Discussion about speed cameras.

[Matthew_T]

Yesterday whilst in college, we had a road safety presentation (2.5 hours long) by the North Wales police, Fire and Rescue service, Ambulance service, and North Wales road safety team. The whole presentation was interesting and the presenters got volunteers who were on their phones to help out in the demonstrations (quite funny).

We got to a bit where the police officer was talking about speeding and what difference it can make to a collision. The police officer was preparing a demonstration and one of my college peers said something about me being on my bike. A person behind me (i didnt know him) chirped up and said that cyclists can still get fined if they are caught speeding. I turned around and explained to him that that is true but speed cameras are not programmed to track small targets like cyclists. The only way the police can accurately measure how fast a cyclist is going is to use either one of the guns (which only rely on the accuracy of the holder) or to measure the speed by driving behind the cyclist which in itself is a very inaccurate way of measuring speed as you are both not going to be doing the same speed all the time.
I then said to him that if I was speeding, the police would be powerless to do anything as I have the right to not give my details and bikes dont have registration plates so they would not be able to trace it to me.

With that I turned back around and the guy must have been thinking I was a bit of an idiot for going into so much detail.

We then watched some idiot 16yo try to do a sobriety test sober and fail (he was as stupid as a stoat). He took ages trying to walk in a straight line and he could not count to 30 in his head (ended up as 25 but he said he wasnt counting as the PO was talking and he was listening).

Then a student out of my group got picked by the ambulance crew to be strapped up in a weird harness and neck brace (didnt look comfy) and get carried around the room by everyone (everyone took his picture and put it on facebook).

We watched a lot of trailers from Ireland because they have a very poor road safety standard and some of them were very grousem.

 

[gaz]

The speed limits are usually there for a reason. The safety of others and our selves. So it is best to keep to the limit, obviously some times this can be hard, sticking to the speed limit will require a speedometer and a lot of attention to it.
Most drivers won't expect to see a cyclist doing +25mph yet alone +30mph.

 

[Dragonwight]

Yesterday whilst in college, we had a road safety presentation (2.5 hours long) by the North Wales police, Fire and Rescue service, Ambulance service, and North Wales road safety team. The whole presentation was interesting and the presenters got volunteers who were on their phones to help out in the demonstrations (quite funny).

We got to a bit where the police officer was talking about speeding and what difference it can make to a collision. The police officer was preparing a demonstration and one of my college peers said something about me being on my bike. A person behind me (i didnt know him) chirped up and said that cyclists can still get fined if they are caught speeding. I turned around and explained to him that that is true but speed cameras are not programmed to track small targets like cyclists. The only way the police can accurately measure how fast a cyclist is going is to use either one of the guns (which only rely on the accuracy of the holder) or to measure the speed by driving behind the cyclist which in itself is a very inaccurate way of measuring speed as you are both not going to be doing the same speed all the time.
I then said to him that if I was speeding, the police would be powerless to do anything as I have the right to not give my details and bikes dont have registration plates so they would not be able to trace it to me.

With that I turned back around and the guy must have been thinking I was a bit of an idiot for going into so much detail.

We then watched some idiot 16yo try to do a sobriety test sober and fail (he was as stupid as a stoat). He took ages trying to walk in a straight line and he could not count to 30 in his head (ended up as 25 but he said he wasnt counting as the PO was talking and he was listening).

Then a student out of my group got picked by the ambulance crew to be strapped up in a weird harness and neck brace (didnt look comfy) and get carried around the room by everyone (everyone took his picture and put it on facebook).

We watched a lot of trailers from Ireland because they have a very poor road safety standard and some of them were very grousem.

The RTA excludes cyclists from the offense of speeding so your unknown friend was wrong.

 

[snorri]

I have the right to not give my details

 

[400bhp]

grousem.

 

[gaz]

The RTA excludes cyclists from the offense of speeding so your unknown friend was wrong.

You can done for other offences, such as riding furiously and wanton & furious driving

 

[Dan_h]

I think you may have it the wrong way around! The RTA says that speed limits apply to motor vehicles, your cycle is not a motor vehicle and therefore the speed limit on a public road does not apply (there are exceptions, I believe some parks in London have special provision for this). As Gaz points out though just because you cannot be done for speeding does not mean that you cannot be in trouble if your actions are thought to be dangerous by the officer.

On the subject of giving details, I believe that it is an offence not to give your details to a police officer when they ask you for them.

 

[StuartG]

On the subject of giving details, I believe that it is an offence not to give your details to a police officer when they ask you for them.

I would suggest it is always politic to be courteous and co-operative with a police officer - especially if he is in the wrong and/or in a bad mood. Only way to make the problem go away or at least not aggravate it.

 

[benb]

On the subject of giving details, I believe that it is an offence not to give your details to a police officer when they ask you for them.

I may be wrong, but I think that's only an offence if the officer has reasonable grounds to suspect you of a crime.
In other words, an officer cannot just ask you to identify yourself just because you look a bit shifty.

 

[Xiorell]

There's only one road I have found where I would be willing once in a blue moon to disregard speed limit. Only when it's nice and sunny, no wind, dry as a bone and at a time when there's no traffic.
It's a big long almost straight hill and you can see waaaaaay ahead down the road, I had just slightly short of 50mph, my fastest, down there in summer so it's going to become my "test" hill to see if what I can max out at. No cameras there though.

Everywhere else, I make a good effort to check the trip-comp when I know I'm likely to match/pass the speed limit

 

[xpc316e]

If you were stopped and spoken to by a Police Officer because he did not like the speed at which you were riding, he could proceed down the 'furious cycling' route as others have noted. That would mean his asking for your details, and if you either cannot provide a name and address suitable for the service of a summons, or you decline to do so, he can arrest you under PACE. If refusing to give particulars was the solution to being done for things, don't you think everyone would have realised that by now?

 

[Matthew_T]

There's only one road I have found where I would be willing once in a blue moon to disregard speed limit. Only when it's nice and sunny, no wind, dry as a bone and at a time when there's no traffic.
It's a big long almost straight hill and you can see waaaaaay ahead down the road, I had just slightly short of 50mph, my fastest, down there in summer so it's going to become my "test" hill to see if what I can max out at. No cameras there though.

Everywhere else, I make a good effort to check the trip-comp when I know I'm likely to match/pass the speed limit

I only have one speed camera near me and last summer I tried to make it flash in the evening (only 30mph limit). I thought I was going to beat it but only did 27 through it.

 

[G-Zero]

If you were stopped and spoken to by a Police Officer because he did not like the speed at which you were riding, he could proceed down the 'furious cycling' route as others have noted. That would mean his asking for your details, and if you either cannot provide a name and address suitable for the service of a summons, or you decline to do so, he can arrest you under PACE. If refusing to give particulars was the solution to being done for things, don't you think everyone would have realised that by now?

+1 .... other than careless cycling would do these days, rather than furious.

 

[Dragonwight]

You can done for other offences, such as riding furiously and wanton & furious driving

Wanton & furious cycling (Offenses against the person act 1861) you have to injure some to get charged with this.
Riding furiously, I was actually threatened with this by a police officer 15 odd years ago unsurprisingly it was an empty threat. How do you prove someone is cycling furiously down a big hill? and has anyone actually been convicted of it since the stone age?

 

[Dan B]

Never underestimate the intelligence of the stoat.

A mistake all too weaselly made