Do you think cyclists should be on the road?

The more cyclists we have on the road, the fewer cars we have on the road, which means less pollution in the air and an overall healthier population, assuming those cyclists aren't being hit by vehicles. Cycling as a mode of transportation is important but it must be done in a safe manner. Many cities are creating dedicated lanes or paths for cyclists and this has proven to not only be a more safe way to do things, but it has encouraged the population to get on their bikes instead of getting in their car. So in my opinion, cyclists don't really belong on the same roads as cars but they do belong on the road.

by DamienR

By law a bicycle is considered a vehicle. However, I see many cyclists hog the road which is frustrating. I think they should be on the road, but give way to cars when possible!

by chipp

No! They ride in packs and create driving Hazards. I have nothing against people getting some exercise but these "mamils" are everywhere! If they want to share the road with vehicles I suggest they pay a road tax to fund a separate lane to keep them in check! I also think they should give way at all times to vehicles, I have seen some close calls with these guys thinking they own the road!
Oh and loose the spandex……guys seriously!

by rbuch

I wish all roads would have special cyclist lanes. As careful as I am driving around them, I always worry I could accidentally hit one.

by Ivana Katz

I think the question should be is it safe for a cyclist to be on the road. It is safer for them on the sidewalk. I am not going to comment on anybody who says it is not safe for pedestrians. Idiots will always exist whether they are pedestrians, cyclists or motorists.

by mailw

Has anyone stopped to consider how much POLLUTION cyclists contribute to the earth? Manufacturing their Lycra shorts, the Polystyrene filled helmets, their special shoes, leather for bike seats, rubber tyres, metal bike frames/spokes/chains/gears/brakes/hand-bars/etc... How about NOISE POLLUTION?! When shouting their conversations at 4.15 A.M. in Summer & 6.25 A.M. in Winter as the thousands of them peddle past houses with sleeping workers inside...... the people in these houses need SLEEP, uninterrupted every day by shouting cyclists who cannot keep their blasted loud mouths SHUT when peddling past homes. What about the poor residents who have had parking outside their own homes banned 24/7 because cyclists are so incompetent that they ride into stationary vehicles - which have been stationary for 8+ hours!
Motorcyclists carry ID & Rego plates. Why do cyclists refuse the same??
Cyclists are RUDE, PIG-IGNORANT, SELFISH, ARROGANT, VERBALLY ABUSIVE and HIGHLY AGGRESSIVE towards other road users, pedestrians and residents.
Cyclists do NOT stay in "their" lane - they wander all over the road creating an extremely dangerous situation for all.
Cyclists repeatedly break road laws, and constantly abuse and interfere with all other traffic movement.
Cyclists refuse to use Rear-Vision Mirrors to enable them to see who & what is coming up behind them which would definitely be safer for everyone.
Cyclists refuse to carry ID in any form, so they cannot be identified and held responsible for the damage & injury they cause.
Cyclists MUST accept responsibility for their actions by being responsible in the first place. Until they do, they should NOT be on the roads at all.
WHY do you think Councils and government have spent multi-millions of dollars building bike-tracks?! Certainly not for cars to drive on!!!
Australia was not bombed to smithereens in WW2, like so many European countries & England. People there ONLY had bicycles to use after the war - there weren't many cars left and certainly no petrol to run them.
Australians kept their cars (in one piece) and just had to wait for more petrol.
THAT is WHY our roads were not designed for bicycles enmasse, yet Europe was designed for bikes before cars!
Learn your History, then learn the Road Laws, and manners with common-sense. Then come back and get ID, Rego, License, Mirrors and then, perhaps, you might get further in your campaign to eradicate MV's. But we all know cyclists are far too arrogant and ignorant to bother doing anything like that at all! Cyclists are convinced they are supreme beings requiring the rest of the world to Kow-Tow to them so they can ride rough-shod over everyone else whenever they feel like so doing - all the while bleating that they are ‘green’. The majority also own and drive cars as well. Everything must be their way or no way. What a load of two-faced garbage! Oh! and get off the road! Roads are NOT training tracks! Large groups of cyclists are actually a PROCESSION - without licence, therefore illegal. 20,000+ cyclists shouting past my home every Sunday is neither fair nor funny.

