Should bicycle riders have to license their bike and have liability insurance?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wrenched
  • Start date Start date
W

Wrenched

Guest
For the safety and financial security of all road users Cycle Riders (Bicycle, Tricycle and Recumbent) should be required to be licensed road users with liability insurance, vehicle registration, and a state issued license plate affixed to the cycle.

Cyclists having no license, current plate, registration or not having insurance would incur the same penalty as a motor vehicle driver. The roads would be safer and road usage would be fair.
Some tricycles are large and not childrens toys.

Last century bicycles were licensed where I grew up.

A woman here in this town was hit by a high speed cycle rider without insurance a year ago and she is still having surgeries and medical bills.

Cyclists often ignore or just don't know the rules of the road.

The State needs safe roads for all users.

The fee revenue would be of use to the State as well.
Riders under the age of 18 would be exempt.
 
In my town, bicycles are many people's transportation. We don't register them, but there are laws regarding where you ride (bike lanes, can't be on the sidewalk in certain areas, etc), you must have a back and front bike light if you're riding at night (the police WILL pull you over), if you get caught BWI'ing (biking while intoxicated) and you have a valid driver's license it goes against your license. Pretty much if we fall off our bikes, or if we get hit by a car, we're usually the only one with injuries.
 
yes i do think so because most bike riders are really dumb and they can't even ride a bike some of them. plus most bikers are handicapped and they like sitting on something hard:)
 
Would this law include cyclists of all ages? If they have training wheels do they need a learner's permit? What about skateboarders, are they exempt from this law? I live in a small town where occasionally people use their horses for transportation. Would this eventually require bolting a placard to the horses behind? Also, there are many people in my town that don't look before they cross in the middle of the street and are pushing baby strollers. In this situation shouldn't the pedestrian be required to to carry liability insurance? Would it be the responsibility of the infant to carry registration on the stroller or would the stroller pusher be liable? Would health insurance premiums go up because of the increased number of obese kids whose parents couldn't afford to register and insure their bicycles?
 
I took this seriously up until you said Tricycle

........as for my answer, No
 
I think they should just make it legal to run them over- especially when they ride in the middle of the road and dont move over- whats up with that? I used to ride and I never acted like these idiots do.
 
Why would they need insurance? They are considered pedistrians, so if you hit them, it's your fault and any damage to you or them is paid for by YOUR auto insurance.
 
Massachusetts has required Bicycle registration since the early seventies. It was an attempt to thwart bicycle theft and simplify recovery. At first there was a safety inspection to get the bike registered (horn, reflectors etc) but now the cops don't even bother inspecting the bike (show a receipt is enough) and they hand you a sticker.

One would think that all of this information would be computerized etc... But after registering a new bike in 2005 the cop handed me a 3x5 card to write my info on and that card was tossed in a file box.

End result is that the State of MA has enough difficultly registering cars used by adults. Its not worth the effort to register bikes operated by 10 year olds.
 
Back
Top