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feature
Cyclists in Richmond Park with London skyline (copyright Simon MacMichael)Do cyclists have to stick to the speed limit?
You might have seen the topic of cyclists and speed limits is back in the news this week. That's after a group ride in Dartmoor was stopped by the police for descending at 39mph into a village with a 30mph speed limit. But what does the law say about speed limits for cyclists? Can you be fined? Do you have to stick to them?
Devon and Cornwall's Roads Policing Team explained to road.cc how they "offered appropriate words of advice" to the cyclists they saw riding above the 30mph limit, but crucially, "legislation does not require cyclists to adhere to the speed limit". That's the crux of the matter — cyclists do not share the same legal obligation as motorists to stick to speed limits in the United Kingdom.
Rule 124 of the Highway Code outlines a table for vehicles' maximum legal speed on different roads, from built-up areas through to motorways, but does not mention cyclists. Furthermore, while the 1984 Road Traffic Regulation Act outlines the law regarding speed limits, again cyclists are not mentioned.
Now-retired traffic police officer and recent road.cc Podcast guest Mark Hodson, who pioneered close pass operations with West Midlands Police, told us: "It's common knowledge that speed limits only apply to motor vehicles so the offence of 'excess speed' where a cyclist is concerned simply can't happen.
"You could commit the offences of 'cycling without due care' or 'wanton and furious cycling' but you would have to hit a high threshold of possible endangerment that would normally only occur in shared spaces where other vulnerable road users are present.
"It really does baffle me as someone who has spent the best years of my life trying to reduce road danger and demand at source as to why some people, and officers, get so entangled in cyclist behaviours.
"After all, evidentially it's obvious that to do so is a waste of time and resources, and anyone with even a bit of intelligence realises that the inherent sense of vulnerability that accompanies cycling prevents many of the endangering behaviours we see exhibited by drivers.
"If they are exhibited by cyclists, the relative amounts of kinetic energy involved and the tiny impact they currently induce on society means that to even concern oneself with them in a climate of increasing driver-induced demand and reduced resources is simply somewhere between incompetent and foolish."
But what about bylaws?
The only exception is where a local bylaw has been enforced. These will be away from public roads, often in areas such as parks or seafront promenades.
For example, Hampstead Heath in north west London has a bylaw in place stating that: "No person shall in any open space drive any vehicle, bicycle or tricycle or ride any animal at a rate exceeding twelve miles an hour or so as to endanger the public."
Breaching a bylaw can result in an on-the-spot fine.
Where do cyclists have to adhere to speed limits?
While the United Kingdom shares its stance that speed limits do not apply to cyclists with one of the world's most cycling-friendly nations, the Netherlands, there are plenty of destinations around the world where you will be expected to stick to the same speed limit that motorists are obliged to follow, such as in Spain.
In Australia and the United States too cyclists must follow the same rules of the road as motorists, although exact details and fines may vary depending on the state.
In Queensland, for example, cyclists can be fined A$287 (£146) for exceeding the speed limit by 11km/h.
Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.
Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he's a bit strange like that.
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112 comments
Cyclists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
Velociraptor.
Clever girl.
In your opinion.
There appears to be some touching faith in "but laws should be consistent, should be formulated to cover all circumstances, and different parts of legislation should hang together" on display here...
Consistent for the UK I guess? Presumably those responsible know there's a chance legislation may emerge somewhat changed if it makes it through parliament - then the courts are going to set about interpreting it? (If the police / CPS decide to bring cases before them, of course!)
This is my practical example from this morning whilst out in the Suffolk countryside. OK we aren't blessed with big descents, but apparently after consulting my Garmin post ride I hit 34mph...somewhere. It could have been in a 30mph, I have no idea, as I don't stare at my Garmin head unit whilst descending, I prefer to look where I am going.
You may not have hills but you do have the Fen Blow which can be quite beneficial when caught the right way. Once after fighting for many miles I swung round a dog leg to end up being pushed to an eye watering 35mph.
Do we know whether the Senedd considered making the new 20mph speed limit to include cyclists. Perhaps too complicated legally to do that?
With the 20 mph limits becoming more widespread, we're now getting in to a zone where some more spirited riders could consistently exceed this. But I don't think drivers' salty tears is reason enough for this to become enforceable.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/grant-shapps-speed-limit-cyclis...
On my more spirited days I cycle at 20mph in 20 zones. I try not to exceed this even though I know that technically the limit doesn't apply to me (only really an issue with gravity/wind in my favour) and I regularly get overtaken by drivers.
I live at the bottom of a hill on a residential road. The limit is 20. If I free-wheel down I would exceed 20 - but I don't as there are many parked vehicles and side roads.
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Let's hope not!
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Let's pretend they updated the Highway Code and included Cyclists in the speed limit table.
Since bikes don't come fitted with an speedometer, they would need to include a new law saying new bikes must come fitted with a speedometer. (generally how they approach new requirements for motorvehicles)
These speedometers would then need to be calibrated frequently. I would imagine bikes get "bumped" more often than cars, so would be more prone to breaking the speedometer.
Then we get to the practical use of the speedometer. Probably best to liken it to motorbikes. Motorbikes have a heavy engine shifting the centre of gravity further down, so when you glance down at the speedometer, I would imagine it causes less instability than when on a bike. (I don't ride motorbikes, so please chip in if you do)
Okay - we've got a speedometer, its callibrated correctly. A cyclist does 40mph in a 30mph limit. If that cyclists decides to continue breaking the limit, we'll have to rely on civic minded individuals to report them. Now we are into licence plates.
