Should cyclists have to take out insurance?

Last week a man who crashed into two women while cycling drunk — causing one to have a finger amputated — was spared jail by a judge. The cyclist had no insurance and the women did not get compensation. Should the rules be changed? We seek opposing views.
Steve McNamara, general secretary at the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association
There is a public safety imperative for more legal obligations to be placed on cyclists, especially with the government set to invest “unprecedented levels of funding” in cycling to promote health and wellbeing.
The City of London Police set up a cycle response unit in July last year and in its first year more than 1,200 cyclists were given fixed penalty notices for going through red lights or putting themselves and pedestrians at risk in the Square Mile.
It clearly shows that many cyclists simply do not believe that the rules of the road apply to them. But a legal requirement to have insurance would promote greater accountability and improve overall road safety.
If, like motorists, cyclists who cause accidents faced higher insurance premiums and associated costs, they would perhaps think twice before breaking the rules with such abandon.
This is not just about addressing the most reckless behaviour. With national and local governments working to get more people on bikes, the number of accidents involving cyclists will naturally only increase. And victims of accidents must be able to seek redress. At the moment it’s like the Wild West because cyclists operate with impunity.
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Taxi drivers often find their vehicles damaged by passing cyclists, who may scrape past at traffic lights or bash into them while weaving through congestion. In these circumstances drivers have no recourse and the cyclists involved often simply ride off.
I believe we need to go much further than just insurance, with measures to make cyclists identifiable and legal penalties for offences such as dangerous or reckless cycling. While some might do the right thing and stop if they cause damage or an accident, these measures would create a mechanism for all cyclists to be held accountable and for victims to seek compensation, instead of being left out of pocket.
Some will argue that a cyclist who causes harm to someone would already face criminal charges and is thus held accountable, but do we really want the law to finally step in only when a tragic case in which serious, even fatal, injuries occurs? Instead more should be done to encourage responsibility and to hold cyclists to account in the first place, and mandatory insurance is a strong step towards this.
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Sarah Mitchell, the chief executive of Cycling UK, a charity that promotes cycling
I firmly believe that people who cycle, like all road users, should behave responsibly and within the law to ensure that our roads are safe. But the best way to achieve this is to educate people who cycle about their responsibilities, not through compulsory insurance and the bureaucracy that comes with it.
Imposing extra regulations on cyclists, such as insurance, licensing or tax, would make very little difference to people’s safety. In addition to being a costly and bureaucratic nightmare, it would be nearly impossible to enforce. It would also discourage some people from cycling, adversely affecting public health.
More education and awareness campaigns for all road users are needed, and as a charity we have worked hard for decades to highlight the importance of responsible cycling. We collaborate with several road safety groups that share a common goal to reduce danger on our roads, and fully support organisations such as the Bikeability Trust, a government programme that provides cycle training for children and adults.
Making insurance a legal requirement would not just be impractical, it would also be disproportionate. Imposing this regulation on children cycling to school would potentially criminalise children for a normal, daily activity. With the exception of North Korea, the countries, states and cities across the world that have tried to introduce additional regulations on cycling have realised their mistake and abandoned costly and burdensome schemes that discourage cycling.
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It’s important to note that many people do already have insurance for third-party claims while cycling. Members of organisations such as Cycling UK all have insurance through their membership, but many other cyclists will have this included in their home insurance.
Although insurance might seem like the obvious answer, the cost and strain this would put on the government and police make it unrealistic. The simpler and more effective solution is more education on the rules and responsibilities of cycling on the road.