by delbr

Wow. I am still not sure whether you are serious. Especially that first part. You don't seriously think the manufacture of a bike and cycling gear is less than that of manufacturing a car (steel, plastic, paint, upolstery, chemicals) do you? You can't possibly. And yet you go on longer than I would have expected a joke to.

As for noise pollution, I have never been woken at night by cyclists, but I've certainly been woken by cars and trucks. Car alarms are the worst, followed by idiots who drive around with the windows down blasting the neighbourhood with their music and park outside other people's houses to have loud conversations in the middle of the night.

Cyclists don't carry ID and licences because there is no law requiring them to. You can lobby for their to be one but it doesn't make sense to blame the cyclists for the lack of one.

As for being verbally abusive, it's not like you'll never find motorists guilty of that! Ditto for aggressive and selfish. As a pedestrian I've seen plenty of bad attitude from drivers over the years.

Did a cyclist run over your dog as a kid or something? You seem to have real issues with them!

oops that should have said "you don't seriously think that the manufacture of a bike and bike gear is MORE than that of a car". Cars are much bigger. It's very simple.

Hear! Hear!

My Hear! Hear! comment was meant for 'delbr's' very insightful and quite lengthy comment about cyclists. Very interesting reading thank you delbr.

I love this answer. You are saying what many people think in regards to the noise & no rego/ID etc. I know several people who have complained about groups of cyclists waking them up really early in the morning (5am) with their shouting and yakking. My Dad used to have a bunch of them every morning stop outside his back fence which backed on to a road for their (very) early morning yak at the tops of their voices.

I'M TOTALLY WITH JENNIFER ON THIS!...WOW...You have a very hard left kind of thought. Like anything in this world we all have to get along, and I think the 1st part of what you say is just not worth a thought, sorry. For people who feel they need to use a bike, and keep fit more the power to them.The very tiny % of people who have opinions about them...as you have stated, I feel 'are' just that.

I bet the poster is laughing at comments, they've tossed a live grenade with that question.

It's interesting that many think cyclists hog the road and from my perspective people do it to be safer. I and many others have been 'car-doored' or have simply had to swerve people walking out without looking so you tend to not hog the far left as many think you should. There are bad cyclists and bad drivers, but having come from London i think cab drivers and drivers not looking in their mirrors here is far worse

by si.mc

No!........................ they should Not be on the road.

by jonaja

Jonaj, Should they be riding on the footpaths instead?

I think they should have like here in Australia, certain roads have the left lane for them...I think it is a third of a normal lane.Lets face it there are so many crazy people on the road, driving cars...that I just feel it's Not Fair , because of the safety issue. They deserve better, their own lane, and I should have written this before.I'm not against them what-so-ever...It's the cars that make it unsafe for them.

I suppose ideally not, but many places don't have bike paths, so where else should they go? As a pedestrian I don't want to get knocked over by them (though they usually use their bells and warn you they're coming) and it can be a bit hard to get out the way if you are in a group or pushing a pram. I think cycling should be encouraged since it reduces pollution (have you seen the latest pictures of the smog in Shanghai? Scary, scary stuff! We don't want that here) and keeps people fit.

by Jennifer Muirhead

No, I believe they should not be on the road for safety concenrs from both cyclists and motorists. However I think that the government should implement more cycling tracks so that all vehicles can move around in harmony! The cycling tracks along swanston street are a great example of how pedestrians, trams and bikes can be on the road safely!

by pinky

Swanston street in Melbourne^

It depends on the traffic. In peak hour in the city - it is safer to be driving on the pavement. In quiet streets - this is more than fine.

by Justine Crowley

Definitely not, they do not obey the traffic lights or road rules. Even where there are bike tracks they use the main road.

by rober

Unfortunately in Australia people in cars and trucks think that cyclists are some lower form of life only one step up from the pedestrian. More car users should be forced to get on their bike then they would appreciate how dangerous and scary cycling can be, especially when you are being tailgated by a car. We need to look to places like The Netherlands and see how cyclists are at least respected.

by butterfly lady

I totally agree with what you have said well put.

