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You do have recourse, feel free to sue them in small claims court.

First off, insurance eliminates in most cases the need for litigation, which has costs for both parties.

And if the offending rider simply rides off, how do I identify him or her without a license plate?

What if I take them to court, win, and they can't pay or refuse to pay? At least you know the insurance company has sufficient reserves to pay.

Look, nobody is seriously considering requiring a 6 year old to get a bike license and insurance. But, I think anyone over 16 who rides a bike on any public street or sidewalk should have to get a license plate. The registration fee should be pretty cheap, make it $1 a year. It would actually help the bike owner as well if the bike was stolen.

As for insurance, because the potential liabilities are pretty low (but they do exist), the premiums would also be low. The city could set up a single policy for all riders and add the premium (maybe another $1 a year) to the cost of licensing.

Finally, don't underestimate the costs of even minor damage to a car. A broken mirror ran me (my insurance company) over $1,000 dollars because the electronic mechanism had to be replaced. Plus the cost of renting a car for 4 days while it was in the shop. Even a scrape on a door panel can cost a few hundred dollars to be repaired properly.

by dcdriver on Jun 7, 2012 2:00 pm • link • report