Originally Posted by
dynodonn
Imagine if the cyclist was driving a 6000 lbs full sized pickup, instead of a 20 to 30 lbs bike. The cyclist is looking at permanent physical damage with no compensation, and the motorist is looking at only a day or two of repairs with their insurance paying for it. Not exactly a case of where the motorist was in any serious physical harm.
I was hoping my quote would come off a little more tongue-in-cheek. But I think a lot of people on here downplay the damage that cyclists can cause. Collision insurance (which is what would pay in this case) is not mandatory in my state. In this case, the damage would come out of pocket if they couldn't get the cyclist to pay.
On the DUI thing, I was talking with some officers at the local DUI testing center, and they said one of the things they hate are the drunk cyclists that don't have licenses, since the only penalty for not blowing is loss of license for a year.