Should bicycles have to have a license for road use?

Question

Poll question: should bicycles have to have a license for road use?
Following from the ‘should bicycles have to obey traffic laws’ post. In this I’m not talking so much about a driving lesson course like we do with cars, but a theory test on traffic signs, scenarios etc and maybe a 20 minute/half hour practical
Bonus question: should there be a limit on roads where the speed is deemed ‘too high’ for bicycles, eg 50mph? If so, what speed?

Accepted Answer

That would be amazing. I fucking hate bicyclists in my neighborhood so much. Some are totally fine, but more endanger people by riding recklessly. 
I do think it should be kept free/low cost if possible.

Answer

No, because it should be illegal 😜 there’s trails all over the place where I live and the roads are curvy and dangerous. I can’t speak for cities because I really don’t know what it’s like, but that seems dangerous to me too honestly

Answer

No
I mean... if I had money for a license I would have a car driving license already instead of spending 4 to 6 hours a day inside a bus every day.. and sometimes grabbing my bike to go to the supermarket. You can implement laws without making people's life harder. Those who drive a bike for work lots of times can't afford a car, and they will all be thrown in an already failing and decaying public transport system which is ALREADY overwhelmed... no

Answer

That would be interesting and I can see there’d be some benefit, but I’m not sure if would totally help. From my experience, people in my town who ride bicycles on the street are those who can’t afford other transportation. So I’d fear they wouldn’t be able to make it to he dmv and would end up possibly losing their only mode of transportation to and from work. And same with the high speed question. There’s one man who rides on the highway where the speed limit is 50 mph and I’m always extremely worried about him. But I don’t think he has any other way to get to work. He rides a super old bike and until a few days ago, he didn’t have any reflectors or reflective clothing. He has no acquired a reflective vest so that’s good. My boyfriend almost hit him one time very early in the morning as he couldn’t see him and the guy rides pretty much on the white line. I want this guy to be safe, but I don’t want him to lose the only way to work if you know what I mean.

Answer

Absolutely. A short test where they learn signs for signaling (which I'm not sure if that's still on road tests for drivers now, but it used to be required for a permit or license to know hand signals for bicyclists), which side of the road they're supposed to be on, safe ways to cross roads, etc.. There are way too many stupid accidents that are perfectly avoidable if at least one person in the scenario knew proper cycling protocol.

Answer

Yes, if your bike is to be used as a commuter vehicle, then you should have a license. As far as the cost of that? Make it cheaper to encourage more bicycling, but for safety reasons, you should have to take a written test to show you know the rules of the road. 
You can get ticketed for breaking the laws of the road. Running red lights, running stop signs, unsafe weaving, riding a bike on roads and highways not marked for bicycle travel and even speeding. Where I live, speeding tickets for bicycles are very common because we live in an area with lots of hills/mountains. It’s easy for a bicycle to go too fast. I use a bicycle regularly and it annoys me that so many people ride like they own the road or like they have the same rights and rules as a pedestrian. 
Yes. Get a license.

Answer

Yes. I live in an area considering this. Cycling is huge in our city, and most of these people ride on the roads with no helmets or reflective gear. If a cyclist crashed into my car I’m stuck taking the insurance hit & paying the deductible. Even if it was 100% their fault. I feel like anyone using the roadway system needs to be insured and licensed. Trail riding should be the exception.

Answer

When we are 11 in school we get a test. Every school does this. But i must say having a bike here is like owning a car where you live ;) 
Also we have special bike lanes and everything above 50mph is forbidden for bikes. 
So for your country i would say yes i guess. But honestly i think when you have your drivers license, you know the rules and signs. So why bother having a special exam?

Answer

Yes, I think it would be safer for everyone on the road. If someone were to require a license, they would actually probably look into the laws/safety more.

Answer

No.  I’m an avid cyclist and bike to work almost daily.  It’s important to remember that cyclist are tax payers just like car drivers.  We pay for the same roads and cars do not own them.

Should bicycles have to have a license for road use?

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