Licence plate numbers for bikes

[Active Monkey]

I assume that would apply to mountain bikes as well?

Yes why not...

[rudi-h]

sorry for sayin, but thats a k@k idea and will result in a lot of admin just to enjoy riding your bike.

 

My honest opinion on the two reasons why you want all this admin:

 

1 we can identify and fine people who break the law and

And then? You gonna report a dude to the police station that skipped a light? How are you gonna prove it / what are the authorities gonna do? Have you ever taken down the number plate of a car that drives like **** in front of you and reported him? I know I have not, so I don't see how this will change anything.

 

2 we can immediately spot a stolen bike or even match a owner to a license plate?

How will you fasten the numberplate to a bike in a way that the thief cannot just almost immediately rip it off and toss it into the nearest bush?

Edited January 9, 2013 by rudi-h

[Agteros]

sorry for sayin, but thats a k@k idea and will result in a lot of admin just to enjoy riding your bike.

 

My honest opinion on the two reasons why you want all this admin:

 

1 we can identify and fine people who break the law and

And then? You gonna report a dude to the police station that skipped a light? How are you gonna prove it / what are the authorities gonna do? Have you ever taken down the number plate of a car that drives like **** in front of you and reported him? I know I have not, so I don't see how this will change anything.

 

2 we can immediately spot a stolen bike or even match a owner to a license plate?

How will you fasten the numberplate to a bike in a way that the thief cannot just almost immediately rip it off and toss it into the nearest bush?

As Joe Citizen you cannot lodge a complaint of reckless driving. Only a traffic officer can do that.

OK, that is what somebody on that side of the law told me..

[Seeker911]

I am a club ROAG member. I have my surname and CSA license number are on the back of my club cycling shirt. Anyone who thinks I am being a tjop can easily identify me and report me .... and if I happen to get run over I suppose this will help as well.

[eddy]

Was looking at more @&&&@ bag roadies skip a traffic light and it got me thinking..

 

We need to identify and shame and possibly fine these types of people?

 

But we have no way of identification. It should be law to have some sort of registration and mini license plate on a bicycle.

 

That kills 2 birds...

1 we can identify and fine people who break the law and

2 we can immediately spot a stolen bike or even match a owner to a license plate?

 

Personally, I am not in favour of another form of taxation. I pay enough already.

 

I am also not in favour of additional unenforcable legislation.

 

Lets try something for a few weeks and see if it works.

 

You want to " identify and fine people who break the law". Good !

 

 

There is a law against reckless and dangerous driving. Next time you see a motorist driving in a way that endangers you on your bicycle, identify him by his license plate and lay a charge so he can be "fined". There is nothing to stop you from doing that, but your chances of getting a successful prosecution is zero.

 

Then tell me why it will be different if he is on a bicycle.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

The basic premise that more law-abiding cyclists will protect us from death on the road is fine, in a world where every single driver on the road is also a fellow cyclist who has decided to up their driving game as well.

 

But here is the reality : many cyclists were *** drivers before they were cyclists, and will remain so. No amount of lycra and carbon will change this. The evidence is right here on this thread - the stoopid, repeated ad-nauseum premise that we must put our round bike pegs in the square car hole, and hang number plates off them.

 

Death on SA roads is 99% down to driver negligence and drunken driving. Stopping your bike at every stop street will not put any kind of dent into this hard reality.

 

Rather learn to drive better, and encourage everybody you know to do the same. Keep your eyes open for drunk drivers, and report them immediately before they kill someone. This was my contribution to preserving all of your asses this festive season.

 

I agree with you somewhat LL, and as has been rehashed a million times mutual respect and courtesy is essential, not just when on the road or bike but for basic human interaction everyday, without it we are dead in the water as it were.

 

However there is more to the licensing issue as well, its not just about having a little disk somewhere its about accountability and taking responsibility for ones actions. As we all know 40 years ago licensing a bike was mandatory, and because of this requirement bikes were written into the road rules (ie) bikes are allowed to travel on roads. However over the years the licensing fell by the way side, but the rules were never changed. So in effect we have a loop hole in the system which is exploited by everyone, cyclists exploit the fact they have no accountability on the road legally so they jump lights, stop streets etc, the traffic police have no way of enforcing the law on a cyclist as they have no record of the vehicle (bike) so they dont bother, and the motorist sees the cyclist as someone who is not paying to use his vehicle on a public road, so he is antagonized by this fact and is not inclined to give lee way.

 

By changing the law (ie) Licensing cycles, we effectively eliminate all issues, the cyclist is now accountable as any other road user, the authorities have a mechanism to enforce the law on errant cyclists and the motorist knows that you as a cyclist has paid your dues to use the public road.

 

Its not acceptable to use the argument I pay a license for my car, the fact is, you are not driving your car when cycling, if we want to be treated as other road vehicle's then it stands to reason we need to be accountable as is any other vehicle on the road, and pay the due amount for use of that facility.

 

The problem in SA is we like to live a very loose sort of lifestyle, we dont like authority and people tracking us down to enforce the law, we like to live as we see fit and see any authority as a sort of nanny environment. However like here, we scream blue murder when rules are not obeyed, we demand first world standards like safe roads, safe houses, low crime, a different driver attitude, a different cyclist attitude, we point to first world countries and say look at that environment how nice it is, but we forget those citizens accept the accountability and responsibility of the regulations, they adhere to the rule of law and dont look for ways to evade it, so yeah, we want the nice safe lifestyle but we dont want the responsibility and accountability that go's with that.

