I've had pedestrians yell at me when I am on the road (which i only am unless it's a shared cycling pedestrian walk way) that I shouldn't be on the road, I should be on the side walk.
People who don't cycle rarely know or understand the rules, and the rules change from city to city on what it is legal for a cyclist to do. Drivers we share the road with don't understand either and it leaves cyclist the most vulnerable.

Do you have to have cyclist insurance in Canada?

No. There are some conversations regarding it going around... but I don't see it happening anytime soon

Its a funny one because if cases like this make a precedent it would be in cyclists interests to have it but it seems to be a unfair

...I’m not sure that it is making a precedent in that the judge ruled that the fault lay 50/50 ....and that would be reflected in the compensation claim...but regardless of any fault/lack of attention which may have been with her..(..and the eyewitnesses weren’t consistent with their reports I believe..)...he was still forced to rule that the cyclist had blame in his attention to pedestrians at the time...

I’m neutral on this as i can’t stand cyclists or idiot pedestrians who just wander into the road.
The amount of students i’ve nearly mowed down either not looking and wearing stupid big headphones or Instatweeting.

My copy of the Highway Code says "give way pedestrians at all times". The Highway Code applies just as much to cyclists to car drivers or motorcyclists. If cyclists had to be insured, his burden wouldn't have been so heavy.

A cyclist versus a yoga teacher?

I think a wasp landed on a stinging nettle too.

Those same people who were moaning about you being on the road when they were driving, would then moan about you using the pavement instead of the road if they happened to be walking somewhere :rolleyes: Cyclists really cannot do right for doing wrong.
Well yes, but its slightly unreasonable to expect drivers/cyclists to see into the future and know that some idiot is about to step literally right infront of them, not giving any time to even attempt to slow down

And yes, I am calling myself an idiot too also, given a similar thing happened to me. :laugh:

I don't think vehicle insurance for cyclists should be compulsory (for example, it would be ridiculous if I had to pay cycling insurance for the 5 minute ride to my daughter's school which is 90% along an off-road cycle track) BUT I think it should be available and highly encouraged for cyclists who are doing a frequent commute primarily on city streets and other areas of busier traffic / pedestrian activity.

Because yes the highway code says to be aware of pedestrians and give way to pedestrians at all times, and cyclists shouldn't be cycling so close to the pedestrian walkway that they don't have time to avoid collision if someone steps onto the road. That they are often forced to by other traffic is somewhat irrelevant... and if you have absolutely no choice but to move in close to the pavement, the appropriate thing to do would be to slow right down to walking pace (4 or 5 mph) to make collisions far less likely and far less serious if they occur, not 10+ mph cycling speeds.

So yeah I'd say the accident was primarily her fault for being distracted and not paying attention, but it's still the cyclists RESPONSIBILITY because cyclists are using a type of vehicle and thus they are the ones who are supposed to be adhering to the highway code. It's a vehicle operator's responsibility to be aware of the fact that pedestrians might do something stupid... in other words... and there are no Jaywalking laws in the UK.

Cyclists should have some kind of licence plate. They're busy filming car drivers... but there's nothing on a bike or a cyclist to show who they are so they can be made responsible for the stupid stuff they do. And the good cyclists are lumped in with the idiots... And definitely insurance... for the cyclist sake as well as their potential victims. You want to use the road, you have to have insurance.

central London. Says it all :/

Tbf cyclists should have the same benefits and obligations as other road users ie insurance, registration etc