What happens when a cyclist breaks the speed limit?

[Jenkins]

If you do set off the speed camera and they can identify you from the picture, do you get a copy of the picture for boasting purposes?

 

[matticus]

I work with a guy whose daughter works for local police, processing minor speeding offences and the like; he's been talking about it a lot this week. I DARE NOT ask him what they would do if their cameras caught me exceeding the (car) speed limit á velo.

It could be hilarious. He also might die of heart failure, after clubbing me to death with the nearest stapler.

 

[DCLane]

If you do set off the speed camera and they can identify you from the picture, do you get a copy of the picture for boasting purposes?

My son's old club got sent a letter requesting they identify the rider who kept setting off a local speed camera near us with a photo. Erm ... "I recognise that child's bum" and their bike's sat in my shed

It went up in their annual presentation on the big screen. Let's say the message may have been interpreted differently by the riders

 

[DCLane]

It’s 20mph on the roads round our estate, I can easily do 23/24 mph on bits of it, yet still get overtaken by cars, and managed to trigger the “Bend-Slow” sign at Newmillerdam heading back to Wakefield from Barnsley, that’s a 30 mph road

That one's OK to set off, providing no-one pulls out from the left junction or is turning right into the Newmillerdam car park.

 

[houblon]

My understanding is that is not a substantive charge by itself, the legislation specifies that bodily harm must result to complete the offence. (And it's furious driving, not cycling.)

Drivers of carriages injuring persons by furious driving.​

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, and being convicted thereof shall be liable, at the discretion of the court, to be imprisoned for any term not exceeding two years​

This lad was convicted, though he hadn't been involved in any sort of incident.

He was convicted in his absence, however, as he didn't turn up in court.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2014/jul/25/can-cyclists-be-fined-for-speeding

"So has a cyclist ever been fined specifically for speed? That's hard to find. But in September 1997, the Cambridge Evening News and the Guardian reported that a cyclist was fined £120 for travelling through the city centre at 25mph in a 30mph zone. Quite extraordinarily, police used a law that was more than 150 years old for "riding furiously". The Town Police Clauses Act of 1847, section 28, F18, states that penalties will be given to "every person who rides or drives furiously any horse or carriage, or drives furiously any cattle". Furiously? Seriously? The Guardian story named the rider as one Tony Adams, a postal worker, 24, who was also in training to try and break Chris Boardman's pursuit record. Adams said: "I couldn't believe it. I wasn't even pedalling furiously." "

 

[Trickedem]

It was always a good game on the Friday Night Ride to the Coast rides to Brighton. With a fair motley few trying to set off the speed signs on the drop into town.

Myself and Adrian triggered that speed camera. He was on a Brompton and wearing a top hat. I like to imagine someone from the Sussex Constabulary would have smiled at that.

 

[KnittyNorah]

How about a skateboard then or a shopping trolley?

Is it only something with 2 wheels?

How about a Horse?

A ridden or driven horse is highly unlikely to break a speed limit on a road. An 'average' horse trots at around 8-12mph and canters at around 10 - 15mph or a bit more. Some horses can trot, pace, or do a similar two-beat gait, significantly faster, at canter speed - but they can't, or find it difficult to, canter. It's a genetic thing. I once used to ride a horse who trotted in front and cantered behind; logic said that he should have cut his legs to pieces but he tracked so wide in front and so narrow behind that there was plenty of room for his iron shod feet without him hitting himself!
Full gallop can be anything above canter speed, up to around 30mph, depending on the horse. A specialist sprinter on perfect surface (turf) over a short distance will go significantly faster, 50mph or a bit more.
However, on a normal road surface it would be foolish and risky to deliberately ride or drive a horse above a trot except in an emergency and for a short distance - a few yards in a canter - as it is all too easy for a horse to slip and fall on such a surface, never mind the damage it will do to its joints.
Riding or driving 'furiously' is the crime, I believe.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The furiously is about driving a carriage furiously. A bike is considered a carriage for purposes of the law. They’d have to prove you were “driving” furiously. Simply freewheeling under gravity or with a demonstrably non maximal heart rate would surely disprove the furious bit.

 

[Dogtrousers]

As has been said above, on the public roads governed by the regular road traffic laws the speed limits only apply to motor vehicles, not bicycles so if you can safely exceed them, go ahead.

If, while exceeding them, your riding becomes dangerous then you may be contravening other laws.

But there are places where this isn't the case. The Royal Parks (and possibly other places) are governed by other laws . You can be done for speeding there.

And whether or not you have a speedometer is neither here nor there. The important point is whether they can prove you were speeding, not whether you knew you were speeding.

Personally, I doubt I've ever bothered a speed camera, so it's not something that has ever really concerned me.

 

[DRM]

That one's OK to set off, providing no-one pulls out from the left junction or is turning right into the Newmillerdam car park.

I’ve had that one, idiot in guess what, yes a BMW, straight out from the left junction near the cafe, about 3 to 4 meters in front of a car that was in front of me, caused the car to emergency brake & swerve left, was an elderly gent in a little hatchback so how dare he impede a BMW, I went right and was actually alongside the BMW driver who got a right mouthful and an invite to pull over, he shot off and I sprinted after it , but the brave hero went round the left bend and turned right up the steep hill, nearly hitting another car heading towards Newmillerdam, knowing I couldn’t keep up, luckily I was going steady that day and not triggering flashing road signs, it could have been nasty and the idiot causing it all would have had no clue what he’d caused to happen

 

[I like Skol]

I enjoy passing cars on the 20mph roads round here. They are usually doing 15/18mph, so passing them is easy.

And we wonder why cyclists are despised by so many motorists?......

It's 20 for a reason, twenty is plenty, it's a limit not a target! But don't worry about it, you just carry on as you are, being an ambassador for our activity and helping to cement driver/cyclist relations.

 

[Cathryn]

wanton or furious cycling,
For breaking the speed limit alone, you can't.

That sounds EPIC

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

And we wonder why cyclists are despised by so many motorists?......

It's 20 for a reason, twenty is plenty, it's a limit not a target! But don't worry about it, you just carry on as you are, being an ambassador for our activity and helping to cement driver/cyclist relations.

Who said I went above the limit?
You should read what was written not what you want to see.
Inside the limit overtaking is allowed or do you not know that.?
Keep off the Skol, your brain can't take it.

 

[C R]

Who said I went above the limit?
You should read what was written not what you want to see.
Inside the limit overtaking is allowed or do you not know that.?
Keep off the Skol, your brain can't take it.

Your original post is ambiguous, and a few others have told stories about purposeful going faster than the advertised limit. I agree with @I like Skol, the limits are there for a reason.

 

[matticus]

Your original post is ambiguous, and a few others have told stories about purposeful going faster than the advertised limit. I agree with @I like Skol, the limits are there for a reason.

Correct: the speed limits for motor vehicles are there to keep us safe(r) from those motor vehicles.

It's a shame that drivers so often ignore these limits ... do they hate each-other for it??