Can you be done for speeding on a bicycle?

Can you be done for speeding on a bicycle?

Author
Discussion

revvingit

Original Poster:

444 posts

80 months

Wednesday 22nd November 2017
quotequote all
If someone found a long private road and took their mountain bike for a ride down it, managed to get it up to 30-40mph when the speed limit was 15mph could they be prosecuted?

InitialDave

11,880 posts

119 months

Wednesday 22nd November 2017
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On a private road? Isn't that trespass rather than anything relating to speeding?

BoRED S2upid

19,683 posts

240 months

Wednesday 22nd November 2017
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On a public road yes.

vonhosen

40,230 posts

217 months

Wednesday 22nd November 2017
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Red Devil

13,060 posts

208 months

Wednesday 22nd November 2017
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You'll need to be clearer about the 'private road' status.
For now I'll assume it is not gated and the public has access.

There is nothing in the relevant legislation which applies speed limits to bicycles
You can still be prosecuted for riding carelessly or dangerously though.
If you injure/kill somebody then expect to be in some trouble.
http://road.cc/content/news/98005-man-court-wanton...
Unless you have been out of the country/living as a hermit there is also the recent case of Charlie Alliston.

Bicycles used to be subject to the speed limits in Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces.
That legislation was changed in 2010 and now only applies to 'a mechanically propelled vehicle intended or adapted for use on a road'.
It hasn't stopped cyclists being taken to court for speeding though - http://road.cc/content/news/169880-huge-fine-cycli...
Without going into the moral argument there is something wrong with the magistrates' application of the law imo.

IroningMan

10,154 posts

246 months

Wednesday 22nd November 2017
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Only if there are bylaws in place which specifically apply the speed limit to pedal cycles - as is the case in Royal Parks.

revvingit

Original Poster:

444 posts

80 months

Wednesday 22nd November 2017
quotequote all
InitialDave said:
On a private road? Isn't that trespass rather than anything relating to speeding?
If the land-owner permits access, no.

A private road is a road owned and maintained by a private individual, organization, or company rather than by a government. Nothing about who has access.

SS2.

14,461 posts

238 months

Wednesday 22nd November 2017
quotequote all
Red Devil said:
Bicycles used to be subject to the speed limits in Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces.
That legislation was changed in 2010 and now only applies to 'a mechanically propelled vehicle intended or adapted for use on a road'.
It hasn't stopped cyclists being taken to court for speeding though - http://road.cc/content/news/169880-huge-fine-cycli...

Without going into the moral argument there is something wrong with the magistrates' application of the law imo.
I thought the earlier 2010 amendments were revoked by later 2010 amendments, one of which was the revocation of the section which defined 'vehicle' as 'mechanically propelled'.

The Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces Amendment 1 Regulations 2010 said:
Citation, Commencement and Interpretation

1.—(2) In these Regulations–

<..snip..>

“vehicle” means a mechanically propelled vehicle intended or adapted for use on a road.
The Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces Amendment 2 Regulations 2010 said:
2. Regulations 1(2) and 5 to 8 of The Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces (Amendment) etc Regulations 2010(1) are revoked.
Edited by SS2. on Wednesday 22 November 21:33

tigger1

8,402 posts

221 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
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Yes, no, depends.

(as above - no, but for Royal Parks and a tiny number of other places in England/Wales)

Just don't ride like a tit.

Red Devil

13,060 posts

208 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
quotequote all
SS2. said:
I thought the earlier 2010 amendments were revoked by later 2010 amendments, one of which was the revocation of the section which defined 'vehicle' as 'mechanically propelled'.

The Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces Amendment 1 Regulations 2010 said:
Citation, Commencement and Interpretation

1.—(2) In these Regulations–

<..snip..>

“vehicle” means a mechanically propelled vehicle intended or adapted for use on a road.
The Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces Amendment 2 Regulations 2010 said:
2. Regulations 1(2) and 5 to 8 of The Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces (Amendment) etc Regulations 2010(1) are revoked.
I stand corrected. smile

They certainly got a shift on. Less than 7 months after Amendment 1 came into force.

I may be wrong but AFAIK all speed limits in the UK are normally in increments of 10mph.
Thus 15mph is thus a 'non standard' figure. I reckon there would need to be a specific Order for it to be enforceable.

