Government consultation on compulsory Helmets & Hivis for cyclists

[Graham]

Radio 4 : The "Today" program : as dated this post

I heard that the above consultation has been proposed by the "Department of the Extraordinary Special Privilege for Motorists & the detriment of anyone else in a public space".

This was a second-hand report via "The Times".

Mind you, the "Today" program is decreasingly credible . . . . due to the pathological growth of the number of sentences started with the "superfluous leading 'So . . .' ". Muppets !

[[XAP]Bob]

His this the statement that “I have no personal opinion, but everything is up for discussion” when he was directly asked about hats/lemons

[Jon Lucas]

Well it does sound like Jesse Norman, the transport minister, will push ahead with this consultation, and if it does, it will undoubtedly be swayed by the medical responses it receives from the likes of the BMA. We need to ensure that we present a good medical case against compulsion based on all the evidence that has been covered many times in these threads.

[thirdcrank]

I fear it would be an easy crowd pleaser for a bankrupt govt. Ditto number plates. Ditto compulsory use of farcilities.

[9494arnold]

Just been announced on Radio 2 News so seems to be gathering some momentum?. Is this really happening ?

[Audax67]

Yesterday I saw a couple of ski-stick-wielding pedestrians wearing hi-viz vests: on the pavement, in a modestly-sized town, in bright sunlight.

[meic]

No helmets?
They obviously like taking a risk to add some excitement to their lives.

[Cyril Haearn]

I fear it would be an easy crowd pleaser for a bankrupt govt. Ditto number plates. Ditto compulsory use of farcilities.

How would our hard-pressed constabularies find the personpower to enforce the law?

[9494arnold]

Dangerous places, pavements. I've lost count of the number of times I gave nearly been mown down by a fast moving invalid carriages. And I did witness a nasty collision involving one and a lady.

[Psamathe]

I fear it would be an easy crowd pleaser for a bankrupt govt. Ditto number plates. Ditto compulsory use of farcilities.

How would our hard-pressed constabularies find the personpower to enforce the law?

For an officer, easier to notice a cyclist without a helmet than to notice a driver on their mobile. And once we all have to have number plates all that officer has to do is take a not of the bike number plate and cyclist done and crime stats start to look a lot better.

The cynic in me suspects that were such laws to be introduced the Police might start to enforce them (whilst ignoring all those driving past using their mobiles), if only to avoid Clarkson's accusations about "victimisation of drivers whilst all those cyclists spend their time RLJ'ing".

Ian

[NUKe]

I fear it would be an easy crowd pleaser for a bankrupt govt. Ditto number plates. Ditto compulsory use of farcilities.

TC called it exactly right.
So who will be the cyclists Fred Hill ?
http://wadmag.mag-uk.org/fred_hill.htm

[Cyril Haearn]

I fear it would be an easy crowd pleaser for a bankrupt govt. Ditto number plates. Ditto compulsory use of farcilities.

How would our hard-pressed constabularies find the personpower to enforce the law?

For an officer, easier to notice a cyclist without a helmet than to notice a driver on their mobile. And once we all have to have number plates all that officer has to do is take a not of the bike number plate and cyclist done and crime stats start to look a lot better.

The cynic in me suspects that were such laws to be introduced the Police might start to enforce them (whilst ignoring all those driving past using their mobiles), if only to avoid Clarkson's accusations about "victimisation of drivers whilst all those cyclists spend their time RLJ'ing".

Ian

Archeologists say: *the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence*, can one p r o v e that something is not?

In practice enforcement would be impossible, the thing to do would be to wait until most use helmets, like with the seatbelt law

One wonders whether the *law of unintended consequences* will apply

The book that explained all this to me:
Death on the Streets, Dr Robert Davis, Leading Edge Burtersett c 1991
RDRF, road danger reduction forum is worth a look

[thirdcrank]

On the matter of enforcement, it would be no different to all the countless other things that go unenforced, apart from the possible occasional crackdown.

On my comment about an easy crowd pleaser, I'm not sure that this was how this originated. The media are desperate for controversy: any mention of cycling - which is controversial in itself for some people - leaves open the door for hot air. The Today programme seems to have hours to fill. I say "seems" because it's some time since I stopped listening.

[meic]

On the matter of enforcement, it would be no different to all the countless other things that go unenforced.

I can see that going either way, it could be seen on the same lines as using a mobile phone while driving and pretty much ignored, or it could be seen as on a par with riding a motorcycle without a helmet and any sighting resulting in immediate pursuit (with blues and twos).

It all depends on how well obedience to the new law gets established at the start.

[Graham]

It is not enforcement by Police that would worry me.

It would be the vigilante enforcement by psychopaths and other angry persons behind the steering wheels of vehicles.
i.e. Another excuse for a punishment pass, or worse.