26 Jun 2024, 18:53

This act does nothing of what you say , this mandates proven technology with a good track record of reducing road deaths and that has been implemented in 10's of millions of cars and bikes already. To not embrace these technologies fully in a safety standard is condemning more people to death than if they were not part of the standard.

The registration plate requirements and requirements of indicators , reflective areas and lights on bicycles is also proven to make cycling safer, a cyclist who is seen and can actually indicate effectively and see where they are going and be seen is safer. This is all the technologies cycling organisations actually recommend along with insurance to keep cyclists safe on the road. If you are against measures to make cyclists visible and make it easier to identify reckless cyclists who still can cause great harm and even death to pedestrians quite easily and technologies to make it clear what direction a cyclist is going next you are automatically condemning many thousands if not tens of thousands more of pedestrians , drivers and cyclists to death. You are saying that a human life is worth less than the few hundred euros or few thousand euros per vehicle in case of cars and e-bikes. That is putting a economic price on life and accepting people are disposible. You either support fully safe bikes , scooters and cars or support possibly 10's of thousands more people dying per year. Which is it do you support safe cars or death ? This is not melodramatic that is the price of not backing these regulations in full. Do you really want to tell the parent of an Istkalenic citizen killed by a speeding nearly invisible bike or car because you though manufacturers being able to save a few hundred or thousand Euros that their child is worthless? Because that is what you are telling them if you vote for removing vital safety features like number plates for bikes visible reflective surfaces on bikes, full lights and indicators on bikes and GPS speed limiters on e-bikes and cars. Either vote for all the features or explain to parents later you don't mind their children dying for the sake of a little money in the profit margins for vehicle manufacturers.I'd like to ask you how you consider lights and indicators which can be added for just 50 Euros in one of the most expensive countries in europe and mirrors which can be added for 20 Euros and numberplate holders for back and front that can be added for just about 30 Euros in the most expensive country in Europe is too much additional cost for cyclists and how an extra maybe 100-150 Euros worth of tech on an e-bike worth on average over 1,000 Euros is too much cost to bear. In percentage terms I'd also like to ask how 2,000 Euros ish of technology on a vehicle worth 20,000 euros + is too much extra. You are basically saying to have cars be a maximum 10% cheaper its worth 10's of thousands of men women and children dying through accidents that could easily be prevented.

Skye Hook , Deputy Councillour to United Duchies