Otoh it might be in the same category as the 5mph signs which can be found in retail/industrial estates.
Advisory. Some speedometers, particularly on older vehicles, won't accurately register that low.
http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=5041...

There is a lot of misunderstanding about what makes a road 'private'.
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2001/450...
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2011/488...

For those who have some spare change in their piggy bank. wink
http://www.barsby.com/product/private-roads-the-le...

WinstonWolf

72,857 posts

239 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
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BoRED S2upid said:
On a public road yes.
Nope, only in certain parks as stated. On normal roads speed limits don't apply to bicycles.

fat80b

2,264 posts

221 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
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WinstonWolf said:
On normal roads speed limits don't apply to bicycles.
I thought the "furious cycling" was the offence that would apply for bicycles if you did actually get stopped for "speeding".

As a teenager, the nearest I came was getting told off by a bicycling Military policeman who we overtook down the hill at the entrance of RAF Valley. He caught up with us at the chip shop and suggested that he was going to report us for "furious cycling".......Them were the days.....

I always fancied having a "furious cycling" conviction after this happened......I don't think his stern telling off had the effect he thought it would.....


SS2.

14,461 posts

238 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
quotequote all
fat80b said:
WinstonWolf said:
On normal roads speed limits don't apply to bicycles.
I thought the "furious cycling" was the offence that would apply for bicycles if you did actually get stopped for "speeding".
Only if someone gets injured.

Gavia

7,627 posts

91 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
quotequote all
fat80b said:
I thought the "furious cycling" was the offence that would apply for bicycles if you did actually get stopped for "speeding".

As a teenager, the nearest I came was getting told off by a bicycling Military policeman who we overtook down the hill at the entrance of RAF Valley. He caught up with us at the chip shop and suggested that he was going to report us for "furious cycling".......Them were the days.....

I always fancied having a "furious cycling" conviction after this happened......I don't think his stern telling off had the effect he thought it would.....
Of course, a criminal conviction is a great thing to have on your record and won’t cause any problems in day to day life at all rolleyes

S11Steve

6,374 posts

184 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
quotequote all
WinstonWolf said:
BoRED S2upid said:
On a public road yes.
Nope, only in certain parks as stated. On normal roads speed limits don't apply to bicycles.
Back in the day when I used a mountain bike as daily transport, I was stopped twice by the police for speeding, and given a stern reminder that speed limits were for all road users, not just the motorised ones. Granted, I was slip-streaming a 40t truck down a hill on one occasion, and I was clocked at 42mph on semi-slick tyres.

They took my details on both occasions, but I didn't hear anything else about it.

I also know that the speed camera on the A6 south out of Preston by the old car auctions was set at 38mph - one person couldn't set it off, but two riders side by side could. And did. Daily....

Riley Blue

20,949 posts

226 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
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A blind friend of mine was once stopped and cautioned for exceeding the speed limit down Glastonbury High Street on the back of a tandem.

Antony Moxey

8,047 posts

219 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
quotequote all
S11Steve said:
WinstonWolf said:
BoRED S2upid said:
On a public road yes.
Nope, only in certain parks as stated. On normal roads speed limits don't apply to bicycles.
Back in the day when I used a mountain bike as daily transport, I was stopped twice by the police for speeding, and given a stern reminder that speed limits were for all road users, not just the motorised ones. Granted, I was slip-streaming a 40t truck down a hill on one occasion, and I was clocked at 42mph on semi-slick tyres.

They took my details on both occasions, but I didn't hear anything else about it.
Because they knew they couldn't actually do you for speeding, they were probably just reinforcing their 'stern reminder' by taking you details.

tigger1

8,402 posts

221 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
quotequote all
Riley Blue said:
A blind friend of mine was once stopped and cautioned for exceeding the speed limit down Glastonbury High Street on the back of a tandem.
Copper saw him coming.

(Sorry)


Riley Blue

20,949 posts

226 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
quotequote all
tigger1 said:
Riley Blue said:
A blind friend of mine was once stopped and cautioned for exceeding the speed limit down Glastonbury High Street on the back of a tandem.
Copper saw him coming.

(Sorry)
Probably just as well, we were intending to swap places on the second run.

WJNB

2,637 posts

161 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
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I hope not because most of the blasted cyclists that hold me up clutter up the road doing 20mph max. so I wish they could go really fast.