Maybe motorists should think about why they should have priority. Watch this video - it takes 15 minutes but it's worth it - about a small town in England that solved its big traffic problem and made life safer for cyclists and pedestrians alike.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-vzDDMzq7d0

by julia

absolutely - they should stick to bike paths they are dangerous especially when there's a larger vehicle in front of you which obstructs your view. Conversley there should be more bike paths.

by pfuit

no

by kayea

They have the same rights as a motorist. Just because they are not surrounded by a protective layer of metal and plastic and travel slower does not make them lesser road citizens. However they should be registered and pay their fair share. They should also obey the road rules or be fined just car drivers.

by woody

How do cyclists have the same rights as motorists who pay to use the roads? Give me a break!! If cyclists want to be respected then they should follow the road rules as well. I've seen so many openly flouting the rules (going through red lights, not stopping or even slowing down for stop/give way signs, using up a whole lane when they ride side by side). Shall I go on? Mandy E.

We all pay for the roads through taxes whether we drive cars or not.

Also, I see plenty of cars running red lights, speeding, not indicating and generally breaking the law and causing accidents.

actually in nsw state roads a mostly paid for for licencing fees so cyclist do not pay toward this.

I have no problem with cyclists being on the road its an easy way to get around town especially the city of Sydney, however they should also have to have compulsory insurance should they cause an accident. They are using the roads no differently than a car or motorbike.

by fogar

ONLY when they are registered and have third party insurance, license plate displayed and minimum diameter 10cm lights sowing both front AND back!
Rude, nasty, vicious, arrogant - easily describes at least half of the cyclists on our roads. Cyclists display more road-rage and abusive behaviour than the drivers they verbally assault and whose cars they damage.
People can no longer SLEEP in their own homes in peace - because cyclists refuse to be polite or considerate and SHUT-UP in the wee small hours as they peddle past homes!

by delbr

I agree because some cyclist are an accident just waiting to happen.Why do they have more rights but no rego or insurance,NOT FAIR

I agree - well said!

In my State of Australia the question should be Do you think cyclists should be on the footpath? I believe ours is the only State that allows this, and now that segways are going to join the fray, I'm off to be measured for a suit of armour.

by grann

I don't see why not. More cyclists on the road can help protect our environment.

by annep

They should be allowed but only if they pay and have riding tests like other vehicles have too I think the goverment should be fare and if cars,trucks and motor bikes have to be registered and hold licences,WHY not cyclist.

by happy

YES.
They should have a license to ride on public roads, use the revenue to build specialised bike roads.

by msumm

Yes, I think cyclist should have as much right as a motorist to use our roads, but with the following rules being enforced:
1. Rider Must carry ID if over 16yrs of age.
2. Must ride single file and as close to edge of road as safe to do so.
3. All bikes have a Rear Vision Mirror and audible Bell fitted.
4. High Vis top must be worn while riding.

by mikeh

Absolutely! Get over your impatience and be courteous to others including bikes, scooter, motorbikes, cars, trucks and roadtrains.

by Tommy

This is a contentious issue but what upsets my huz and myself because we live in the Adelaide Hills is that cyclists should travel in single file but we have yet to see that. Cyclists pay absolutely nothing towards upkeep of the roads like motorists and motorcyclists do and what's with the Lycra??? For crying out loud Lycra shows all the pot bellies and muffin tops and love handles and crikey if you ever have the misfortune to get near a cyclist who has ridden some distance they stink. Do cyclists honestly think that their lycra and their dinky helmet are going to protect them if they have the misfortune to fall off? Not likely. Cyclists should take a leaf out of a motorcyclists hand book. Ever seen how well clad motorcyclists are? Ever seen cyclist that has lost most of their face or most of their toes from sliding along a hot very hard bitumen road? I just bet if cyclists had to wear protective clothing similar to a motorcyclist there would be far fewer cyclists on our roads be they busy roads or country roads.

by soupson

As far as I was aware ( at least in Vic) cyclists are allowed to ride two abreast. They don't have to ride single file.

