Cyclist curfew

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Fri 16 Nov 2012 20:00
Cyclist curfew - Trilogy

Taken from the autocar magazine website

Should cyclists be subject to a curfew Will imposing a night-time curfew on cyclists make the roads safer? <*** class="imagecache imagecache-article_image_480" title="Should cyclists be banned from the roads at night?" src="http://images.cdn.autocar.co.uk/sites/autocar.co.uk/files/imagecache/article_image_480/050511-c-vt.jpg" alt="Should cyclists be subject to a curfew" width="480" height="318" /> Should cyclists be banned from the roads at night?
<*** class="imagecache imagecache-personality_thumb" title="James Ruppert" src="http://cdn.autocar.co.uk/sites/autocar.co.uk/files/imagecache/personality_thumb/pictures/user-32-profile_photo.jpg?37f38ff387b86126d05ebca1578dab17" alt="James Ruppert" /> by James Ruppert 15 November 2012

I’m a cyclist and proud of it. Still got the same Bangernomics bike I bought in 1972. Plenty of life left in it too. Popped up to the builder’s merchants the other day to pick up some filler, but it was daylight. And that’s why there is still so much life left in me. I now operate a cyclist curfew: when it is dark, I don’t go out. It is as simple as that.

Two recent incidents brought the whole debate to life. First, in urban south London with road humps and cars parked on either side, I had to follow a cyclist in the dusk. He had no lights. No reflective jacket. No helmet. But he did have a mobile phone attached to his earhole. I couldn’t overtake safely because of oncoming traffic. I had to just bounce along behind this idiot for about a mile. For some reason he was furious with me and I found out just how annoyed he was when I finally overtook when the coast was clear and the road wider. He gesticulated wildly and presumably shouted stuff. Berk.

A week later I am on a country road with no street lamps. It is pitch black except for a flashing apparition in the distance. I have never seen a cyclist with such an abundance of reflection. Or for that matter so much LED illumination this side of an Audi. He knew it was damned dangerous out there and didn’t mind as I waited a distance behind because of the bendy nature of the road. He checked where I was once or twice. No abuse, no hand gestures. He still looked a berk, though, in all that gear.

Yes, cyclists can be stupid and sensible, just like drivers, and we can have the clocks backwards and forwards arguments all day and night long. However, because of the danger and vulnerability, shouldn’t cyclists have a curfew? Or at least an age limit? If they want to go out in the dark, then wear a reflective vest, put some lights on and pass a proficiency test. Break the curfew and it's prison. With hard labour. Who’s with me?

Join the debate Comments 19

Marc

Complete and utter fxxxking 1 hour 25 min ago

Complete and utter fxxxking nonsense.

Far too many to55er drivers out there who don't give a fxxk for any other road user apart from themselves.

Some of the crap posted on here is utter bull5h1t.

cambuster

Seems to me that there are three types of cyclist..... 6 hours 2 min ago

....those who are on a mission, to get from A to B faster than any car, no matter what it takes, desparately scheming to avoid losing momentum They like to be considered as "road warriors". Then there are those who, kinda, believe that they own the road and are out to let car drivers know that they have an unalienable right to more road space than they reasonably need. Third are the sensible ones who display an awareness of the road environment . They understand what the situation looks like to the driver of an approaching vehicle, and behave in a reasonable manner - positively and considerately. I reckon most drivers, as we approach, can intuitively tell which category a cyclist falls into. The sensible ones get treated courteously - the other two are collision magnets. Alerts sound, red mist descends, stress levels rise, adrenalin flows, tempers flare. These cyclists need some training, and advice. Where's Health and Safety when and where it's really needed?

michael knight

An Alternative 8 hours 1 min ago

James...how about an alternative approach; any motor vehicle driving within a town/city centre is automatically slowed to a maximum 20mph. No idea how to do it, some kind of ECU-jamming perhaps.. but imagine the improvement in our environments. Safety, noise, emissions all improved.

As for your initial question. No. But as a cyclist myself there's no excuse for not having lights.

pixelmix

"but you know as well as I do 9 hours 27 min ago

"but you know as well as I do that the rules that exist for such events are and never will be enforced - a bit like 20 mph speed limits in urban areas, not using handheld mobiles (apart from Wales in the last week), etc."

