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Well it's a given bike riders should be licensed and plated. It's insane that in many places bike riders using the public roads don't require 3rd party insuranc

Well it's a given bike riders should be licensed and plated. It's insane that in many places bike riders using the public roads don't require 3rd party insurance.

baroffoos 8y ago
For what purpose other than locking kids and poor people out of the world and worsening traffic and health issues. If 2 cyclists crash in to each other they will cause minimal property damage and any medical costs should be covered by the government. There are so many other situations where people can accidentally cause property damage that don't require insurance. Its just the cars have a very high risk of causing huge amounts of damage very easily.
- justapassenger 8y ago
  > any medical costs should be covered by the government Why? If I get sick, I need to go bankrupt if I don't have an insurance, but if I run a stop sign on a bicycle, government should pay for medical bill? This would make more sense in countries that have universal healthcare. USA isn't one of those.
  - dnate 8y ago
    no, government should pay in both cases as is the norm in most developed countries.
- masonic 8y ago
  If 2 cyclists crash in to each other they will cause minimal property damage Cyclists hitting pedestrians have caused death in SF.
  - finnh 8y ago
    True! Would a license or plate on the bike have changed that?
    - zdragnar 8y ago
      With license and registration can also come better enforcement of traffic laws, which would help. Anecdotally, I haven't seen anyone on here support car drivers breaking traffic laws (except maybe minor speeding) but on several occasions seen people defending bicyclists breaking traffic laws- trading safe behavior for convenience. Additionally, I imagine it would be easier to get (and require) bicyclists to carry catastrophic insurance, since carrying a license would at least go some way towards demonstrating safe behavior. By carrying such insurance, both cyclists and surviving family would be protected from at least some of the financial burdens of accidents. So, yes on two counts: Incentive for safer cycling and easier access to (and possibly mandated) financial protection from accidents.
      - finnh 8y ago
        Good point about insurance.
  - tenpies 8y ago
    It's very hard for a cyclist to hit and run. On a bicycle, even when it's not your mistake, a mistake will usually end up killing or hurting the cyclist. It's not like a car where you can kill a non-trivial amount of people and see zero repercussions.
    - masonic 8y ago
      It's very hard for a cyclist to hit and run Actually, in most SF bike-pedestrian collisions resulting in pedestrian injury, the cyclist flees. Example: https://patch.com/california/san-francisco/pedestrians-hospitalized-bicycle-hit-run https://patch.com/california/san-francisco/pedestrians-hospi...
      - baroffoos 8y ago
        You say in most cases but then link to a single case. You can find a single case of anything on the internet. Doesn't make it meaningful.
        masonic 8y ago
        I should have written most reported, since there can be any number of unreported cases. But the fact stands; you can check with SFPD and SFMTA. I could post 3 more examples, but you'd just claim that there are more that don't flee but somehow evade SFPD documentation.
  - shard972 8y ago
    Not if your a 25 year old coder.
  - baby 8y ago
    because cars haven't...
sdinsn 8y ago
> it's a given bike riders should be licensed and plated No, it's not a given. I've never heard anyone want that before
- shard972 8y ago
  Pretty common position here in australia.
  - baroffoos 8y ago
    Maybe for bogans ranting on talk back radio but its absolutely not a common position for regular people otherwise it would have become the law.
taneq 8y ago
They meant bicycles, not motorcycles.
baby 8y ago
So you shouldn't be able to ride a bike until you're 18? All of that because cars? Good joke.
GhostVII 8y ago
Maybe we should also require people going skateboarding to be licensed. Or licence people who are running too quickly - who knows, they could accidentally knock someone over. Better ensure they get liability insurance.

Well it's a given bike riders should be licensed and plated. It's insane that in many places bike riders using the public roads don't require 3rd party insurance.

baroffoos 8y ago

For what purpose other than locking kids and poor people out of the world and worsening traffic and health issues. If 2 cyclists crash in to each other they will cause minimal property damage and any medical costs should be covered by the government. There are so many other situations where people can accidentally cause property damage that don't require insurance. Its just the cars have a very high risk of causing huge amounts of damage very easily.

justapassenger 8y ago
> any medical costs should be covered by the government Why? If I get sick, I need to go bankrupt if I don't have an insurance, but if I run a stop sign on a bicycle, government should pay for medical bill? This would make more sense in countries that have universal healthcare. USA isn't one of those.
- dnate 8y ago
  no, government should pay in both cases as is the norm in most developed countries.
masonic 8y ago
If 2 cyclists crash in to each other they will cause minimal property damage Cyclists hitting pedestrians have caused death in SF.
- finnh 8y ago
  True! Would a license or plate on the bike have changed that?
  - zdragnar 8y ago
    With license and registration can also come better enforcement of traffic laws, which would help. Anecdotally, I haven't seen anyone on here support car drivers breaking traffic laws (except maybe minor speeding) but on several occasions seen people defending bicyclists breaking traffic laws- trading safe behavior for convenience. Additionally, I imagine it would be easier to get (and require) bicyclists to carry catastrophic insurance, since carrying a license would at least go some way towards demonstrating safe behavior. By carrying such insurance, both cyclists and surviving family would be protected from at least some of the financial burdens of accidents. So, yes on two counts: Incentive for safer cycling and easier access to (and possibly mandated) financial protection from accidents.
    - finnh 8y ago
      Good point about insurance.
- tenpies 8y ago
  It's very hard for a cyclist to hit and run. On a bicycle, even when it's not your mistake, a mistake will usually end up killing or hurting the cyclist. It's not like a car where you can kill a non-trivial amount of people and see zero repercussions.
  - masonic 8y ago
    It's very hard for a cyclist to hit and run Actually, in most SF bike-pedestrian collisions resulting in pedestrian injury, the cyclist flees. Example: https://patch.com/california/san-francisco/pedestrians-hospitalized-bicycle-hit-run https://patch.com/california/san-francisco/pedestrians-hospi...
    - baroffoos 8y ago
      You say in most cases but then link to a single case. You can find a single case of anything on the internet. Doesn't make it meaningful.
      - masonic 8y ago
        I should have written most reported, since there can be any number of unreported cases. But the fact stands; you can check with SFPD and SFMTA. I could post 3 more examples, but you'd just claim that there are more that don't flee but somehow evade SFPD documentation.
- shard972 8y ago
  Not if your a 25 year old coder.
- baby 8y ago
  because cars haven't...

sdinsn 8y ago

> it's a given bike riders should be licensed and plated No, it's not a given. I've never heard anyone want that before

shard972 8y ago
Pretty common position here in australia.
- baroffoos 8y ago
  Maybe for bogans ranting on talk back radio but its absolutely not a common position for regular people otherwise it would have become the law.

taneq 8y ago

They meant bicycles, not motorcycles.

baby 8y ago

So you shouldn't be able to ride a bike until you're 18? All of that because cars? Good joke.

GhostVII 8y ago

Maybe we should also require people going skateboarding to be licensed. Or licence people who are running too quickly - who knows, they could accidentally knock someone over. Better ensure they get liability insurance.