jgwilliams

I read somewhere that here in the UK speed limits generally don't apply to bicycles, hence the comment in the articles as to whether bike riders should even be fined for speeding. The Royal Parks are allowed to set their own rules in this respect, but it means that over here we couldn't get a speeding ticket on our bikes, although I imagine the police would take a dim view of anything they felt was dangerous.

Aardwolf

Here's a fairly good explanation of the UK position: https://www.theguardian.com/environm...d-for-speeding

Apparently "riding furiously" isn't allowed but speeding is.

Update:
Knew I'd read more about this recently - Plod now say you can't cycle too fast in Richmond Park.
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/c...police-confirm

locolobo13 

On a bike? No. Got a couple of speed warnings driving. Currently freeway traffic averages 70-80 mph in the 55 zone.

GhostRider62

A velomobile rider got a speeding ticket on Paris Brest Paris, he was doing 73 mph. I hoped to get one, too. Alas, I barely cracked 60 mph.

I had a LEO radar gun clock me at 38 mph in a 25 zone (slows from 35 to 25 approaching RR tracks). He gave me a thumbs up. Disappointed. I guess how can they give you a ticket. Against what license? I rarely have ID when riding.

Koyote

Against your driver's license, regardless of whether you have it with you. See #5, which is pretty standard in most (maybe all) states: https://transport.tamu.edu/Alternati.../statelaw.aspx

indyfabz

I did not stage this. The wind was that strong, and I was riding with four panniers. My campground was only a few miles up the road. The wind was so strong I watched some guy nearly lose his tent trying to pitch it. I napped in the shade and waited for the wind to die down late in the afternoon before I pitched mine. No speeding ticket that day.

GhostRider62

Bitteroot range into Colorado?

220 watts on TT clipons to average 8 mph for 50+ miles was hell

indyfabz

State route 2 in Montana east of Whitehall.

I think the speed device was there because there had recently been a big music festival. You can see the outdoor venue off in the distance.

hellopizza

Not a speeding ticket but a cop stopped me for rolling through a 4 way stop near my house. I slowed (to check for other cars) but didn't stop. He said he could give me a ticket but left me with a warning.

rsbob 

Got a thumbs up when speed gunned by a moto-cop when doing 18 MPH in a 35 MPH zone. Stopped to chat with the guy for 10 minutes or so and saw him again later that day at a county park where we both stopped for nature breaks. He gave me a wave as he rode off.

gpburdell

It'd be an accomplishment in Georgia. No points until you're 15+ over the limit, and only a $25 fine for 6-10 over. Basically, other than school zones, you can add 14mph to any speed limit with impunity.

zandoval 

Almost...

Got pulled over in our local State Park for going over 15 MPH. I was going down hill off of a lookout point. That near ticket kinda saved my life. The Park Ranger said he was going to pull me over and shake me down every time he saw me ridding without a helmet. Helmets are not mandatory in Texas for adults but I started wearing one, at least when going through the park. Years latter I had a near tangle with some Feral Hogs and took a bad spill. The helmet saved my life I am sure...

indyfabz

A couple of people got speeding tickets in Crater Lake National Park during Cycle Oregon. The rangers are pretty strict when there are 2,000+ people riding through during an event.

wolfchild

I don't ride fast enough to get a speeding ticket.

njkayaker

Any actual examples?

njkayaker

Speeding isn't magically legal if your speedometer is inaccurate, broken, nonexistent, or something you are ignoring. (Car speedometers often read higher than actual, by the way.)

Iride01 

Nothing I'd consider definitive. And I'm not versed well enough in legal-eze to be able to find the definitive section of the law.

Here is an FAQ that specifically states speed limits for motorists.


https://opendata.gis.ms.gov/pages/57...e1331eca3fa203

And this is the section of Mississippi Code that speaks to speed limits.... I think! Note that in the title it specifically says Motor Vehicles

https://law.justia.com/codes/mississ...-3/article-11/


So I don't know. But maybe something to look at if you ever want to get out of a ticket for speeding on a bicycle. Might not be well defined or court tested.

njkayaker

You have to look at the actual law. Secondary sources can be wrong. Your first link from the "Mississippi Geospatial Data Catalog " doesn't count.

This law is talking about the maximum speed on highways and it isn't restricted to motor vehicles.

Here's a "minimum speed law" that mentions "motor vehicles" but it wouldn't apply to cyclists anyway (the minimum speed is too high).

https://advance.lexis.com/container?...d-daa7e6c3d745

This covers following posted speed limits and it applies to "drivers of vehicles" (which bicyclists are equivalent to by law). (There is no specific "speeding law" that I can find.)

