caught for speeding with radar gun

[barrycoll]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-30130715

beware!

 

[EddiePJ]

They could have done us all a favour and shot him.

 

[JamesW]

Saw it in the evening paper on my commute home on Friday night and laughed! As he said, Why do they not have better signage to tell cyclists that the speed limit is 5mph in the parks in London?

(Didn' click on the link - assuming it's that pratty reporter Jeremy Vine!)

 

[awol]

Is it in London the traffic is so slow from congestion that the police have to justify spending budgets on speed guns so go for the cyclist instead. Next they will be fining those speeding joggers.

 

[mike killay]

How can you tell how fast you are going without a speedometer?

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

Is it in London the traffic is so slow from congestion that the police have to justify spending budgets on speed guns so go for the cyclist instead. Next they will be fining those speeding joggers.

i guess this was a slightly rhetorical question... but.

no... its not just London, and its not a new thing. I was stopped in leafy Cheltenham back in the 90s for speeding on my bike. However it didn't really go anywhere because I asked the policeman if he really expected me to give him the correct address / personal details, because my bike had no registration plate. I then asked if it was really going to be worth his time chasing me... he said no.... So i rode off and heard no more about it.

The police were also out in force in Manchester a couple of weeks ago checking and pulling all cyclists at one of the busy junctions. So its something they are looking at more.

I stopped to speak to the Police and they said it was because more people are cycling now, the conflict with other road users is increasing, so they have to be seen to be there to enforce law and educate cyclists.

 

[awol]

The police were also out in force in Manchester a couple of weeks ago checking and pulling all cyclists at one of the busy junctions. So its something they are looking at more.

I stopped to speak to the Police and they said it was because more people are cycling now, the conflict with other road users is increasing, so they have to be seen to be there to enforce law and educate cyclists.

I guess they are kind of being pro active and hitting a problem before it's started.
Out of interest, any idea what were the reasons they were pulling cyclists for in Manchester?

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

I guess they are kind of being pro active and hitting a problem before it's started.
Out of interest, any idea what were the reasons they were pulling cyclists for in Manchester?

They were pulling pretty much all the cyclists, to check things like working lights, brakes - and making sure they didn't jump the lights or rode on the pavement.

I did make a point of speaking to them about eBikes and they did mention that they were becoming more aware of them and one of the officers knew a bit about the law.

 

[flecc]

We've already had a police blitz of this kind in London following a suden spate of cyclist deaths late last year. This kind of police action often spreads to other forces, possibly influenced by government since uniquely it's the Home Office which is in direct charge of the Metropolitan Police.
.

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

just an update... now in Bristol / Bath too.

http://road.cc/content/news/137040-police-use-speed-guns-target-cyclists-bristol-bath-railway-path

and I was at a meeting yesterday and another point of view was put to me. One I'd not considered.

This week see's the MotorCycle Industry show at the NEC, lots of retailers / brands there are very upset about eBikes because they are taking away moped sales from them. Why would a customer buy a moped when they can get an eBike that goes faster with no need to tax / test / insure etc etc it.

So expect continued and growing pressure from the motobike industry to police eBikes and penalise those using illegal ones, which should be registered as motorbikes.

 

[Artstu]

Hmm, perhaps they should also moan about ordinary bikes too. ...

 

[SRS]

Is the radar gun an attempt to intimidate the cyclist?

Cyclists are not required to fit a speedometer and as such are not requried to know physical speed across the ground in numbers.

Sure, everyone should ride at a speed that is safe for the rider and surrounding pedestrians and alike.

I would take exception to a police officer aiming his gun at me. A distinct distraction and potential hazard.

A gun will not tell him if I am going too fast for the conditions. Only common sense will do that.

A gentle wave over to one side and a quite word would be more appropriate.

 

[JamesW]

Is the radar gun an attempt to intimidate the cyclist?

Cyclists are not required to fit a speedometer and as such are not requried to know physical speed across the ground in numbers.

Sure, everyone should ride at a speed that is safe for the rider and surrounding pedestrians and alike.

