The RACE Real Automóvil Club de España is proposing that the points system for traffic infringements (and so also a licence) be extended to cyclists. Its director for road safety, Tomás Santa Cecilia, is also wanting cyclists to have insurance and bikes to be registered.
All this, he believes, would assist in reducing the number of road accidents. It would also mean that people using any type of vehicle, bikes included, would be subject to rules (and fines) related to the use of alcohol and drugs, respect for pedestrians and traffic lights, and the use of mobiles. "Any vehicle must comply with minimum standards and safety assurances."
Santa Cecilia is stressing the need for obligatory insurance, while he also wants there to be a census (i.e. registration) of bikes which could help to reduce theft and facilitate the recovery of stolen bikes. Furthermore, he has raised the possibility of there being some form of validation in order to obtain a cycling permit. With or without this, he insists that "standards should apply equally to everyone with no exceptions".
As for children, Santa Cecilia advocates schools and various associations conducting a greater number of educational campaigns aimed at road safety, the rational use of bikes and consideration given to pedestrian safety.
Opposition to these proposals has come from Ramón Ledesma of Pons Seguridad Vial, a leading consultancy on road safety. He suggests that there should be no place for such measures, arguing that they would not reduce accidents. "Cyclists are knocked down. They do not generate mortality."
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The problem is cycle lanes are designed by motorists for the benefit of motorists. That is to get those pesky cyclists off their roads. Many of the cycle lanes are very badly thought out and are often downright dangerous in their design. It is possible to get it right. The lane from Puerto Pollensa to Alcudia is bad. Signed as 2 way from PP but one way from Alcudia and forces cyclists going south to face oncoming traffic whisking millimeters away from their handlebars at 80 to 90kph. The new two way system along PP seafront is just as badly thought out. But the road from Pollensa to PP is excellent as are the back lanes (until you get a muppet in a car). But I guess if enough of you hate me and try tax me away, then so be it. It will make room for more alcohol fuelled all-inclusives and more people in hire cars.
It's quite difficult to enforce, you can start riding a bike as soon as you can walk, so at what point do you make registration and insurance mandatory? ....and what happens to the 140,000 cycle tourists who come here in the spring, none of which will have a license plate on their bike? It's never a bad idea to encourage people to cycle, and drive better, but this sounds like a soundbite headline grabber that will never get anywhere near being implemented. Just for the record by the way, it is perfectly legal to cycle two abreast in most circumstances, and not mandatory to use the cycle lanes.
Lycra psychopaths to fund new cycle paths - what a headline!
I doubt whether the revenue acrud from fines to fund cycle paths would encourage cyclists to use them. It was only yesterday we encountered 2 cyclists riding side by side on the road with a new unpopulated cycle path running parallel. I slowed down wound down the window and politely suggested they use a purpose built facility (cycle path). The responce was f*** you, they were Spanish. I also had an experience where a pedestrian crossing over a road and cycle path. The cars stopped but the group of foreign cyclists didn't. A typical example of cyclists not respecting the rules of the road. This must be enforced which will reduce frustration amongst all other road users. If motorised road users legally need minimum third party insurance, why not cyclists? They can cause injury and damage too!
I despise cyclists. In my experience they may have expensive bikes and lycra bug they are really tight. They stay in cheap hotels and dint eat anything and dont go to bars. In other words they actually dont generate that much income for the Island. Although I do concede a lot come off season. They are soooo dangerous to car users its untrue. I would introduce a €10 per day bike tax to help fund cycle paths etc. Then lets see how many of these misers return!
When driving up the Tramuntana mountain roads. The sight of a large number of Cyclists hurtling down the wrong side of the road , is frightening to say the least. The number of Club Cyclists in blocks of three abreast, numbering 50-60 en mass; Is very dangerous, and frustrating for car users. Where possible " Cycle Routes " should be allocated, and Cycle Lanes painted on their designated road routes.
Logical - but you just watch the two-wheel brigade going bonkers on here with their voting! The plain fact is that cars and bicycles don't mix but lack of good planning will continue to pitch them together as adversaries. Motorists and cyclists are equally considerate/inconsiderate so this debate will drag on and on. Meantime, motorists will continue to cut-up cyclists and have no consideration for them as bone-fide road users, while lycra-clad people on expensive carbon-fibre bikes at 50kph will continue to meet me head-on three-abreast on blind corners on the road from Puigpunyent to Galilea.
About time they are a flaming nuisance give them heavy fines and obligatory insurance