============================

Some states define bicycles as vehicles and some don't. That ends-up not mattering because every state (that I know of) has a law that says "a rider of a bicycle has the same rights and duties of a driver of a motor vehicle".

I think it's very unlikely that any state excludes cyclists from the speeding laws. It's as "well defined" as running stop signs.

Avoiding getting involved with the law (risking the possibility of getting a ticket) is a separate concern from how one might defend oneself after the fact.

Iride01 

Well then you prove that they don't. In my original post I said I wasn't positive about this. The link to justia does mirror the actual Mississippi Code. I just couldn't find my link to the State source quickly.

I don't think running stop sign and speed limits are anywhere close to the same thing. MS law does consider a bicycle a vehicle as do most states. I actually don't know of any that don't consider bicycles vehicles. But that's always thrown out there when reading about it.

What's not so clear in law for cycles in many states is that sometimes the exemptions make other sections of code conflicting and ambiguous. As well there is the section of code where the title say Motor Vehicle, and some of the verbiage in the clauses says vehicle. So that will require a court case to test that discrepancy.

Few legislators are interested to make every little piece of law jive with the other until someone powerful goes to court and proves a point.

So while I say "might". You can say a definitive "no it doesn't" if you want to.

njkayaker

The following proves it.

https://advance.lexis.com/container?...d-daa7e6c3d745

"Traffic-control devices" includes speed limit signs.

==================

The justia link was fine (the link to "Mississippi Geospatial Data Catalog " isn't).

It's fairly common that bicycles are not vehicles. NJ happens to be one of those states.

https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jer...ection-39-1-1/
The thing is that it doesn't matter whether or not bicycles are vehicles or not.

The reason it doesn't matter is due to the following law (that every state, as far as I know) has a form of:

https://www.state.nj.us/transportati...gulations.shtm

======================================

??? That they aren't "close to the same thing" isn't relevant (and doesn't make a law not apply).

Laws talking about "motor vehicles" don't apply to bicycles/bicyclists. Laws talking about "vehicles" (being driven) apply to bicyclists. It's not that hard.

Iride01 

I don't think you proved anything. Without tracing the path of where that statement is contained and looking at all the definition of terms, all you are doing is taking something out of context and saying that supports your position.

Same thing I'm doing.

Relax, it's okay for others to have different opinions. What many call facts is just their opinion of how to interpret the facts.


I'm done here, I see no reason to continue this argument that neither of us is likely to change our opinion on.

njkayaker

You are making the "earth is flat" claim. The burden of proof is on you.

No legislature would take the effort of excluding cyclists from the speed limit.

If cyclists have to obey stop signs, they have to obey speed limit signs. Unless there is a law that says speed limit signs don't apply.

No. You only need these two laws to get to the conclusion that bicyclists have to obey speed limit signs. You'd need to find text in the law that indicates that bicyclists don't have to obey speed limit signs.

https://law.justia.com/codes/mississ...tion-63-3-207/

This means bicyclists have the same duties as drivers of vehicles.

https://law.justia.com/codes/mississ...tion-63-3-313/

"Traffic-control devices" includes stops signs and speed limit signs. The earlier law says that "drivers of a vehicle" is legally equivalent to "person riding a bicycle".

rsbob 

Meh…..

tempocyclist

No, not technically legal, but if you have no way of measuring speed or it's not a "motor vehicle" (eg: bicycles, skateboards, etc) then a speeding ticket cannot be given in some countries. The police could of course just fine you for something else.

EG: In England...Speed limits don’t apply to cyclists:

Speed limits are designed for motor vehicles. Rule 124 of the Highway Code sets limits for various vehicles, which MUST be complied with. Bicycles are not included. While you can’t normally be charged for speeding on a bicycle you could, in extreme cases, be charged with careless cycling (maximum fine £1,000) or dangerous cycling (max fine £2,500). Furthermore, local bye-laws can impose limits on cyclists.

gpburdell

FWIW, here's Georgia's version (as I understand it). Interesting exclusions.

O.C.G.A 40-6-291: "The provisions of this chapter that apply to vehicles, but not exclusively to motor vehicles, shall apply to bicycles, except that the penalties prescribed in subsection (b) of Code Section 40-6-390, subsection (c) of Code Section 40-6-391, and subsection (a) of Code Section 40-6-393 shall not apply to persons riding bicycles."

O.C.G.A 40-6-390 subsection (b) discusses the penalties for conviction of Reckless Driving
O.C.G.A 40-6-391 subsection (c) discusses the penalties for conviction of DUI.
O.C.G.A 40-6-393 subsection (a) discussed the penalties for Homicide by Vehicle