The answer of course to this is to seek better enforcement, not just give up and ban something because that might be the easier option. I'm sure any right thinking cyclist would be more than happy for the police to target cyclists without lights.

Here in Edinburgh I have heard that police target cyclists without lights every October when the clocks change, and you are given a fine which is revoked if you can prove that you bought some lights. That seems like a sensible approach. Equally, with 20mph limits, all it would take is for a policeman with a handheld speed gun to stand on a busy 20mph street once a month and people would soon get the message.

"I have also found cyclists to be generally the most intolerant / aggressive / egotistical road & PAVEMENT users I have ever encountered, so to be honest most of them should be flattened if at all possible!"

Bit of a sweeping generalisation! All of the cyclists I know are sensible, friendly and intelligent people, whether they be driving their cars or riding their bikes. At the end of the day, idiots are idiots whether on bike, foot or car. You can be sure that the people who ride without lights or ride on the pavements are the people who drive on their phone, cutting other drivers up and generally being a pain. As I mentioned before, there is no "them and us". Most cyclists drive and most drivers own a bike.

I was just wondering... if your driving at night and you failed to see a cyclist with no lights, would you get away with it if you hit them?

(and could you claim damages to your vehicle and for resulting stress?)

Of course, if it is shown that the accident was caused by the lack of lights rather than your inattention, then of course you would be found not liable. Equally, if you can show that your damage and stress was caused by the accident which was attributable to the other party, you would pursue them for costs.

Challenger440

Liability? 10 hours 56 min ago

I was just wondering... if your driving at night and you failed to see a cyclist with no lights, would you get away with it if you hit them?

(and could you claim damages to your vehicle and for resulting stress?)

toptidy

Cyclists 19 hours 51 min ago

Pixelmix you say "Of course certain cyclists are their own worst enemy, and those who ride without lights should be suitably punished and educated, but rules for that already exist." but you know as well as I do that the rules that exist for such events are and never will be enforced - a bit like 20 mph speed limits in urban areas, not using handheld mobiles (apart from Wales in the last week), etc.

Some years ago I worked in Central London and commuted by motorbike, and the closest I got to a collision was with a cyclist who decided to use a PEDESTRIAN crossing showing red to pedestrians (but obviously that did not mean cyclists, who actually have no entitlement to use a pedestrian crossing at all unless they are wheeling the bike) - by contrast all goups of motorists were pretty easy to anticipate/avoid.

I have also found cyclists to be generally the most intolerant / aggressive / egotistical road & PAVEMENT users I have ever encountered, so to be honest most of them should be flattened if at all possible!

And before all the complaints appear I would say that I am a pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist, car, and until recently van driver.

And as a cyclist I would have to say that most of those I see are a total embarrassment.

tomisdadude

Pure Dangerous 20 hours 33 min ago

I totally agree cyclists are extremely dangerous to both themselves and to others. I know two friends who were driving at the time who have had incidents with cyclists and one of them resulted in death (bot cases were proven to be not fault of driver, rather cyclist) and these incidents were during the day.

I actually believe cyclists need awareness courses or something because a large amount of them (not of all of them) ignore the rules of the road and often put themselves at risk in the process.

I had a similar incident as you on a rural road at 10:00pm (naturally pitch black) and this was when I have only been driving for a month and this person was wearing all black, no reflectors and a black bike and he only came into sight a 100 yards ahead of me and was lucky my car had good brakes because he that was not the case I would have had to swerve to avoid him.

btihy

"He still looked a berk, though, in all that gear." 1 day 3 hours ago

I'm guessing he spent, what £200 on "all that gear". Compare that to the driver who spends £25,000 on a car just so he can sit in the traffic for hours on end. Who looks like a "berk" now?

pixelmix

Really? 1 day 5 hours ago

What a pathetic attempt at a tongue in cheek article, presumably just to attract a few more hits to the website and hence increased ad revenue.

If something is deemed to be a little more dangerous at night, of course the answer isn't banning it, it is working around the danger. Cycling in darkness is an essential part of commuting for several months of the year. If every person who cycled to work in winter had to jump in cars instead, the roads would be gridlocked.

Of course certain cyclists are their own worst enemy, and those who ride without lights should be suitably punished and educated, but rules for that already exist. As both a cyclist and a driver, I would be more than happy for the police to enforce that, although the vast majority of cyclists I see in Edinburgh are all suitably illuminated.