I would take exception to a police officer aiming his gun at me. A distinct distraction and potential hazard.

A gun will not tell him if I am going too fast for the conditions. Only common sense will do that.

A gentle wave over to one side and a quite word would be more appropriate.

I believe it is an attempt to educate the cyclist. There are a small number of pedestrian fatalities every year from cyclist colliding with them on the pavement (last time I checked it was about 8), more than 0 is too many!!!

Cyclists ARE required to stick to the speed limit for the road. (It is a legal requirement of the highway code.) It is just very rare for a cyclist to get caught speeding in a 30 as it is difficult, but not impossible. it is more likely to get caught in a 20 or a 10. If you are unable to provide ID and are caught obviously speeding e.g. whizzing past cars at 20 in a 10, then I would not be surprised at all if the police seized your bike in lieu of a fine and charged a release fee!

Providing correct info would probably just get you a fine.

In an unmarked area, just being warned especially if you do not have a speedo fitted is reasonable.

Knowing YOUR speed is YOUR responsibility, there may not be a requirement to have a speedo, but if you are going to cycle fast, how are you going to know when you are travelling so fast it is illegal if you don't?

 

[rusky]

Cyclists aren't required to stick to the speed limit as it's for motorised vehicles. Cyclists can be prosecuted for “cycling furiously” or “wanton and furious riding.”

The reason Jeremy Vine was stopped is because there's speed limits in the royal parks. Let's face it, you know if you're cycling at just above walking pace or hammering past pedestrians.

 

[flecc]

Cyclists ARE required to stick to the speed limit for the road. (It is a legal requirement of the highway code.) It is just very rare for a cyclist to get caught speeding in a 30 as it is difficult, but not impossible. it is more likely to get caught in a 20 or a 10. If you are unable to provide ID and are caught obviously speeding e.g. whizzing past cars at 20 in a 10, then I would not be surprised at all if the police seized your bike in lieu of a fine and charged a release fee!

Adding to Rusky's comment that UK speed limits are only applicable to motor vehicles, nothing you have posted above is true. The Highway Code is not law, it's guidance. It can be used by a court of law for guidance, but cannot be used as mandatory. Nor can the police seize a bike in lieu of a fine, they have no such power. An important distinction is that a legal e-bike is only a bicycle in law, it's not regarded as a motor vehicle. Type approval law 2002/EC/24 section 1, subsection 1(h) quotes the exemption.
.

 

[JamesW]

Then could someone explain:
a) how one of my friends was fined for doing 40 in a 30 after coming down a large hill and being caught with a speed gun?

b) How you can fail your driving test for not knowing parts of the Highway Code if it is "only guidance"?

 

[rusky]

a) What was he fined for exactly?

b) Certain rules in the Highway Code are legal requirements and are identified by the words ‘must’ or ‘must not’. In these cases, the rules also include references to the corresponding legislation. Offenders may be cautioned, given license penalty points, fined, banned from driving, or imprisoned, depending on the severity of the offence. Although failure to comply with the other rules would not, in itself, cause a person to be prosecuted, the Highway Code may be used in court under the Road Traffic Act to establish liability. These include advisory rules with wording ‘should’ and ‘should not’ or ‘do’ and ‘do not’. In general, only the latest official printed version of the Highway Code should used but in legal proceedings, whether civil or criminal, the version current at the time of the incident would apply.

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

Then could someone explain:
a) how one of my friends was fined for doing 40 in a 30 after coming down a large hill and being caught with a speed gun?

b) How you can fail your driving test for not knowing parts of the Highway Code if it is "only guidance"?

a) can be consider furious cycling, which is fineable... he wasn't fined for speeding.... because I've been stopped for doing exactly this.

b) you can fail your test for hitting a curb... doesn't mean its illegal to hit curbs.

 

[JamesW]

"rusky likes this"
- having trouble taking rusky seriously at the moment. the avatar/pic you have chosen rusky looks like something out of Top Gun! Have you got an afterburner on you bike?

 

[rusky]

It was from Movember last year. The aviators were an idea from the marketing manager!