This text appears on the websites of several local councils and says 20mph limits apply to all road users including cyclists. Not sure where the law is behind that.
Probably taking their cue from the HC which neglects to point out thatspeed limits are motor vehicle speed limits. I had a quick look at the speed limit legislation but didn't see anything that didn't apply solely to motor vehicles
(5)A speed order is an order authorising the local traffic authority by whom it is made to take measures with a view to reducing the speed of motor vehicles or cycles (or both) on a road to below that specified in the order.
(5)A speed order is an order authorising the local traffic authority by whom it is made to take measures with a view to reducing the speed of motor vehicles or cycles (or both) on a road to below that specified in the order.
How do you know when a speed limit is National Legislation speed limit (i.e. Highway Code, not covering cyclists) and when there is local byelaws, etc. where a speed limit would apply to cyclists. Presumably the signs are different. I would assume there must be some pretty explicit signs indicating that they do apply to cyclists, horse riders, etc.
Psamathe wrote:I would assume there must be some pretty explicit signs indicating that they do apply to cyclists, horse riders, etc.
I think that would be a most unwise assumption.
Incidentally I don't know where the following sign is, nor if there is a bye-law to back it up. I do know that a speed limit with a blue background would typically indicate a minimum but I doubt that was the intention .
High on a cocktail of flossy teacakes and marmalade
If you are on Facebook - it was Jeremy Vine from Radio 2 stopped for doing 16mph through Hyde Park. From the short looped clip of video I would said the greatest safety hazard was posed by the policeman standing in the middle of the path waving his speed gun around berating whiney Viney while other cyclists go zipping past. I am sure this question has been posed before but if a bicycle is not fitted with any kind of speed indication how is a cyclist expected to know if they are breaking the speed limit?
(5)A speed order is an order authorising the local traffic authority by whom it is made to take measures with a view to reducing the speed of motor vehicles or cycles (or both) on a road to below that specified in the order.
Good find
The wording is odd. It doesn't mention speed limits or create an offence of exceeding them. If that had been the intention then surely it would have been more explicit? Given that the local councils had already been granted the power to declare 20mph speed limits (for motors), there would have been no need for this power to be granted again. Notice also the curious use of "motor vehicles or cycles" rather than "motor vehicles or pedal cycles"
Enabling the local authority to "take measures" sounds to me like authorisation for some kind of traffic calming. Given that the Home Zone trials entailed substantial unusual and experimental alterations to road layout that sounds plausible. I guess it is rather moot now that Home Zones and Quiet Lanes seem to have gone the way of Play Streets and Panda and Tiger Crossings
if any person riding any horse or beast, or driving any sort of carriage, shall ride or drive the same furiously so as to endanger the life or limb of any passenger;
Whosoever, having the charge of any carriage or vehicle, shall by wanton or furious driving or racing, or other wilful misconduct, or by wilful neglect, do or cause to be done any bodily harm to any person whatsoever, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor
The first applies to highways only, the latter applies everywhere.
Inappropriate speed could probably also come under offences such as inconsiderate, careless and dangerous cycling and public nuisance.
mercalia wrote:isnt thre also a law some think like cycling too vigorously? that applies every where?
There's furious cycling, which only applies in areas which have adopted the Town Police Clauses Act. (Don't ask me how anybody knows where it applies because I've no idea. They certainly don't have road signs telling you.) Causing injury by driving furiously applies everywhere and a cyclist was convicted quite recently.
Incidentally, for anybody who's read in one of those cut-and-paste cycling law articles that there's no such offence, it's been fully discussed on here previously.
"Knowingly" isn't an ingredient of the offence. The offence applies to the drivers of certain motor vehicles which aren't required to be fitted with a speedo.
Every person who rides or drives furiously any horse or carriage, or drives furiously any cattle:
That makes three separate offences of furious carriage driving!
(Don't ask me how anybody knows where it applies because I've no idea.
Well that's my next question out the window
I recall that a few years ago some lads were driving cars around a local car park at night creating a din etc. After complaints they were prosecuted for driving furiously.
"It takes a genius to spot the obvious" - my old physics master.
I don't peddle bikes.
I think we should bring back the man with the red flag, walking in front. That'll teach 'em. All of 'em.
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity. Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments... --- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
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