When all is said and done - as with drivers, the majority of the time we are relying on the individual to police themselves. Cyclists will get it wrong, much like drivers. The big difference is in personal consequences - a cyclist doesn't have decades of safety features ensuring they have the best possible chance of walking away unscathed from an accident.
The law informs the Highway Code, not the other way around.
Cars & Motorbikes manufactured before a certain date don't have to have a speedometer fitted, but their driver/riders are still subject to the same speeding laws. With cars that's a long time ago, 1932. With motorbikes it only came into effect in 1984! What's even stranger, a working speedo isn't part of the motorcycle MOT requirement.
Wouldn't changing a wheel or a tyre affect a speedometer on a bike?
With old, mechanical speedometers run by a cable from the gearbox, changing the profile of the tyres on the car could alter the accuracy of the device.
AIUI, modern speedometers are driven from the ABS unit or EMC and I'm not sure if they self-adapt to changes in wheel diameter from the factory setting.
Changing from road tyres to Marathon Plus or to gravel tyres could throw the speedometer out on a bike, with no way of recalibration
I would imagine so - anything that changes the circumference of the tyre would impact a speedometer.
I want to say I didn't realise it was that recently, but that is 39 years ago. When did I get so old!
I wonder how the legal system handled speeding motorbikes back then* - whether there was a degree of leniency because it would be difficult to tell the difference between 30mph & 31mph without a speedometer.
*there are probably not a big proportion of motorbikes on the road now, that were manufacturer before 1984
Welcome to the club!
Unless it is GPS based but then it would be inaccurate in forests or when there are high rise buildings about.
They'd probably need to accept GPS and it's foibles
If they made speedometers compulsory on bicycles they'd have to specifically accept cycle computers , cost otherwise would be prohibitive . But what standard is another matter .
If it were legaly enforcable, then surely there would also be a legal imperative to sell bikes with a working speedo. AS no bike comes with one, we can safely assume sticking to any limit is unenforcable as you can't know how fast youre going!
Yes, but I've heard a lot of people saying that there are no speed limits for cycling because bicycles don't have speedometers. That may be an explanation for how some discussion went at some point, but the actual, literal answer is that there are no speed limits for cycling because the law does not prescribe any.
If we conjure up some explanation about speedometers, somebody will point out that lots of bikes have them, so why not make it mandatory.
The reason should be that there is no justification for a speed limit because it does not meet any significant risk-based need for one.
You could easily build a bike. It doesnt have to be of off the shelf items either. You could make most of the working components from all sorts of bits and bobs. Kind of like Graeme Obree did for his hour record bike. And that bike would be perfectly legal to ride on the road so long as it has brakes and even then there is no real law prohibiting it. So it cant really even be pushed on manufacturers to put speedometers on since anyone could make one.
There are other road vehicle regulations that do prescribe several criteria for a pedal cycle and its attachments (lighting, for example). So it is not beyond the realms of possibility to add a speedometer to the requirements. While a car has to be homologated or individually approved to be allowed on a public highway, a bicycle is roadworthy based on the facts before an inquisitive constable.
All said, it's perfectly achievable to mandate a speedo - and even to enforce it. However, it's just not worth anybody's bother to exercise the legislative process.
Legislating and enforcing this would all but wipe out most cycling in the UK. It's also completely pointless and basically unenforcable anyway.
What's so funny about the video that's started this all off is that the only people breaking the law in said video are the police officers who pull the cyclists over.
I agree with the impact and, for the avoidance of doubt, I'm not advocating legislation; I'm pointing out that it is perfectly achievable, and therefore that is not what is stopping it. It is, as you say, counter-productive to introduce.
However, the officer is not breaking the law, since police have qualified exemption from speed limits for the performance of their duties.
While some may disagree with the police stopping the cyclists, and while excess speed is not itself a reason to stop cyclists, it may constitute a cause to question whether they are cycling sufficently carefully (or whether, indeed, they are wanton or furiously doing otherwise).
It would be a contortion to presume that being faster than a non-applicable speed limit represents carelessness, but the officer may take an interest and may exceed the speed limit to do so. Force rules aside, they do not necessarily need to put on their lights/siren when they do so.
I do feel that there is no story here. The police action at the scene may have been proportionate, or it may have been over-zealous... who knows. The video doesn't seem to show any carelessness to me. But if the officer felt it was appropriate to say something, so be it. However, if it forms a pattern, it's a problem. And the posting of the story on the force SM draws unnecessary attentention to a non-story, stoking antipathy to cyclists based on prejudice. And that's the problem here.
And I suspect if you showed it to someone with the speed reading hidden then i doubt they would think there was anything wrong at all.
Lights are only required at night but even so, a speedometer is a whole different ballpark to a bike light and any attempt by government to mandate fitment of an accurate speedometer to a pedal bicycle would inevitably fail.
surely there would also be a legal imperative to sell bikes with a working speedo. AS no bike comes with one
It's worse than that. The police refuse to believe that any cycle is travelling at 10mph or more, except when they're trying to 'do them' for 'furious cycling'. This is why, in Lancashire at least, it's always legal to overtake any cyclist by crossing double or single unbroken white lines- the police ignore, or don't kow, that bit about 'it must be seen to be safe to do so'. We have GPS speedos, we have supremely accurate 'count the revolutions' speedos (last night I did 34 km and the CtR speedo and the GPS were less than 1 part in a thousand apart), but the police refuse to pay any attention to them- therefore they can't prosecute us for exceeding any speed limit we can manage 'as long as it's safe to do so'
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