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Originally Posted by vijen6
Good question though.
If a bicycle hits you at a decent biking speed (assuming 24mph from earlier post) .. that is enough force to cause dent + dings to some panels or at the very least paint damage.
Who pays ? Your insurance ? Will your rate go up if its is this type of accident ? I am assuming its a `hit and run` or not at fault accident ?
To me it make sense to require bicycle insurance for everyone using the road. (sidewalk doesn't count so joggers and pedestrians are still exempt)
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All runners use the sidewalk where you live? Pedestrians never cross the road? Must be different from my community.
I have no problem with cyclists carrying insurance, it'd help the many cyclists I know who were hit by uninsured drivers (or hit-and-run) pay for their hospital costs and rehabilitation, as well as equipment loss. Or in some cases, perhaps pay for their funeral costs. I'm pretty sure it would cover a dent in a car or two, also.
Yeah, maybe when I start paying for that insurance (on top of the five cars I already pay on, plus the $2M umbrella policy I'm carrying, plus my two homeowners policies and my personal medical insurance) and pay for registration (which might run $20, considering my 914 costs me $25 a year), and I obey traffic laws to the same degree as the zillions of cars I see every day who speed, change lanes without signaling, run red lights, drive unsafely, etc. (I actually try to ride more safely than that), then while I'm riding safely and legally in the bike lane, those guys wearing wifebeaters who throw full beer cans at me, flick cigarettes at me, hang out their windows screaming and cursing bloody murder at me, and try to run me down will suddenly start respecting me as a road user.
Somehow, I'm not counting on it.
BTW, if I run into your car and I'm at fault, and I dent it, I'll be glad to pay for it. And if I wasn't, you can take me to civil court. And if you see cyclists breaking the law in your community, call the cops. I've seen at least a dozen group rides effectively shut down by the cops after people rightfully called to complain about illegal behavior of the riders.