Be warned

I got pulled over today and given a warning that from today a 30 pound spot fine for ridding on the pavement will be enforced by the police in Norwich City.

Were there any comments about the bike being electric Andy. Somehow riding an electric bike on the pavement seems a more serious offence than with an unpowered machine, although legally they are all bicycles and subject to the same rules.

I got pulled over today and given a warning that from today a 30 pound spot fine for ridding on the pavement will be enforced by the police in Norwich City.

 

 

when i was 14...some 32 years ago i got pulled over and fined for pavement riding, £10.....makes that look a bit steep for 32 years ago...

No no mention of the bike being electric I was on the Giant lafree, I had just hoped onto the pavement to jump around a few cars sitting at the traffic lights the police man said there had asked people in Norwich what were the things that annoyed them the most and bikes riding on pavements was near the top of the list, so they are having a crack down in the city at the moment, he also said it has been advertised on the local tv news and papers, and came into effect today 14/1/08.

I have told my Daughter who goes to collage and back 15.5 miles 3 days a week to her wisper 905e, to still use the pavements in rush hour traffic on the busy roads, but be careful and avoid any police she sees. As I would rather pay a fine and keep my daughter safe .

It's probably a flavour of the month to get the stats up, they had a crackdown in Leicester in the summer but since then there's been a spate of violent crime and I'd like to think their priorities have changed.

 

If it wasn't for a small number of reckless pavement riders there wouldn't be a problem.

We get it all the time in southampton idiots riding full pelt in the main high street on the pavment why:confused: i suppose they dont worry about hittting a member of the public its these idiots that give us all a bad name.nigel.

Personally I feel it is much safer to ride on the pavement, provided you do not endanger or upset pedestrians. I'm fortuate to live in a city with a network of over 130 miles of 'Redways' (for pedestrians and cyclists only) and leisure routes, the biggest menace I find are dogs, you just never know which way they are going to go.

There was case in the news recently of a pedestrian killed by a cyclist, so maybe there is a clampdown under way.

 

John

I ride both on the pavement and road, when on the pavement I always cycle slow and always give way to pedestrians.

 

Funny thing did happen the other day though.

Here in Bristol there is a lot of construction, basically the whole city centre is being re-done.

On one stretch of road I have no option but to use the pavement as the "workies" have closed the cycle path put scaffolding and a sign saying both pedestrians and cyclists to use the makeshift path.

To my astonishment one of the workies gave me a mouthful for being on the pavement!! I had to point out to him that its there fault and please read his own sign before opening his mouth.

 

That said though I do get annoyed at some cyclists who don't give a damn when on the pavement.

 

Maz

Funny - that's similar to the wording that the policeman who stopped me in Parliament Square a couple of years ago used! Must be what they are trained to say nowadays...

when i was 14...some 32 years ago i got pulled over and fined for pavement riding, £10.....makes that look a bit steep for 32 years ago...

 

That can't happen any more Keith. Although the law is universally applicable, all police forces have received a Home Office instruction that no on-the-spot penalty for this offence can be issued to anyone under 16 years old.

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It's a shame the police don't get so enthusiastic over burglaries, assaults, drug dealers and yobbos on street corners making life hell for everyone.

 

If I got a fine for riding on the pavement, and I frequently do ride on the pavement to avoid 17 year old drivers driving like lunatics, often in front of police cars, then I would simply not pay it until the last possible moment, preferably in court. It would cost about £500 to get the £30 fine off me.

 

Re the legality of e-bikes on pavements... it's either legally a bike or it's not. End of story. If it's a legal pedelc, then there is absolutely no need to disguise the fact, on the pavement or off.

That can't happen any more Keith. Although the law is universally applicable, all police forces have received a Home Office instruction that no on-the-spot penalty for this offence can be issued to anyone under 16 years old.

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it was worse then that Flecc..no on the spot fine but i had to go to a sort of court, not a magistrates one but one with other smaller important jp's i recall, so it was a few hours taken out of another day too...and when i went in one of the men had to leave as he knew me as he was a golfer at the same club as me...:o

Yes, I know it used to be like that Keith, very heavy handed, but since 1st August 2000, there's no more risk of that for youngsters, they just get a warning. As far as I'm concerned, even though I don't use the pavements, I think all youngsters should be officially allowed ride there all the time, given today's traffic conditions.

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What happens if you don't stop? Would you be brought to a halt by stingers deployed on your route? Followed all the way home on CCTV?

 

The rule of thumb I use is avoid the pavement if there are pedestrians on it. I cycled 35 miles into central london and back and it was surprising how ambiguous the status of the pavement is in places, especially alongside main routes. The traffic flies by three lanes wide on the A4 out of kensington and the A3 down to kingston. There are few if any pedestrians and you feel obliged to clear the way for motorists as much as safeguard yourself. I'd be surprised to be pulled over and spot fined there, not least because no police car would halt the flow on those grounds.

