October 10th, 2009
Policing Cyclists
Following the posting on Greenmomentum on 26, July 2009 outlining the usage of speed cameras in the exclusive area of Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset, it now appears that Islington Council have jumped on the bandwagon.
Following complaints about the volume and speed of cyclists, the council in their wisdom have laid 14 speed bumps in the alleyway of a residential area in North London. The move came in fear, that one day a pedestrian would be injured by a careless cyclist.
As expected the cyclists are absolutely outraged and there is the added dimension of the implication these obstacles will have on the disabled, elderly and mothers with buggies and prams.
Who’s at Fault…?
A move has been made by Government advisors to make motorists legally responsible by default, should they be involved in an accident with a cyclists, even if the motorist is not a fault.
The idea stems from regulations in place in the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany. It seems a little extreme that a motorist should pay for an accident caused by the dangerous manoeuvre of a cyclist, however if a realistic compromise could be reached, as cyclist groups point out, it would encourage more people to get out of their cars and make more journeys by bike, on foot or by public transport.
On a lighter note…
A German brothel is offering cyclists a 5 euro discount, if they travel to the establishment by bike. The owner said, ‘it’s good for business, it’s good for the environment and it’s good for the girls!’