In my daily commute by bike, I generally feel safe around town and have very few incidents (and have never been knocked off), thanks in part to my habit of always assuming the worst, and expecting that people will pull out etc.

[quote]cyclists ride for free on our roads[quote]

Aside of course from the council tax, income tax, VAT and various other taxes which all go into the pot to pay for roads. "Road Tax" or VED doesn't actually pay for roads, and regardless, the vast majority of cyclists do own cars. Even AA President Edmund King acknowledges that "the majority of motorists have bicycles at home and the majority of cyclists have cars". Since I own a car and several bikes, presumably the tax paid on that lot means I am paying more for the roads than you?

benjamino

"What a pathetic attempt at a 1 day 3 hours ago

"What a pathetic attempt at a tongue in cheek article, presumably just to attract a few more hits to the website and hence increased ad revenue"

I say, old chap, that's a bit harsh, what!

JR makes some very valid points, just not presented in too dry a manner. I am assuming you are have a lifetime membership of the 'Cyclists Rule the Road' club? Afraid to say, for me, cars rule, cyclists should get out my way or suffer the consequences. Unless I'm on the bike, in which case, like someone else said, always assume the worst

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Fri 16 Nov 2012 21:11
Cyclist curfew - Bromptonaut

A barmy article with equally barmy responses. The answer to the curfew question is NO - unless motor vehicles are subject to same rules.

I commute by bike daily from Euston to Lincoln's Inn and return and have done so since 1999. Sure there are nutters on bikes and in driving seat of buses, taxis, trucks and private cars. But on the whole I get from A2B safely.

It's not difficult, just needs compliance with law and lots of observation for those not complying. Some cyclists ignore red lights and turn kerbside or ignore ped phases; motor vehicles gamble amber and defy first two seconds of red. Cyclists go unlit; motorists fail to indicate and try and run round townon sidelights.

Edited by Bromptonaut on 16/11/2012 at 21:12

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Fri 16 Nov 2012 22:11
Cyclist curfew - Trilogy

Bromptonaut, you're spot on with your third paragraph, also it just needs respect from cyclists, and from motorists for each other and a little consideration. And then all would be ok.

If the autocar feature had been on a cyclist website no doubt the responses would have been completely different.

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Fri 7 Dec 2012 18:05
Cyclist curfew - Trilogy

Comment by Matt Burt from Autocar website

A documentary that airs on BBC One at 9pm tomorrow evening makes interesting viewing for anyone who travels to work on either four or two wheels.

Titled The War on Britain’s Roads, the programme investigates the often-volatile relationship between motorists and cyclists as they try to co-exist on our streets.

Before I watched a preview of the documentary last night, I was concerned that it might be another anti-motoring tirade, but in fact it is very balanced.

Cyclists, van drivers, cabbies and car drivers speak candidly about their experiences of other road users. We hear about cyclists who ride through red traffic lights – "because it was green for pedestrians" – and see worrying footage of drivers using iPads on the move.

The interviews are interspersed by footage from ‘helmet cams’, which an increasing number of cyclists are wearing to record the near-misses they have with motorists and the occasional abuse they receive. The footage is compelling and terrifying in equal measure, not least the Glaswegian who has a near-death experience with an inattentive HGV driver on a roundabout.

It is clear that the cyclists are not completely without fault. To me, a couple of the show’s main pro-cycling protagonists come across as excessively antagonistic towards other road users. It seems to me that some two-wheeled vigilantes relish going out of their way to propagate conflict and film it on their helmet cameras.

Most, however, come across as sensible, grown-up folk who just want to get from A to B without having their lives put in danger. The prevailing message that comes out of the programme is that most cyclists and motorists are keen to harmoniously co-exist, but the antics of the minority cause bad feeling on both sides.

In my view, the programme is also evidence that bicycles should carry registration plates in the same way that all other vehicles on the road do, as well as factory-fitted lights to a proper, EU-specified standard.

While motorists who commit minor transgressions can be identified on traffic cameras via their car registration plates, cyclists can get away with similar offences in anonymity, a disparity that contributes to the tension between the two groups.

The War on Britain’s Roads broadcasts on BBC One at 9pm on Wednesday 5 December

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Fri 7 Dec 2012 18:58
Cyclist curfew - RT

I watched that last night and thought is was a case of "six of one and half a dozen of the other" as far as attitudes went but I think all the changes need to come from the cyclists .

