Talking of Law...

[Cat]

I just read some of the offences regarding pedal cycles under the Road Traffic Act 1988.

1) Riding a cycle while unfit

A person who, when riding a cycle on a road or other public place, is unfit to ride through drink or drugs (that’s to say under the influence of drink and drugs to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the cycle) is guilty of an offence.....

& for those who are smart to ride there bike as above but wheeling rather than "riding" the cycle creates a different offence....

2) Cycle racing on a public highway

A person who promotes and takes part in a race or trial of speed on a public way between cycles is guilty of an offence, unless the race or trial

(a) is authorised and
( is conducted with any conditions imposed, by or under regulations under this section. etc etc


Just out of curiosity.... As most of you are experienced cyclist, are you aware of the many laws that are out there regarding offences like above?
Also, whilst i was out a cyclist couldn’t be bothered to wait for a green light, and carried on not obeying the red traffic signal.... gggrrrr

 

[yenrod]

I know the laws re: cyclist & cycling BUT alot of law comes under the reasoning of common sense and some comes under the direction of stupid.

Having worked in law.

But voted NO.

 

[philr]

a police officer who has got time to enforce those laws, is not doing his or her work properly, as we are usually running around raggid dealing with the usual shod, like domestics where police are called because the man of the house wants to watch the match and the female wants to watch eastenders, then they try and kill each other. most of the time you could not even invent stories police end up dealing with like that,

so vote "YES BUT TO HELL WITH IT"

but we do sometimes enforce reg 10 traffic law, driving / cycling carelessly and failing to comply with traffic signs, ie red traffic light.

but usually only if it results in injury or complaint.

i am sure some other constabularies may beg to differ.

oops re-read the original question, my update is above

 

[Noodley]

Yes I know the law. I am a former Police Officer. Obvioulsy, not as good as philr is as he is busy dealing with stuff he knows about. Like going along to rubbish like domestics and stuff

 

[tdr1nka]

Book 'im Danno! LOL

I say YES, but only 'cos I knew those laws.........

 

[Night Train]

I know these laws too but only because I am one of those sad people who regularly buys a new copy of the HC to read up on any changes.

I also drive at no more then the speed limit and push pull the steering wheel as I was taught.

 

[marinyork]

The 1988 RTA is standard cop (no pun intended). If anyone is interested in the laws and not aware of them (a very small number of people indeed I suspect) the Highway Code references each and every law it uses so there is an everyday practical(ish) explanation and where it comes from.

 

[ufkacbln]

You forgot "ish"

A fair knowledge, but always open to new ones (As often promoted here) For instance it was a cycle forum that informed me my tool kit "Topeak Alien" is illegal as it comprises a locking blade!

 

[vernon]

And what about the people who know the cycling laws throught custom and practice rather than reading the HC and RTA?

 

[jasper]

I also push pull the steering wheel as I was taught.

But that isn't the best method. We where taught that way before power steering and the steering wheel was the size of a flying saucer and now it's stuck in the annuls of time. But look at how racing drivers steer, always two hands on the wheel and even crossing arms on tight bends, but aways in control. Your method only has one hand on at any given time when pushing or pulling.

 

[JohnRedcoRn]

philr;

tell me about it. I'm in mental health and we dont have much time to do what we're trained for. folk with genuine mental health problems get a poorer service than they should as our caseloads are clogged up with a lot of wasters playing the mental health card to avoid COURT or WORK. and young lads agitated and paranoid becuse of all the speed and ecstacy and valium theyve washed down with white cider every day. you cops will undoubtedly come across a lot of this rubbish too

 

[Night Train]

But that isn't the best method. We where taught that way before power steering and the steering wheel was the size of a flying saucer and now it's stuck in the annuls of time. But look at how racing drivers steer, always two hands on the wheel and even crossing arms on tight bends, but aways in control. Your method only has one hand on at any given time when pushing or pulling.

No, it may not be the best for every occasion but it is perfectly adequate for the road and works fine with powered steering. With manual steering a lot of drivers would pull the wheel hand over hand in the direction of turn. With powered steering I see many driver 'palm' the wheel round with very little real control.
On the track, with a fast steering rack I would cross my hands on the wheel but on the road my hands are all ways in the best position regardless of the turn of the wheel. If I crossed my arms on the wheel and, due to some error, found I needed more turn then I would not be able to apply more turn easily.

Anyway, my point was that I drive as I was taught with minimal pick up of bad habits and regular re-reading of the HC and I practice and improve my driving ability where/when ever possible in the same way I do with my other career and hobby skills.

 

[jasper]

Wasn't having a go NT, merely pointing out that sometimes that's not the best method. Anyway gone slightly OT...

 

[Cat]

a police officer who has got time to enforce those laws, is not doing his or her work properly, as we are usually running around raggid dealing with the usual shod, like domestics where police are called because the man of the house wants to watch the match and the female wants to watch eastenders, then they try and kill each other. most of the time you could not even invent stories police end up dealing with like that,

so vote "YES BUT TO HELL WITH IT"

but we do sometimes enforce reg 10 traffic law, driving / cycling carelessly and failing to comply with traffic signs, ie red traffic light.

but usually only if it results in injury or complaint.

i am sure some other constabularies may beg to differ.

oops re-read the original question, my update is above

with regards to the quote above, i would believe your on core response were you deal with the same old over and over again *i do feel sorry for you on that one*, whereby you have other officers that don’t run around mad in a car with blue lights flashing, they buy the most comfortable shoes/boats they can find & do the old form of transport - Foot Patrol. Where unfortunately when an I-call comes out they are normally 20 - 30minutes away, its very unlikely they are on top of something when it comes out. So reading the Blackstone’s police Manual - The road policing one, I came across these offences, out of curiosity & wondered who actually knew them.

If an officer has got time to enforce these laws it does not constitute to not doing his/her work properly, they are doing there job Effectively. while response team is running around "Raggid" the poor officer on the street will normally enforce such a thing on their way to dealing with an S-call, such as words of advice, is sometimes all it needs, not just ignoring it!

so with the foot patrol officer doing this may prevent you having to take time out the CAD's busy schedule and give you a few less calls to deal with such as the injury and/or the complaint or even the RTA that may have resulted from someone's Stupidity we often see

Just my thought and opinion

 

[philr]

yep i cannot remember the last time i had time to pick up a speed gun and point it at moving traffic.

mind you i lose count of the amount of drunks i see trying to cycle home after an evening of getting lashed.

i do not stop them for cycling whilst unfit, as the comedy value of watching them trying to cycle up lane is a good relief from the shod.