So many rednecks out there, no wonder the bike riders have a hard time. My bike group is predominately of professional people, doctors, health care, engineers etc, even one brain surgeon. Try whinging to them about bike riders when you need them and see how far you get. Or lobby your local politician, even Tony Abbot to get rid of those inconvenient cyclists, because they might be a cyclist as well, lol. We all have licences to drive on the road and my group pay more tax and medicare levies than many other people already. Most of the finger pointing seems to come from simple ignorance or arrogance. Try riding a bike and putting up with some of the idiot rednecks out there who think they are the only one who matters on the roads. Walk a mile in someone elses shoes before you criticise them. A few bike riders do stretch the limits when it comes to only using one lane or break the law, don't see them running over any cars while doing it though. Lose the lycra! after a few days you'll be wearing it like everone else as its the most suitable clothing to wear, simple. We are one of the most overweight nations and being criticised by someone doing no exercise sitting on their oversized butt driving a car is ridiculous. PUT THE PRICE OF FUEL UP PLEASE, get more people off their butts and using public transport or exercise for transport instead of clogging the roads up in their cars and redneck SUV's.

by Marko

"Professional people"? What on earth has a person's profession have to do with it? "Professional people " drive cars too! And careful about thinking that a person's profession can put them above others. I can vouch for the quite unprofessional way several "professional" people have behaved. Don't you watch the news? Think it's bad for cyclists on the roads? Try being a motorcyclist!!! AND we pay our reggo, ins, etc. as well as obey road rules. There are the good and awful in all groups. True.

Cyclists who ride poorly are far safer than cars driven poorly. Plus they don't smell. I'm all for more bikes and greater exercise!

by Matteo Lor

yes, and car drivers need to understand the law of the road which is basically if its smaller than you you need to give way!!! cycling promotes a healthy lifestyle and is also a green pursuit. In this day and age society is becoming so sedentary cycling should be a normal passtime. And also the roads and cities cannot accommodate all the cars and single drivers going around. More bike lanes, driver training that requires bike awareness and basic infrastructure at every corner to promote and accommodate cyclists will soon make a change in society for the better.

by annlu

I drive every day and am often put in danger from car drivers due to dangerous driving and excessive speed, never in danger from cyclists! The tone of some of these answers shows me how rude and arrogant some drivers are. Perhaps if they slowed down and were courteous to all road users there would not be so many road incidents. I was taught by my driving instructor that everyone has a right to use the road and we should drive so as to avoid an accident.

by junea

No! Definitely not! They're the greatest pains in the a@&$!

Roads were built back in the day, & didn't allow WIDTH for cars' AND bicycles'.

Sick of seeing their going through red traffic lights, & breaking road rules constantly, because they know they can get away with it, as no Rego. plate to report!

Why should they ride on a road funded by car owners'?
Registration of bicycles' should be MANDATORY! If that happened, there'd be less of the Lycra fools' on the road, which would be a really good thing!

Now have to allow one metre clearance for THEM!

by donjo

I don't mind cyclists being on the road,but they are a nuisance when they ride astride knowing there is a car behind them,and there are some that don't comply with the road rules just like there are some drivers out there like that.

by Diana Nairn

Why not. The onus though is on both the cyclists and motorists to be safe in a shared zone.

by Sasha

Yes, certainly. Better than taking the car, & far better exercise.

by Miro