I think the case for compulsory registration of cycles, number plates and compulsory insurance has now been made - and in the absence of properly segregated cycleways then cyclists must be regarded as a vehicle like any other and not be allowed to queue jump, particularly in our crowded cities.

I also think that all cyclists should have fitted, and use, audible warning devices on mixed usage paths where pedestrians are present - the speed differential is such that it has to be the cyclist who slow down and give way.

If these changes make cycling less viable, then so be it.

Edited by RT on 07/12/2012 at 19:00

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Fri 7 Dec 2012 19:20
Cyclist curfew - jamie745

Much of the problem comes from the fact people are allowed on the highway with a bicycle with zero training. People who don't even know what road markings or signs mean are allowed to use a bicycle on the road where as people who use cars have had to pass two tests and be taxed up to the teeth to be allowed to use the road. Then you get Billy the Biker who's never seen the highway code not even bothering to learn it because the Government tells him 'its his rights innit.'

What's obvious to me is there simply is no way for cars and bicycles to coexist happily with no problems, its like how children and snow leopards just won't get on with each other and no amount of Government legislation or politically correct campaigns will change that. There isn't enough room for all of us, the roads in the UK are too outdated and whether cycling groups admit it or not they do slow traffic down and cause problems. For every cyclist complaining motorists 'think they own the road' theres a cyclist who flouts every rule in the book because he knows the motorist will get the blame for any collision.

From a purely practical point of view a curfew on cyclists probably would save lives, although anyone stupid enough to be on a bicycle with a dim light on a December evening in the rain probably didn't have much to live for anyway. Banning cyclists altogether would improve things but pragmatism and brutal facts always give way to political correctness so we'll never improve the situation.

With that in mind the only thing you can do is just do what you want, go where you want and don't give two fornications about anybody else.

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Fri 7 Dec 2012 19:24
Cyclist curfew - bathtub tom

>> taxed up to the teeth to be allowed to use the road.

Cyclists pay exactly the same tax (VED) as any other low emission vehicle.

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Fri 7 Dec 2012 19:28
Cyclist curfew - jamie745

Let's not get into this tired old argument. About a bazillion internet threads have been ruined by this pathetic argument over what road tax is technically called and when it was supposedly scrapped. Changing the name of a tax isn't the same as scrapping it, we've concluded this before so just stop it.

I was actually referring to the £50billion+ the motorist gives the Government in direct taxes every year, but the cycling brigade never miss an opportunity to waste their waking hours with the same 'road tax argument' they've been making since the Romans left. You'd think even the cycling lobby would've got bored of this tired argument by now.

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Fri 7 Dec 2012 22:57
Cyclist curfew - bathtub tom

Just as cyclists get fed up with ignoramuses complaining we don't pay 'road tax'.

How many cars now fall into the 'low emissions' class that exempts them from this 'tax'? I don't just mean hybrids!

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Fri 7 Dec 2012 23:35
Cyclist curfew - jamie745

How many cars now fall into the 'low emissions' class that exempts them from this 'tax'?

Not many to be honest, but that's beside the point. My point is re-naming a tax isn't the same as abolishing it. I have a £475 disc in my window to prove Churchill didn't abolish road tax in 1936 or whenever it was supposed to have happened. His Government and many since merely changed the name while continuing to levy it, Gordon Brown was a big fan of this practice also.

Maybe if cyclists weren't so sodding annoying they wouldn't have to listen to people complaining they dont pay certain sorts of tax. I don't really care that cyclists dont have an expensive paper disc on the bike because in my view they still shouldn't be on the road even if they did.

Anyway, we've wasted kilobytes on this pathetic topic again. Nothing to see here. All finished. Move on.

Edited by jamie745 on 07/12/2012 at 23:36

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Mon 10 Dec 2012 23:02
Cyclist curfew - jamie745

As for the 'War on Britains Roads' show I did see a chunk of it yesterday and my view hasn't changed. I noticed a theme developing with the cyclists as their arguments always began with the words 'it's your responsibility to....'

They don't feel the need to take responsibility for themselves, everyone else has to do it for them.

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Mon 10 Dec 2012 23:26
Cyclist curfew - bathtub tom

OK, you're boring me now, I get the message, you're not a cyclist, you've never been a cyclist and you're never likely to be a cyclist, just sit in your tin box and rant, incoherently.