 

Until that fundamental mindset changes, nothing else will either.

Edited January 9, 2013 by GrumpyOldGuy

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Personally, I am not in favour of another form of taxation. I pay enough already.

 

I am also not in favour of additional unenforcable legislation.

 

Lets try something for a few weeks and see if it works.

 

You want to " identify and fine people who break the law". Good !

 

 

There is a law against reckless and dangerous driving. Next time you see a motorist driving in a way that endangers you on your bicycle, identify him by his license plate and lay a charge so he can be "fined". There is nothing to stop you from doing that, but your chances of getting a successful prosecution is zero.

 

Then tell me why it will be different if he is on a bicycle.

 

But likewise eddy your chances of getting any kind of prosecution against an errant cyclist is also zero. It works both ways mate, you just cant have one side of the coin.

 

Cyclists have zero accountability on the road, ZERO,......... motorists at least have some form of accountability, even if its not all that well enforced.

[Active Monkey]

sorry for sayin, but thats a k@k idea and will result in a lot of admin just to enjoy riding your bike.

 

My honest opinion on the two reasons why you want all this admin:

 

1 we can identify and fine people who break the law and

And then? You gonna report a dude to the police station that skipped a light? How are you gonna prove it / what are the authorities gonna do? Have you ever taken down the number plate of a car that drives like **** in front of you and reported him? I know I have not, so I don't see how this will change anything.

 

2 we can immediately spot a stolen bike or even match a owner to a license plate?

How will you fasten the numberplate to a bike in a way that the thief cannot just almost immediately rip it off and toss it into the nearest bush?

 

A roadie?

[GrumpyOldGuy]

sorry for sayin, but thats a k@k idea and will result in a lot of admin just to enjoy riding your bike.

 

My honest opinion on the two reasons why you want all this admin:

 

1 we can identify and fine people who break the law and

And then? You gonna report a dude to the police station that skipped a light? How are you gonna prove it / what are the authorities gonna do? Have you ever taken down the number plate of a car that drives like **** in front of you and reported him? I know I have not, so I don't see how this will change anything.

 

2 we can immediately spot a stolen bike or even match a owner to a license plate?

How will you fasten the numberplate to a bike in a way that the thief cannot just almost immediately rip it off and toss it into the nearest bush?

 

I understand what you are saying, but its defeatist, if everyone takes the attitude of "I dont want this legislation because nothing will be enforced or happen anyway" we will never get anywhere. People need rules to function in society, unfortunately we dont live in a bubble, and rules and laws guide society and your day to day life, you may not agree with them or see them as silly, but rest assured someone else will have a different view and think they are great, so Yes, it may not get enforced everyday and every time you go cycle, but somewhere, someday somehow the rule will get enforced and that day may just save your life.

[Scooter69]

I don't think that this idea will work in the present day South Africa, it will be unenforceable.

[Witkop]

Okay after reading and skimming the thread and having to wait 4 hours for my drivers licence renewal, I think the whole bicycle licence debate is RUBBISH.

 

Firstly, licencing bicycles would require me to pay up for 5 frames (excluding my kids bicycles- when is it a bicycle and when is it a kick bike?) Must I pay per frame or must a pay for each wheel set? Is the frame the core of the bicycle?

 

Secondly, I will have to take out a cyclist licence for me, my wife, my 9 year old son and my 3 year old son. Will this require a mandatory test on the rules of the road, eye sight and the ability to cycle and repair a bicycle?

 

Thirdly, how will little disc on the bike and a licence in my pocket protect me against the other road users, you know the guys that kill 200+ cyclists and 14000 motorists annually (just 1400 each december)? will it have a magic radar to warn me when an unlicenced road user, or a bad driver is near? How will it rotect my son from theives on his way to school?

 

Fourthly, the government requires me to renew my drivers licence every five years and my car licence annually, at the cost of over R200 a pop. What will be the cost to me for my bicycle licences?

 

Fifthly, I can afford this extra taxation, but what about the majority of cyclists (you know the commuter who only has abike and works in your garden). Can they afford a day of their labours to stand in a queue in a remote area and be fleeced of a weeks pay, for a little peice of plastic with mystic powers?

 

Lastly, I don't buy the "motorist" and motorbike" argument that having cyclist licences of some sort will make cyclists respectable road users. The only two things it will do is give the government another income stream to piss away and a corrupted database of the number of cyclists that are willing to go through the entire farce of buying something of no value.

[Brogue]

Such bike plates would havta be rather large to be clearly visible and effective. Vehicles number plates have had little effect on motorist's behavior, policing the cycling community will have even less. Charity begins at home, we should rather teach our kids responsible cycling habits. Schools have a role to play as well.

[gummibear]

It's a great idea but can you imagine a guy buying a Specialized Venge Mclaren or Scott Foil team and then fitting a huge non aero no plate to it

[chris_w_65]

Should I put my flame suit on?

 

popcorn anyone?

Edited January 9, 2013 by chris_w_65

[gummibear]

Should I put my flame suit on?

 

popcorn anyone?

 

Track bike?

[Active Monkey]

So it doesn't need to be done by license dep.. It could be part of your csa yearly license...

 

Secondly, it doesn't have to be a big ass truck lic plate.. It could be those small ones motorcycles sometimes have.. The size of my iphone 5.

 

Thirdly it doesnt have to be stuck up at races

 

And lastly even when in the bike.. It could be a sticker.. On the tube or the shock or even the seat post