Once again, government policy on road rules has caused sensationalist headlines and uncertainty.
In a front-page interview with the Daily Mail, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps appeared to suggest that the introduction of number plates for bicycles was at least under consideration.
Stating that speed limits should apply to bicycles, Shapps posed the question of whether methods of identifying cyclists for the purposes of enforcement might include number plates when he said, "where you've got 20mph limits on increasing numbers of roads, cyclists can easily exceed those, so I want to make speed limits apply to cyclists. That obviously does then lead you into the question of, well...
how are you going to recognise the cyclist, do you need registration plates and insurance and that sort of thing
This, rather speculative, suggestion was circulated by the press and reported in terms that suggested a near-certainty.
Do keen cyclists want private number plates?
However, the panic may have been a trifle premature, as a subsequent news item, published by The Independent, quoted a Times interview in which Shapps seemed to express an opinion contrary to his previously reported pro-plate stance [1]. Shapps said, "I'm a keen cyclist, I'm very proud of the big expansion in the number of miles being cycled. I'm not attracted to the bureaucracy of registration plates. That would go too far."
Some people have questioned the need. While the number of people cycling has grown enormously since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is not clear that the level of incidents caused by reckless riding, or the overall number of serious injuries has reached a level that would justify such a profound change to the traditional freedom enjoyed by cyclists.
We've been here before
Despite the incredulous tone of some commentary, the idea of number plates for cycles is not a new one. In 2017, we wrote about an earlier round of press excitement on the topic. At that time it was a report compiled by automotive retailer Halfords that was the source of interest. The Halfords report explored the relationships and attitudes between drivers and cyclists. At that time, 59% of people asked supported the idea of number plates for bicycles.
Make cyclists easier to identify?
State regulation and bureaucracy are always met with suspicion and a degree of resistance, but when the initial reactions cool down and time has been spent on reflection there are usually pros and cons to every proposed measure.
Certainly, arguments can be made that cyclists should be identifiable like every other road user as they may witness incidents as well as be directly involved. Additionally, if a cyclist were seriously injured, a registration number would provide emergency services with a way of identifying a patient, contacting next-of-kin and accessing medical history.
Cherished number plates for bicycles?
On a lighter note, we wonder how many private number plate enthusiasts are also cyclists, and how many of those would jump at the chance to personalise their bikes just as they have their cars! When one considers the money people spend these days on sophisticated, hi-tech bikes, the idea begins to seem much less outlandish.
What do you think? Would you display a cherished number plate on your bike?
So, with the Transport Secretary apparently both for and against number plates for bicycles, we think we'll wait for clarity before adding to the sensationalist headlines. We will, however, be watching developments with interest.
[1] Cycling news: https://road.cc/content/news/grant-shapps-backtracks-number-plates-cyclists-plan-295279