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Mon 10 Dec 2012 23:30
Cyclist curfew - jamie745

Since when were cars made out of tin? Anyway now you've resorted to a moronic response like that it's clear you have no legitimate response to what I've said.

Thanks.

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Mon 10 Dec 2012 23:49
Cyclist curfew - Avant

Any more abuse and this thread will be locked.

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Mon 10 Dec 2012 23:54
Cyclist curfew - jamie745

Spoilt sport.

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Tue 11 Dec 2012 11:17
Cyclist curfew - Bromptonaut

I think the case for compulsory registration of cycles, number plates and compulsory insurance has now been made - and in the absence of properly segregated cycleways then cyclists must be regarded as a vehicle like any other and not be allowed to queue jump, particularly in our crowded cities.

I also think that all cyclists should have fitted, and use, audible warning devices on mixed usage paths where pedestrians are present - the speed differential is such that it has to be the cyclist who slow down and give way.

If these changes make cycling less viable, then so be it.

How on earth is a case made for requiring registration and mandatory insurance? Both came about for motor vehicles because of the casualties caused. Bikes are non lethal. And registration plates stop motor vehicles jumping red lights - NOT. Every junction I go through in London nobody stops on amber as the law requires and vehicles go through at speed after the red. Far more dangerous than cyclists creeping through kerbside.

Then there's the practical thing, where on a bike do you put a rear plate, never mind a front one or something large enough for a camera to read. As well as capturing all the bikes in sheds and those used by minors.

Complete wate of time, effort and money to no effect except to deter cycling.

How does queue jumping arise? We filter through traffic on account of our small size. It's not like there's a prize or access to something in short supply as a reward. Forcing bikes to sit in traffic would be lunacy - and would increase congestion.

I have an audible warning device - its called a voice. Bells are good though on shared paths or those places where peds wander in the road as where a quick ding draws attention.

Edited by Bromptonaut on 11/12/2012 at 11:19

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Tue 11 Dec 2012 11:23
Cyclist curfew - RT
I have an audible warning device - its called a voice. Bells are good though on shared paths or those places where peds wander in the road as where a quick ding draws attention.

Sadly, most cyclists are the silent majority - and then blame the pedestrians for not having eyes in the back of their heads

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Tue 11 Dec 2012 12:49
Cyclist curfew - dieseldogg

Erm!

Bicyclists/cyclists are NOT non-lethal.

Fact. Recently proven when a pedestrian was killed.

Plus, why sould a 15/18/20 stone cyclist be allow to break speed limits?

Why not a wiffle of a 6 or 8 stone girl/adolescent on a wee moped.

Probably the same mass involved.

Momentum being = mV2

No taxation without representation and visa-versa

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Tue 11 Dec 2012 13:45
Cyclist curfew - Bromptonaut

Your chances of being killed by a cyclist are considerably lower than of winning the lottery. Perhaps about same as being struck by lightning.

Where death occurs in a cyclist impact (age factors excluded) it's invaraibly a head injury from the fall. Random chance in same way as very occasionally such things occur in falls or a pub door 'handbags' fracas. Whatever the activity of one self publicist MP (yes I mean you Andrea Leadsom) it's simply not worth spending parliamentray time on.

Speed limits apply to motor vehicles. When there's a real provable problem with cyclists coming past the school at 40 then I might start to think they should cover cyclists too.

The only reason to tax cyclists would be to deter them; not a sensible choice on health, environment or any other grounds.

Edited by Bromptonaut on 11/12/2012 at 13:47

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Tue 11 Dec 2012 15:56
Cyclist curfew - RT

Should there be a speed limit for cyclists on pavements and shared use paths?

I think their speed differential over pedestrians makes cyclists the dangerous "vehicle".

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Tue 11 Dec 2012 16:00
Cyclist curfew - Bromptonaut

Should there be a speed limit for cyclists on pavements and shared use paths?

I think their speed differential over pedestrians makes cyclists the dangerous "vehicle".

I can see a need for that RT though I doubt those who ride disrespectfully now would 'turn over a new leaf' becuase of a limit, even if there was sporadic enforcement.

ParkPlod are often out and about enforcing the 20mph limit in Richmond Park (which is a by-law and applicable to all) but I'm not sure thay catch many cyclists.

