Grant Shapps wants a speed limit for cyclists

[StuartsProjects]

There was a recent local case, in Bridgend, where a cyclist sent a video of a close pass to the Police.

The driver (Wayne Humphreys) was offerend a course, which he did not attend, and a fixed penalty notice which he did not pay.

He then kept failing to turn up in court so the fine and court costs accumulated significantly. The courts appear to have taken a dim view of the guys non appearences etc so he ended up with a fairly large fine and costs, which could have been avoided.

The original fine, for breaching the highway code, would have been maybe £60 ?

But 'Motorist fined £60 for close pass on cyclist' does not make for good headlines and sell papers and neither is it much of a detterent effect on other motorists.

So perhaps as cyclists we should thank Wayne Humphreys since so many now seem to believe that you can indeed be fined £1000s for a close pass on a cyclist and that must have a detterent effect.

 

[flecc]

many now seem to believe that you can indeed be fined £1000s for a close pass on a cyclist and that must have a detterent effect.

You can be since it's all penalty whether fine or costs:

Paul Nigel Miley, 52, was slapped with a £1,008 fine for driving without due care or attention - despite not touching the rider as he passed her in a village:

LINK
.

 

[Nealh]

We are awaiting to see the outcome of the outragous and utterly dangerous pass that Matthew enocuntered in the forst few days of his long solar trailer tour of Scotland.
The pics showed the driver gave him 2" clearance, one hopes a ban and heavy fine will be enforced.

 

[matthewslack]

We are awaiting to see the outcome of the outragous and utterly dangerous pass that Matthew enocuntered in the forst few days of his long solar trailer tour of Scotland.
The pics showed the driver gave him 2" clearance, one hopes a ban and heavy fine will be enforced.

Not holding my breath on that one. Progress very slow, may fail on the time to identify driver threshold.

 

[Nealh]

I was reading about another one in Scotland and it was dealt with very quickly in a few days, the driver was sent an official letter concluding that following review of cam footage a £100 fine and 3 points would be issued.
The footage didn't help the driver as it shows the prevoius vehicle giving the rider plenty off room by passing on the other side of the white lines. Also the plod looking at the case was a keen family cyclist apparently.

 

[Nealh]

Not holding my breath on that one. Progress very slow, may fail on the time to identify driver threshold.

If it beocmes official and nothing can be done then I would put the footage out there to try and shame the driver.

 

[Barnsleyrob]

Don’t forget that Schapps is trained to open his mouth not necessarily engage his brain. Unfortunately that’s not really what we pay him for.

 

[guerney]

Could be the fact I worked in violent pubs n clubs over the years, seen a lot mind blowing horror not too mention the personal tragedy of people I once knew from stabbings to suicide.

PTSD can be very debilitating - I had it quite badly for a few years (almost 10), I won't go into why exactly. Are you getting any specialist help? It doesn't settle down on it's own - certainly not fast,if at all. For me, self-hypnosis reduced hyper-vigilance and jumpiness. But it resurges, has to be whacked down again periodically. Avoiding caffeine and other stimulants helps.

 

[guerney]

Don’t forget that Schapps is trained to open his mouth not necessarily engage his brain. Unfortunately that’s not really what we pay him for.

Can we get refunds on governments? We have rights as consumers, and I have receipts. This goverment isn't functioning. DOA. Defective - for example, why is it giving our money to energy company shareholders? They're propping up a broken system through handouts to various parts of the public. Effectively, the taxpayer is enabling energy company shareholder dividends. If we reward price gouging, they'll keep doing it. It's as mad an not tackling low wages, by topping up wages using Working Tax Credit. It's socialism for businesses, or for entities which own stock or other assets. Obviously the in-crowd to be in...

Brown was on the telly saying how we should nationalise the energy companies temporarily, as we did with some banks in 2008 (what a disaster for everyone not wealthy that was) - how much money will we need to print make that happen? They should be permanently nationalised, in every country, with each taking responsibility for it's percentage of worldwide pollution, including calculations for consumer goods manufacturered elsewhere.

 

[richtea99]

Don’t forget that Schapps is trained to open his mouth not necessarily engage his brain. Unfortunately that’s not really what we pay him for.

It's worth nothing that if Michael Green Grant Shapps does engage his brain when talking he's not a trustworthy person. Read the Business Ventures section:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Shapps#Business_ventures

'over-firmly denied' is up there with the famous Spycatcher-related phrase 'economical with the truth'.

Courtesy of The New Statesman.

 

[StuartsProjects]

+ Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis on partygate fines;

“I think we do see consistently, whether it is through parking fines or speeding fines, ministers of both parties over the years have been in that position."

