Originally Posted by
khutch
No, I think the real question is, is this the 50+ forum or the 12- forum??? All these questions and suggestions about evading traffic rules sound like the conversation of a bunch of 12 year old boys! Are you seriously getting enough tickets on your bicycle that this is a real concern? If you live in an area where traffic enforcement against cyclists is that active isn't it simpler to just comply with whatever local cycling regulations are being that heavily enforced and avoid "imperial complications" altogether? I don't think there is a general answer to your question, you will have to ask around and find out the local rules. Whatever they are you have to assume that they could be enforced against you to the letter of the law and all the 12 year old boy schemes in the world are not going to save you from considerable inconvenience if the officer chooses to do so and you are out of compliance. Carrying proper ID could save your life if you have an accident or a medical attack of some kind by allowing medical workers to contact your family and get information they need to treat you safely. Do you really want to prevent that just so you can avoid a black mark on your driving record??? If your local laws do not require you to present a driver's license if you are stopped for a traffic offense on a bicycle then I think it is exceedingly unlikely that the bicycle offense will be recorded against your driving record even if you do present a driver's license as an ID in that situation. As far as I know in Illinois where I live you can have a photo driver's license or non-driving photo ID but not both so the 12 year old plan of getting a second ID to use while cycling is a non-starter here.
Yeah, I bet everyone who raised the speedometer objection has one on their bike already anyway. Even people who want to save 5 grams by leaving their ID at home will want to know exactly how fast they are going so they can brag about it.
Ken
Gee, I think your making a mountain out of a mole hill here. As for proper ID, you probably have some form of card from your health insurance provider, which medical services providers need anyway. As for using your licence, here is what happens, your pulled over on a bicycle, you provide your drivers licence as ID, the officer dutifully fills in the licence number on the ticket, and writes in the comments section that the offence was on a bicycle. The ticket goes to the data entry people at the attorney generals office, where the data entry drones, key all the info from the tickets into their computer. They are really only concerned with 4 pieces of information, the drivers licence number, the offence code, (if speeding the speed), and the ticket number. If they are good the comment goes in as well, if not, then they don't care. Now you have an offence against your drivers licence. Your insurer gets wind of this, and your insurance now costs you 30% more. If the officer instead put in the comments that you presented a driver licence, without recording the number because the offence was on a bicycle, then it doesn't show up on your driving record. Now, realistically, you probably should get dinged, if you disobey the traffic rules on a bicycle, then you probably are not much better about them when driving.
I have personally become more and more thinking that we need a bicycle drivers licence, which can be obtained simply by writing the written driving test, and then you get a special class of licence for bicycles, which those over a certain age, must carry when riding. This licence would also give the same driving privileges as a learners permit for a automobile or motorcycle, except it runs the same length as a normal drivers licence. If you have a motorcyclists or drivers licence, then those automatically include bicycle riding.
This would improve bicycle safety, in that you would no longer have the ability to be anonymous on a bicycle, so the stop sign and red light runners and the sidewalk riders would get tickets. Once you have to pay money for your offence, your less likely to commit the offence a second time. Speeding is probably the least of my worries, with speed limits in the 40-80km/h range and motor vehicles given a 20km/h grace, your unlikely to get many tickets.
Riders who like to brag, are likely to NOT have a computer, then they can estimate, and the estimate is like when they are out fishing