 

Newsnight just ran a persuasive report on removing traffic lights and road markings in urban areas. Traffic just tends to flow better as a result, more sensibly, less charged by aggression, designing frustration and accidents out. More on that here. There would be obvious benefits for cyclists as well as pedestrians here.

Edited January 14, 200818 yr by Tim

I think anyone should be allowed to use pavements, responsibly, if required or if deemed necessary. There is a roundabout on the main road near my house and there is absolutely no way that I would negotiate it to take the third exit (ie turn right) because of the fact that many car drivers are more concerned in getting their cars onto the roundabout than watching out for cyclists, even those who are wearing hi-vis jacket, flashing LED lights etc like me.

 

I think the main point is RESPONSIBLE use of pavements when necessary... ie not tearing around and bashing into people with one's break levers, pedals or whatever. In the UK, we have a dearth of cycle paths, a culture of ever more irresonsible driving and a disinterested police force. Riding carefully on a pavement should be permitted for anyone, not just juveniles (whose reaction times are vastly quicker anyway than older riders). I'd rather pay a £30 fine any day than end up like the poor bloke who was hit from the rear and killed by an articulated lorry on the roundabout I've mentioned. The fact that the police in some areas don't appreciate this tells me how low they've sunk in their desire for what they themselves refer to as 'a quick cough'.

I agree Jimmy. Although I normally don't ride on pavements as said, if there are no pedestrians on a section and I can avoid inconveniencing traffic by passing a parked car on the left using pavement cutaways, I do.

 

As you say, it's a matter of being considerate for others, and in line with what Tim posted and the Newsnight item that I also saw, I'd like to see more of the situation that exists in some community areas in Holland. In some of those, there are no roads or pavements, just decoratively paved irregular public areas which everyone uses with consideration for each other, no-one having a priority.

 

Unregulated space of this sort would kill most motorcycle use though. Today's powerful bikes are a pain to keep at below 30 or 40 mph, and progressing at trickle speeds all the time would be both frustrating and exhausting. Good for e-bikes though.

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It's illegal to ride on the pavement (sidewalks) here, but I've never been cited for it, or even warned. I generally only get on when the road becomes an unreasonable choice.

 

I justify it to a certain extent, that cars generally aren't driving along and have to put up with vehicles haphazardly legally parked in their lane of travel, which is common on a bicycle. Vehicles may be stalled in front of you when you drive a car, but one can't just park right in the middle of your designated road!

It's illegal to ride on the pavements here in England as well, has been for a very long time. For the past 20 years it's been an offence that is subject to a fixed penalty of £30.

 

We can all try to justify breaking the law, although obviously most would prefer not to, I would hope. Some of us are in positions where we cannot break the law, no matter how ludicrous we might think certain laws to be. It is no defence, no matter how morally just an individual may think it is, to argue that "I broke the law because it wouldn't inconvenience another by doing so", or to argue that "I broke the law because I considered it safer than riding on the road". The obvious retort in law would be "if you consider that the use of a bicycle is only safe if you break the law, then you should not use the bicycle".

 

In my view I believe that this law is in need of some review. The basic law, the Highway Act, dates back well over 100 years and bicycles are only covered by it by being defined as carriages. Roads nowadays can be too dangerous for cycling and the matter is complicated by local authorities who seem unclear on whether cycle paths are pavements or not in some areas.

 

Not withstanding all of the above, I would not ever cycle on a pedestrian pavement. Quite apart from it being against the law, I would not wish to bring cycling into disrepute by being seen to do this.

 

Jeremy

It's illegal, and in many cases dangerous to those with disabilities to park cars on the pavement and yet it is an offence that is committed to a far greater extent than pavement cycling and almost always ignored by the authorities other than where parking would be illegal anyway.

Lets have equal treatment for all those that who use illegally pavements.

Not withstanding all of the above, I would not ever cycle on a pedestrian pavement. Quite apart from it being against the law, I would not wish to bring cycling into disrepute by being seen to do this.

 

Jeremy

I wouldn't want to bring myself into a cemetery prematurely by not cycling on a pavement if required, although presumably you'd have the satisfaction of knowing you'd stayed within the law if you're bumped off by some lunatic driver.

 

In fact, daft laws are what's often brought into disrepute by public disobedience. History is full of examples. People who break these laws often are responsible for them being changed to something more sensible so that everyone else can benefit. Presumably, if the law were changed, you'd then happily ride on the pavement if necessary, like everyone else? Are you talking about the principle of riding on pavements or not, or merely doing what you're told?

