The Spanish Royal Automobile Association, RACE, is proposing the extension of the driving licence points system to cover cyclists.
Whereas some users of other vehicles would welcome the change, often critical of cyclists they consider to act outside of the law, it is unlikely to be welcomed by the cyclist groups themselves, despite the actual motivation being the increase in the number of deaths on Spanish roads of cyclists.
Manuel Martín, spokesperson for cycling group ConBici, has already hit out at the plans, saying that is seems, “absolutely unfortunate that an entity like the RACE makes a proposal that is not valid in any country in the world”, adding that the implementation of this measure “would mean almost nobody would use a bicycle.”
RACE are also attempting to encourage a plan of coexistence on the road for both cars and bicycles, where both users are taken into account. ConBici recalled that cyclists are the victims and that cars are the most dangerous. “What you have to take action against is not in the bikes, but in the cars who are the ones that create the danger,” Martín reiterated.
RACE demands a greater commitment to reduce the incident rate of vulnerable users, with special attention to the group of motorists, who, in 2016, represented more than 40% of those killed during the weekends.
The association has pointed out that the points system has proven its usefulness in focussing efforts to reduce incidents, and that if it is extended to bicycles, the same focus and attention should be given, especially as at this moment a cyclist can take to the road with no training or awareness of the dangers they might come across, and not necessarily with an awareness of the laws which are aimed at protecting all road users.
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