ago
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DaveE128 wrote:
cerutticolumn wrote:

Shouldn't there be some sort of 'national test' for councillors?

Try to make that free of political influence!! It would prove difficult I think.

The problem is, everyone is ignorant or poorly informed about something.

No the point in a democracy is that anyone can stand for election. There are places where candidates have to be vetted but they're not democracies.

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exilegareth replied to oozaveared | 9 years ago
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In theory you are right, but in practice councillors are increasingly selected and vetted by parties, who should be held accountable if their councillors prove to be less than competent.

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Simmo72 | 9 years ago
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Introducing a 10 year ban for being caught texting whilst driving would have a greater impact on road safety. a bit of foam doesn't help when hit from behind at speed by some idiot in their x5 busy posting their latest LOL on facebook.

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Simmo72 | 9 years ago
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More cycling - less fatties, healthier nation, less burden on NHS
More cycling - less congestion, reduced road costs, improved productivity
More cycling - less wear and tear on roads, reduced road costs
More cycling - less pollution, better health, less burden on NHS

What exactly aren't we contributing to councilor nobjockey?

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Matt eaton replied to Simmo72 | 9 years ago
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Simmo72 wrote:

More cycling - less fatties, healthier nation, less burden on NHS
More cycling - less congestion, reduced road costs, improved productivity
More cycling - less wear and tear on roads, reduced road costs
More cycling - less pollution, better health, less burden on NHS

What exactly aren't we contributing to councilor nobjockey?

To be fair, he said contribute to safety. I'd guess he is equally ill-informed on the economic benefits of cycling but I don't think he actually said anything on the subject.

As for contributing to safety, cyclists do so purely through their choice of transport. Our streets are safer places when there are fewer cars about.

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ianrobo replied to Simmo72 | 9 years ago
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Simmo72 wrote:

More cycling - less fatties, healthier nation, less burden on NHS
More cycling - less congestion, reduced road costs, improved productivity
More cycling - less wear and tear on roads, reduced road costs
More cycling - less pollution, better health, less burden on NHS

What exactly aren't we contributing to councilor nobjockey?

More cycling - More productive at work as most of us are desk jockeys and awake and alive when we cycle to work !

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DaveE128 | 9 years ago
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There is a conflict of interest here. Check out Councillor Hunt's register of interests:

http://www.eastcambs.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Hunt%20B%20NEW.pdf

I quote:

"Motor industry consultant (Self employed)
Volkswagen Group UK pensioner"

This guy should be shot down for abusing his position.

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JeevesBath | 9 years ago
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As cyclists, we should be thankful for the fact that none of us pay taxes.... oh, hang on a minute - yes I fcking do  102
Maybe I object to my taxes going towards paying for health care for all the fat bastards who don't cycle..... like local councillors.

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exilegareth | 9 years ago
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Cllr Bill Hunt seems a charming chap - he is, apparently a 'Retired motor industry manager, self employed consultant, company director' who owns a number of houses that he lets out. Obviously an expert on cycling then.

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BigDummy | 9 years ago
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Kippers have these odd pairings of conditional ideas. Last year it was:

The Gay can get married => I should be allowed to marry my dog.

This year it's:

There's a Cycling Path => cyclists must wear helments.

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Must be Mad | 9 years ago
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Quote:

I pay road tax x3

No you don't  102

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kwi replied to Must be Mad | 9 years ago
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Must be Mad wrote:
Quote:

I pay road tax x3

No you don't  102

Why do people get their knickers all bunched up their holes over what is commonly used to refer to VED? We all know what is meant.

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bikebot replied to kwi | 9 years ago
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kwi wrote:
Must be Mad wrote:
Quote:

I pay road tax x3

No you don't  102

Why do people get their knickers all bunched up their holes over what is commonly used to refer to VED? We all know what is meant.

I think it began with Churchill (not the dog...)

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paulrbarnard replied to kwi | 9 years ago
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kwi wrote:
Must be Mad wrote:
Quote:

I pay road tax x3

No you don't  102

Why do people get their knickers all bunched up their holes over what is commonly used to refer to VED? We all know what is meant.

Actually most people don't That's the problem. You deserved to get called on it.

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antigee | 9 years ago
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Councillors represent their local community - the community does contain a lot of ignorant cyclist haters who haven't a clue about infrastructure funding or how to move away from a car dependent culture
I quite like it when idiot's like these open their mouths - at least you know what the problem is. Equally sad that they are unable to contribute anything positive to the role they have been elected to

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Matt eaton replied to antigee | 9 years ago
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antigee wrote:

Councillors represent their local community - the community does contain a lot of ignorant cyclist haters who haven't a clue about infrastructure funding or how to move away from a car dependent culture
I quite like it when idiot's like these open their mouths - at least you know what the problem is. Equally sad that they are unable to contribute anything positive to the role they have been elected to

You're dead right. What I really object to though is the lazy was that councilors regurgitate ill-informed opinions from their constituents without even attempting to back them up or research the feasibility of what they are asking for.

If this guy had taken the time to research the number and value of damages claims against uninsured cyclists and had a think about the cost and logistics of compulsory insurance and associated enforcement I suspect he would very quickly have come to a different conclusion.

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atgni | 9 years ago
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Paul M | 9 years ago
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The University city of Cambridge and its surrounding county illustrate that theory - I don't remember what it is called but no doubt someone can help me out here - about the equilibrium between good and ill. Put simply, with such a clever bunch of chaps in the city, equilibrium and balance requires that the surrounding country must be very very stupid indeed.

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don simon fbpe | 9 years ago
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Have cyclists had the right to vote removed? When did this happen?

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Initialised | 9 years ago
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Maybe what's really needed is for this country to have a minimum standard of intelligence for MPs and Councillors?

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felixcat | 9 years ago
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I find this motorist idea that cyclists ought to have insurance infuriating.
In an "encounter" with a car the cyclist is concerned about damage to flesh, blood and bone, but all the driver can think of is his paintwork. Are they really so selfish and stupid that they cannot see this is disgusting?
Its because of this imbalance in the capacity to do harm, and to suffer harm, that cyclists are so much more careful.
In a collision between a bike and a car several studies have found that three out of four are the fault of the driver.We all make mistakes, but for some reason drivers make three times as many, in a car/bike incident.
When I am menaced by bad driving my first fear is of physical harm, not of who pays the bills.

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guildwheeler replied to felixcat | 9 years ago
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felixcat wrote:

In an "encounter" with a car the cyclist is concerned about damage to flesh, blood and bone, but all the driver can think of is his paintwork.

I agree wholeheartedly with your comment but must pick up on one thing you said...

Whenever I have crashed, the first thing that flits through my mind as I'm going down is more "hope the bike's ok!" Thoughts of damage to myself come later on down the thought process!

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Beefy | 9 years ago
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More frightening than funny  35

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velodinho | 9 years ago
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A Conservative and a UKIP councilor. That's funny!

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Matt eaton | 9 years ago
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"They should be registered, they should go through a national cycling test and they should carry third-party insurance."

This sounds like a good thing to do (and enforce) with car drivers. he might be on to something you know.

Oh wait......

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