Edited January 15, 200818 yr by jimmyengland1000

I agree with Jimmy. I don't make a habit of riding on pavements, except where they are marked as dual use, but there are some stretches of road where it would be bordering on suicidal not to use the pavement. There is one such stretch that I use regularly, a very busy 40mph road that is for much of it's length is a dual carriageway with dual use paths on both sides, however at one point the dual carriageway becomes single, the dual use path becomes a pedestrian path and the road narrows and passes over a blind hump-back bridge.. needless to say I, and every other cyclist I've ever seen stay on the pavement, the risk of a fine being preferable to the much greater risk of an accident.

 

Situations like the above are not going to change while cyclists avoid accidents by breaking the law. So any volunteers to force a change?

Edited January 15, 200818 yr by Ian

It's illegal to ride on the pavements here in England as well, has been for a very long time. For the past 20 years it's been an offence that is subject to a fixed penalty of £30.

 

We can all try to justify breaking the law, although obviously most would prefer not to, I would hope. Some of us are in positions where we cannot break the law, no matter how ludicrous we might think certain laws to be. It is no defence, no matter how morally just an individual may think it is, to argue that "I broke the law because it wouldn't inconvenience another by doing so", or to argue that "I broke the law because I considered it safer than riding on the road". The obvious retort in law would be "if you consider that the use of a bicycle is only safe if you break the law, then you should not use the bicycle".

 

In my view I believe that this law is in need of some review. The basic law, the Highway Act, dates back well over 100 years and bicycles are only covered by it by being defined as carriages. Roads nowadays can be too dangerous for cycling and the matter is complicated by local authorities who seem unclear on whether cycle paths are pavements or not in some areas.

 

Not withstanding all of the above, I would not ever cycle on a pedestrian pavement. Quite apart from it being against the law, I would not wish to bring cycling into disrepute by being seen to do this.

 

Jeremy

 

It appears that it is not quite that clear cut and that the Police should be using their discretion. This is what Paul Boatang, the Home Office minister said at the time of the introduction of fixed penalties for cycing on the pavement.

 

'The introduction of the fixed penalty is not aimed at responsible cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of the traffic, and who show consideration to other pavement users when doing so. Chief police officers, who are responsible for enforcement, acknowledge that many cyclists, particularly children and young people, are afraid to cycle in the road... sensitivity and careful use of police discretion is required'.

 

I am sure a lot of the good will that was originally intended has gone out of the window due to loutish behaviour of a minority of cyclists.

I'd certainly volunteer. The police should devote more time to stopping cars being parked on pavements (as mentioned earlier), being driven recklessly and carelessly. Actually, one one occasion, Iwas actually chased by a policeman (on foot) for cycling on the pavement. I found this quite ironic in that Humberside police have a 'no-chase' policy re stolen motorcycles. One can ride past a police car with no crash helmet, tax, insurance or lights on and the police will NOT pursue. I checked this myself with them. But they'll chase me for cycling 50 yards on a pavement that had no pedestrians on it.

 

Bring it on, is my view. We have global warming, diminishing natural resources, more and more cars with all the problems they bring...... and the police make life difficult for cyclists in a land where there are virtually no cycle paths but more and more motorways and bypasses.

 

In any event, there's no way that I will ever risk my life or body, merely to adhere to a law just for the sake of saying "I never break the law". That's just daft.

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I am sure a lot of the good will that was originally intended has gone out of the window due to loutish behaviour of a minority of cyclists.

No, I think the goodwill has gone out of the window because of a target-driven police force which wants nice, easy convictions which require no expenditure or detective work.

No, I think the goodwill has gone out of the window because of a target-driven police force which wants nice, easy convictions which require no expenditure or detective work.

 

We will have to agree to disagree on this one. If at work I ever mention I am a cyclist, without fail somebody will tell me a story of how they were run off the pavement or crossing by a cyclist as if we are all one person 'the cyclist'. I am sure that the Police are responding to the anger that the public feels about this and I am sure it is a minority of cyclists who cause it. The problem is that the Police are bit like a switch, either on or off and are not acting with the discretion that was originally intended with this on the spot fine.

 

I agree about everything else you say, I think that in most cities in the UK there is very little consideration for cyclists. I do think that the more cyclist there are, the better it becomes and drivers/motorcyclists will accept us as part of the traffic. You can tell this is happening in London. Whenever I ride in the inner part, I rarely have any problems with the traffic and most drivers give you room. The same cannot be said of my home which is 10 miles from the centre. There are very few cyclist so drivers have no idea how to deal with us, so you get drivers too afraid to overtake you or drivers who give you no room (or always want to overtake you on a pinch point).

 

I see some appalling cycling when riding in London but then this morning I saw a lorry deliberatly go through two red lights - as far as I am concerned they are all antisocial people and I wish there was a greater Police presence to enforce and educate.