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Tue 11 Dec 2012 16:03
Cyclist curfew - Trilogy

If a cyclist commits an offence he/she is very difficult to trace/catch/recognise and therefore can get away scot free. Motorists don't have that luxury. If bikes can't be fitted with number plates why should cars?

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Tue 11 Dec 2012 16:23
Cyclist curfew - Bromptonaut

If a cyclist commits an offence he/she is very difficult to trace/catch/recognise and therefore can get away scot free. Motorists don't have that luxury. If bikes can't be fitted with number plates why should cars?

Sit down and think it through. What offences are cyclists committing and who suffers? The egregious one is red lights. I don't do it and I won't justify it but to be honest its almost always either kerbside or an over long all red phase.

In 13 years of riding in Central London I've never seen an RLJ cyclist cause an accident or even a near miss.

I have seen cyclists knocked off by cars, usually the overtake and turn 'left hook' and and twice passed the site of fatals involving trucks.

To be honest unthrottled you sound like the schoolboy caught in flagrante and whining that others are getting away. ITS NOT FAIR

There's absolutely no justification for creating the vast bureaucracy you'd need to register literally millions of bikes many of which only come out of the garage for a few days in summer.

Edited by Bromptonaut on 11/12/2012 at 16:25

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Tue 11 Dec 2012 16:26
Cyclist curfew - madf

I am in favour of a cyclist curfew in the UK between 0am and 12pm.

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Tue 11 Dec 2012 16:45
Cyclist curfew - Trilogy

If you can fit a moped with a number plate at the back, you can on a bike.

It is a shame a minority of cyclists give the majority a bad name. I can see why motorists and cyclists antagonise each other. Bromptonaut, I'm not against cyclists, indeed I used to cycle just about everywhere and enjoyed doing it, until I realised how little room most vehicles, with more than 2 wheels gave cyclists. However, I do object to cyclists riding on pavements nearly knocking down pedestrians, cycling up one way streets and thinking they can behave like pedestrians and therefore ignore traffic lights. In general they know they can get away with breaking the law because 99 times out of 100 they can't be traced, yet a motorist can.

Even if you don't agree with number plates for bikes, I think you can probably see why some feel they should be fitted.:)

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Tue 11 Dec 2012 16:52
Cyclist curfew - Collos25

Quite legal in Germany and we do not have a problem.

Why not lets all have a microchip fitted at birth and our DNA taken plus we could all live in a police state the permutations are endless.Plenty of would be Hitlers and Stalins kicking about an ideal world I think not.

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Tue 11 Dec 2012 17:00
Cyclist curfew - Trilogy

You can't compare Germany with the UK. You lot all drive on the wrong side of the road.:)

I do like your microchip idea for bikes, indeed, a very good way to trace by GPS tracking. After all, if your bike cost £4,000, like some do, you'd want to be able to track it.

BTW, number plate idea is not as daft as it seems. Those clever Japanese folk have the right idea. N.B. this article was not dated April 1st. ;) And, this is fair comparison because those sensible Japanese folk drive on the correct side of the highway. ;)

Number plates for bicycles proposed in Tokyo Bicycles in Tokyo may be required to display individual number plates like cars, according to new government proposals. <*** src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02244/bike-japan_2244791b.jpg" alt="Bicycles in Tokyo may be required to display individual number plates like cars, according to new government proposals. " width="620" height="387" /> Photo: EPA

By Danielle Demetriou in Tokyo

7:04AM BST 11 Jun 2012

The move would aim to lower the number of accidents and improve etiquette in Tokyo, a city where cycling is widely popular among salarymen, students and housewives alike.

The proposals were outlined by a panel of experts in traffic safety and education as part of a study group formed by Tokyo Metropolitan Government, according to reports in the Sankei Shimbun.

The move would involve each individual bicycle possessing its own number plate, in the same way cars are registered, which would make it easier to track down the owners of abandoned or stolen two-wheeled vehicles.

Shigeru Morichi, professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, who headed the study group, proposed that such a move would also help stem the current rise in the number of cycling accidents, the Sankei reported.

The proposals, which will be discussed by Tokyo Metropolitan Government in September, are the latest in a string of moves to improve cycling conditions in Japan’s capital.

Related Articles

While cycling has always been popular in Japan, a surge in the number of bicycle sales and Tokyo cyclists was widely reported in the aftermath of the March 11 disaster last year.

