For all the ticketed speeding bicyclists out there, were you doing anything else at the time that may have attracted police attention? I only ask because even when speeding in a two ton car around here, you’re not going to get pulled over merely for speeding.
Plus, you know, there’s no regulation requiring speedometers on bicycles, and so despite statutory speed limits, “safe and prudent” seems reasonable, if the cyclist is in fact reasonable.
Not arguing the law, just wondering if there were extenuating circumstances.
Same in the States (or at least some of them). The charge is generally less serious than operating a motor vehicle under the influence, although in some places it’s the same offense.
Most of the cyclists that I know who are the types to be biking at 30+mph speeds tend not to bring along their wallets with them. I wonder if the cops just take a cyclist’s word as to their name and address, or if they’d have to call someone to come bring them an ID.
Curiously you cannot be done for ‘being drunk in charge of a tandem’
A test case a couple of years back determined that it was not possible to ride a tandem whilst drunk, the riders would simply fall off - and yes, it made all the news at the time.
As for being caught speeding in the UK on a bicycle with a radar gun, easy, ask to see the type approval certificate for the detector on bicycles - there won’t be one because none are type approved, and for hand helds the problem also includes motorcycles due to things such as ‘slippage’ which can over read true speed by 40% or more.
You can still be nailed by the timed distance monitors though - and most police cars have them, its just a stop/start timer linked to a video camera but the calculation of speed is based upon the calibrated mileometer.
Since you can go downhill in Munich (from the riverbank to the bridges over the river) and gather enough speed to be over the speed limit, you theoretically be speeding. The ADFC (General German Cycling Club) however, assured me last year that bikers who go over the speed limit in the city aren’t breaking the law. I haven’t heard the same from a cop, though, and I have never been in a situation personally.
As for riding a bike while drunk: not only will you receive a fine, if you are also a car driver, you will loose your license - because obviously, you don’t know that you shouldn’t be out in traffic when you’re drunk, whether on four or two wheels. (The ADAC General German Automobile Club regularly cites this court case as reminder).
Though taken to its logical conclusion, since pedestrians are also participants in traffic (and can cause accidents indirectly), they should be fined when drunk, too, but I’ve never heard of any cases.
Every year when spring/summer starts and more people are switching over to bikes, the police, newspapers and so on will remind people that bikers have to obey traffic laws, too, and that they will get tickets if they cross red lights or do other dangerous stuff. And the police will then ostentatiously watch obvious spots with high biker traffic and ticket those who cross red lights and similar.
Colophon: riding furiously sounds funny alright. Although I’m not a law expert (and have never taken a license exam - only biker and walker), I do know that the first paragraph of our traffic law (Strassenverkehrsordnung - street traffic regulation) says “Every participant in traffic has to behave at all times in such a way that he doesn’t endanger or hinder or bother other participants.” Which seems to cover pretty much every stupid or dangerous behaviour, even if not listed specifically later.
oh, as for how police measure speeding bikers if radar guns don’t work: my unconfirmed guess would be that they compare the speed of the cars on the street moving with a general speed. If you’re noticeably faster than the majority of the cars doing 50 kph or similar, you are obviously too fast.
When I was in Munich in April I did notice that cyclists didn’t seem to heed the law about not riding bikes on the pavement (sidewalk). We were nearly knocked down a few of times.
When I got my ticket for running a stop sign on my bike in Denver, the cop was saying that he had gotten three bicycles in that day and one was for speeding. I got the feeling that he was on some sort of scavanger hunt with tickets. Does that ever happen? He said, in passing, all he needed was a yellow car and blue SUV with a ski rack. It was Memorial Day so not many ski racks out and about - a few maybe, after all it was Denver.
