Does Speeding Apply To Cycling?

[oldbobcat]

That story beats all. Especially the part about beating the stop sign rap.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

I think I was more worried about the Deputies scratching my Colnago than getting grilled over the double homicide thing!

I hit a Newfoundland mutt the size of a small cow one afternoon and although I thought I did no damage to the Gardin bike, the next afternoon the left fork blade folded up and my face kissed the road as I tried to accelerate away from a red light...front wheel didn't turn too good...

A nice police officer was in a cop car station wagon (what's the odds of a cop station wagon being three cars back in line behind you when your bike folds up on you?) pulled up to me as was picking myself up...helmet good...sun glasses trashed.

He had me look in his rearview to see that I had split my forehead open and we put the bike in the back of the wagon and he drove me to the ER of the local hospital. The very same ER and hospital I drilled the Buick at with the Pinarello pic I posted in Collin's race video thread.

Small world...small cut that only needed 3 stitches. Just lots of blood!

 

[schwinnhund]

Speed laws apply to cyclists in the US, same as for cars. I have been ticketed (and convicted) 2 times for speeding, over 40 years of riding. The judges in both cases were amused, but fined me just the same. In both instances, I was coming to the end of a long downhill run, and trying not to smoke my brakes (I've lived in the Southern Appalachian Mountains for over 3 decades).

 

[adfnio]

I've never heard or seen of any cyclist being pulled over for speeding. That insane if a officer pulls out a radar and tags someone.

 

[joshposh]

Same goes for me as well. I think most recreational bike riders would not get ticketed. We can't go that fast in a bike made for recreation. I think its the enthusiast that have the equipment that is geared for speed that might get tagged if not careful.

 

[BobCochran]

I think here in Maryland bicyclists can get ticketed too. I'm wondering what happens to young cyclists who get stopped for speeding but they do not have driver's licenses. If the law enforcement people wanted to give out a ticket, could they ticket the parent(s)? With that said...we have such dense motor vehicle traffic featuring "parking lot" road conditions that I'm not sure our law enforcement officers are interested in the relatively rare speeding cyclists. They have worse problems to cope with, from the motorized drivers.

Bob

 

[ABNPFDR]

Tickets are issued to individuals, not licenses, therefore you do not need a license to earn a ticket. It is just like any other misdemeanor offense.

 

[Totalarmordestine]

It should apply. But some states are very selective on having the rule enforced or even having it at all. But it should be a nationwide rule based alone on how fast some people can go on bikes nowadays. I've seen people that are just total demons speed wise and I'll be damn if I get hit by them going down some hill at 40 mph.

 

[Froze]

Yes you can get cited for speeding on a bike, I was once cited for doing 34 in a 25 school zone...however being that I also drove cars fast and the judge knew me quite well said these words to me after a very hearty laugh and reading the citation out loud for the rest of the courtroom to hear: "Froze, it seems it doesn't matter what you ride on, a car or a bike, you have a need to exceed the speed limit, but today you made my day, ticket dismissed."

 

[Corzhens]

I am for the speed limit in biking. There are roads that are designed for slow vehicles, bikes included. Speed limit is there not just to restrict the speed but it is imposed for safety purposes. In other words, speed limit is to protect vehicles on that no good road. We had a dirt road here where bikers usually crash. It becomes so slippery when it rains and so dusty when it is summer.

 

[Froze]

Speeding is speeding be it in a car or a bicycle which both are subject to the same rules of the road, and thus you are subject, but rarely enforced, to a speeding ticket if you exceed the posted speed limit.

I did get a speeding ticket on a bicycle many years ago doing 34 in a 25 school zone and shown by the motorcycle cops radar, I argued that I didn't have a speedometer thus had no clue of my speed, he didn't back down and wrote the citation. I took it to court and got a judge who was well acquainted with me due to numerous appearances for auto related tickets. He read the ticket out loud to the court as was customary with tickets when he just started laughing (as did the entire courtroom) when he realized I was on a bicycle, then he said this to me: "Froze, it seems it doesn't matter if you're driving your car or riding your bicycle you just have to break the speed limit, you made my day with this one though, case dismissed!"

I've broken a lot of 20 and 25 mph speed limits on my bike as well as others I knew and we never got tickets, I think cops look the other way when it comes to speeding on a bike. I once broke a 35 mph speed limit doing around 60! The cop at the bottom of the hill wasn't too happy about me running the stop sign either, but on that particular situation as I was pulling over to stop I noticed a trail going off into the woods, so I took the trail to financial freedom.

 

[jhuskey]

• Each states laws vary but I believe that most have statutes dealing with parental responsibility that include financial responsibility. Some have changed in recent years spurred by act of violence by minors but for the most part the simple answer would be that a child could be ticketed but the parent would be responsible for the payment or damages, at least in the eyes of the law.

 

[9lines]

Instead, there should be a road sign indication of cycling. I have never heard before of cycling limits. I think it only applies to motorists. It is because bikes can not attain such high speeds. It upon the cyclist to consider his muscles.

 

[Catsyo]

Instead, there should be a road sign indication of cycling. I have never heard before of cycling limits. I think it only applies to motorists. It is because bikes can not attain such high speeds. It upon the cyclist to consider his muscles.

It definitely applies to cyclists. These laws apply to any vehicle using the roads. In most jurisdictions, a bike counts as a vehicle. It might be really hard to speed in certain situations but you can definitely be cited for it. I know friends who have been pulled over on their bikes for doing illegal things. The police, at least in my state, can and will pull you over if they feel like it. I even know someone who got a DWI on a bike. (how dumb do you have to be to do that?)

You might be able to talk your way out of a ticket by claiming you didn't know how fast you were going or possibly get a sympathetic judge who will drop it, but it's definitely illegal.

 

[Jojo83]

Well, I think speeding definitely applies more so to cyclists. Because, we're under much higher danger levels that those in cars or trucks. There may not be laws against bicycle speeding, but we owe it to ourselves to be careful when riding.

 

[kylerlittle]

I don't think there is a speeding indication machine for bikes, perhaps there is but it needs to be installed, it could be easily done on electric bikes. I think there should be limits because sometimes it could be really dangerous.

 

[Susimi]

I often wonder this. There is a speed camera just down the road from me on a hill and I am very tempted to see if I can set it off.

Police often sit around that area so it has me wondering what they would do if they saw me riding past at a pace and setting the camera off?

 

[mpre53]

I don't think there is a speeding indication machine for bikes, perhaps there is but it needs to be installed, it could be easily done on electric bikes. I think there should be limits because sometimes it could be really dangerous.

Sure there are. Bike speedometers have been around for years. The GPS ones don't even need any special sensors on the pedals/rims. Just a secure mount where you can read it.

 

[jhuskey]

Some really old bike speed indicators calculated speed by wind velocity. Dont think they were very accurate.

 

[JSWin]

I'm pretty sure a bicycle is considered a vehicle and needs to obey the rules of the road. But, and that's a big but, you can do what you want. I don't think anyone is going to bother you. Doesn't seem to be a big concern what cyclists do.