So partygate fines were OK then.

 

[guerney]

It's worth nothing that if Michael Green Grant Shapps does engage his brain when talking he's not a trustworthy person. Read the Business Ventures section:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Shapps#Business_ventures

'over-firmly denied' is up there with the famous Spycatcher-related phrase 'economical with the truth'.

Courtesy of The New Statesman.

Ian Duncan Smith and Sunak got ahead by giving head ie marrying well, Zahawi by founding Yougov and then investing in property, Javid got rich selling sub-prime mortgages... The Tories are a lovely bunch.

 

[StuartsProjects]

Effectively, the taxpayer is enabling energy company shareholder dividends.

Is it possible that them in power, or thier mates, would benefit in any way from the energy company shareholder dividends ?

 

[richtea99]

You can find out here:

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/contents2223.htm

But I think (with my help) we've gone a bit off-topic.

 

[Sedentix]

I want my money back!
The current "Shitshow Gubbinsment" should be ejected under the Trades description act, Misrepresenting is their forte.

 

[Bonzo Banana]

I can't see a speed limit for bicycles happening, as a country we are getting more and more in debt, there is probably about £3k being paid in debt interest for every working person which means more and more services will be cut back. We will start to see further cuts to the NHS, Police etc and reduction in many benefits. We still have a general population that exports most of their wages and the huge damage that causes and a government clueless about running a balanced economy. It's like the only way the population will understand the problems of our economy is when it hits rock bottom. People blame the government and rightly so but never blame themselves. They will spend a fortune on imported cars and foreign holidays and still complain about the state of the roads etc. If you take the view that politicians are utterly useless and corrupt people then you are faced with changing your own actions in order to improve the country.

I just can't see the police having time to monitor bicycle speeds and evasion will be easier as bikes aren't registered and have no number plates so maybe able to go up paths or across fields where police cars can't go. We already know the police don't turn up after burglaries now and other issues due to short staffing. They should already be focusing on the most critical crimes. The idea they can focus on issues which have a tiny number of victims and can already be prosecuted under existing laws anyway just seems madness.

 

[flecc]

I just can't see the police having time to monitor bicycle speeds and evasion will be easier as bikes aren't registered and have no number plates

.
Automation.

The police don't have the capacity to monitor car speeds, so ever increasing numbers of automated cameras issue the fines, since that is cheap, easy, lucrative and convenient.

Bicycles can have rear number plates and registration, some places have had them in the past and S class pedelecs all have them in every country where they are permitted.
.

 

[guerney]

there is probably about £3k being paid in debt interest for every working person which means more and more services will be cut back.

Conservative, UKIP, SNP, Green, Mad Raving Loony Party, and Liberal voters have got me into more debt? It's time to open a LOT of Small Claims Court cases!

People blame the government and rightly so but never blame themselves. They will spend a fortune on imported cars and foreign holidays and still complain about the state of the roads etc. If you take the view that politicians are utterly useless and corrupt people then you are faced with changing your own actions in order to improve the country.

I'm sorry, but this sort of finger pointing and blaming consumers is exactly the strategy green-washing governments and energy companies engage in - but the reality is, the effect of governments imposing strict limits are by orders of magnitude more effective. Easily done - for instance, what car do you drive? Unless you drive a Austin Allegro and don't buy compatible replacement parts for it from China, you're a part of the problem. Every new car contains abut 3,000 semiconductors (SUVs contain more than smaller vehicles), which we don't produce because we don't mine Scotland for rare earth's and other minerals. New electric cars contain about 10,000. We don't mine rare earth's in sufficient quantities to make many electric motors either. I mention cars because they are many people's second biggest purchase.

 

[StuartsProjects]

In the Daily Mail this morning, quoted on the BBC Website;

"Cyclists may need number plates" headlines the Daily Mail as it reports on a "growing belief among ministers" that riders should abide by the same speed restrictions as other motorists, amid a increase in cyclists. The paper suggests cyclists could also need insurance and would have to observe speed limits under a shake-up of road laws. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the Daily Mail he was proposing setting up a review to stop "turning a blind eye" to cyclists speeding and busting red lights.

 

[Fordulike]

In the Daily Mail this morning, quoted on the BBC Website;

"Cyclists may need number plates" headlines the Daily Mail as it reports on a "growing belief among ministers" that riders should abide by the same speed restrictions as other motorists, amid a increase in cyclists. The paper suggests cyclists could also need insurance and would have to observe speed limits under a shake-up of road laws. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the Daily Mail he was proposing setting up a review to stop "turning a blind eye" to cyclists speeding and busting red lights.


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Scaremongering headlines. I will eat my own face if that ever gets greenlit in parliament