The temporary shutdown of the transport system in the city on the day of the disaster, which left thousands stranded, has resulted in a boost in both bicycle commuters as well cycling related accidents, according to the police.

As a result, the National Police Agency is clamping down on cycling regulations, with the launch earlier this year of tighter rules designed to keep cyclists on the left hand side of the road as well as monitoring pavement cyclists.

Other proposals reportedly being explored by the authorities in the city are colour-coded lanes for cyclists, in a bid to minimise cycling-related accidents.

Edited by Trilogy on 11/12/2012 at 17:06

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Tue 11 Dec 2012 20:51
Cyclist curfew - Bromptonaut

If you can fit a moped with a number plate at the back, you can on a bike.

A moped is a small motorbike and designed accordingly. . Nowhere to fit a plate on my tourer (obstructed by saddlebag) . And on the folder it would stuff the fold and/or create a pointy bit to catch on other people on trains and railway platforms.

In any event you cannot justify the cost of a scheme for the return it would bring in either fines or 'social gain'. .

If you need to catch them breaking the law then use Police (who are often nicking light jumpers in London) or use PCSO/CEO to enforce. Alternatively, as a lot of the light jumping and one way street stuff does no harm it might be better legalised. In the US even cars can turn right (left for UK) on red. Lots of No Entry signs in London now have and 'except cycles' plate and no damage done - can be nerve wracking for the cyclist though.

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Tue 11 Dec 2012 22:25
Cyclist curfew - Trilogy

'can be nerve wracking for the cyclist though'.

Indeed it is, you're very brave. Keep safe and Merry Christmas to you!

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Tue 11 Dec 2012 23:11
Cyclist curfew - jamie745

Nearly took one out this evening but if you must ride in all black with a headlight dimmer than a candle at night in freezing fog then you deserve what happens to you.

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Sat 29 Dec 2012 21:37
Cyclist curfew - drogers

Registration of bikes seems a bit harsh, I was a club cyclists for years and raced as well and generally owned 7 bikes .two of which were special and tended to costs more each than the car I had at the time (example Costs £2,000 each approx for two bikes in 1979)

I drove 35 miles each day to work where I did for 33 years and back, yet on light evenings I then got on a bike and did 30-40 miles on the bike after I got home.

I rode bikes for 32 yearsand enjoyed the countryside and the fitness Im glad to see the sport is now getting massively more popular.

Most car owners have no idea the miles some folk cycle I read of a chap who cycles from Preston to London on a friday to see his brother and cycles home on the sunday thats not at all unusual, I knew racing amateurs who did 50 miles each way to work every day.

AND theres Tommy Godwin (google him) who in 1939 cycled 75,000 miles in one year and held the guiness record , thats about 150 a day I think maybe more.

I just cannot see why a man riding a bike infuriates some car owners yet if same man is in his car he does not.

Surely we all have the right to cycle or drive, Im now too old to cycle much but if I was younger Id be out whenever possible.

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Sat 29 Dec 2012 22:04
Cyclist curfew - RT
I just cannot see why a man riding a bike infuriates some car owners yet if same man is in his car he does not.

Surely we all have the right to cycle or drive, Im now too old to cycle much but if I was younger Id be out whenever possible.

Like most things in life, it's the unacceptable actions of the minority that cause wholesale resentment by everyone - I'm well aware that works both ways in this debate which is why motorists generally hate cyclists and cyclists generally hate motorists.

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Sat 29 Dec 2012 22:45
Cyclist curfew - bathtub tom

>> I read of a chap who cycles from Preston to London on a friday to see his brother and cycles home on the sunday

That's over 200 miles each way, in a day?

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Sat 29 Dec 2012 22:50
Cyclist curfew - jamie745

By 'cycles to London' they meant 'cycles to train which goes to London.'

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Sun 30 Dec 2012 21:00
Cyclist curfew - IRC

"That's over 200 miles each way, in a day?"

Perfectly feasible for a regular cyclist. I've done 125 on a 35 pound touring bike carrying 30 poundsof camping gear. On a light road bike 200 miles is a long day but doable.

There is a London - Edinburgh - London ride (not race) over 5 days. 174 miles per day for 5 days in a row.

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Sun 30 Dec 2012 09:58
Cyclist curfew - Engineer Andy

As a young boy, my mum's uncle decided that he wanted to see his cousin (this was in the 1920's) and rode his bike (without telling his family) from North London to Southend-on-Sea (about 40 miles up the A127 or similar) and back again!

I can just about manage the one-way trip (distance-wise) on holiday on a nice purpose-made path! I suppose at least he didn't have the traffic that a modern journey would've had to negotiate - he wouldn't have made it past the M25 without being knocked off his bike!

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Mon 31 Dec 2012 19:20
Cyclist curfew - cockle {P}

As a young boy, my mum's uncle decided that he wanted to see his cousin (this was in the 1920's) and rode his bike (without telling his family) from North London to Southend-on-Sea (about 40 miles up the A127 or similar) and back again!

I can just about manage the one-way trip (distance-wise) on holiday on a nice purpose-made path! I suppose at least he didn't have the traffic that a modern journey would've had to negotiate - he wouldn't have made it past the M25 without being knocked off his bike!

Know an older chap who tells me that in his younger days he and his mates used to cycle from the Southend area to Romford and back for the speedway meetings, particularly when they were riding against the Rayleigh Rockets.

Also worked and played cricket with a guy in the 70's and 80's who used to think nothing of cycling to any cricket match with his kit strapped to the back. He used to tell how as a teenager he and a mate used to finish work in Holloway at Saturday lunchtime then cycle their tandem to the Coventry area with a tent, etc, on the back. They would then camp overnight so they could race their tandem on the Sunday morning, have a pint after the ace and then cycle back to Holloway in time for bed on Sunday evening. He recently passed away in his late eighties and was certainly still cycling until about 18 months ago, I passed him halfway up the A12 heading Colchester bound....

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Sun 6 Jan 2013 11:13
Cyclist curfew - Bobbin Threadbare

I have a friend who often cycles from Macclesfield to Sheffield, over Snake Pass. She says it's 'a bit tiring'!

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Sun 6 Jan 2013 15:38
Cyclist curfew - jamie745

Is she as fit as she sounds?

If so maybe point her my way?

Theres a good girl :P

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Sun 6 Jan 2013 16:53
Cyclist curfew - Bromptonaut

We used to regularly do 70+ miiles a day riding as a yha group on touring bikes.

Finish work at 17:00 Firday, home ansd change to be away 19:00 and out from Harrow to say Harlow. Through Essex and Suffolk to Thetford and back to Harrow for Sunday late aft. Other times it was out to Jordans or Bradenham and onwards to the Cotswolds or Forest of Dean.

One a year there was a night ride to the coast. Usually Hastings, Beachy Head or Newhaven but in 82 we got as far as Southampton.

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Fri 11 Jan 2013 14:38
Cyclist curfew - John F

My son has recently cycled from John O'Groats to Lands End and regularly commutes from Bow to Baker Street. I regularly cycle to and from work.

We both appreciate the road courtesy of the majority and deplore those who think cyclists should not have a right to road space.

Remember, a cyclist is only a cyclist while cycling. Most of our travelling time we are pedestrians or drivers/passengers - just like you non-cyclists.

The idea of a curfew is ridiculous.

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Fri 11 Jan 2013 15:11
Cyclist curfew - concrete

My son has recently cycled from John O'Groats to Lands End and regularly commutes from Bow to Baker Street. I regularly cycle to and from work.

We both appreciate the road courtesy of the majority and deplore those who think cyclists should not have a right to road space.

Remember, a cyclist is only a cyclist while cycling. Most of our travelling time we are pedestrians or drivers/passengers - just like you non-cyclists.

The idea of a curfew is ridiculous.

Could not agree more John F. There is no need for a debate. It carries no weight and only fuels prejudice. It is purely an individual choice. If you wish to cycle, then do so. But at least practice good road sense, as should the motorists you encounter. You can legislate from here to eternity but safety is in the hands of each individual and how they choose to act. Light or dark, good weather or bad it is all the same unless you observe some common sense behaviour. Think of the road as a pedestrian thoroughfare and you will see what I mean. Pedestrians are large and small, slow and quicker, young and old. Most manage to make their way without bumping into each other or being rude or angry. We behave according to our surroundings and usually quite accommodating to other people. However, put people into vehicles and all this common sense seems to depart. I am sure it is a matter of education and common courtesy. No need for the lawmakers to be involved, let them get on with ruining the country. Yes I said ruining. Best to all. Cheers Concrete

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