Cyclists get pulled for 39mph in a 30 limit.

[Alex321]

The most common place that I know of is going round Richmond Park where there are some fast steepish downhills (or killer uphills if going the other direction). The speed limit there is 20mph and it has long been a bone of contention for motorists that cyclists often exceed 20mph going down those hills - even the pootlers. The Parks Police used to enforce it for bikes as well (it's private land so owners rules apply), but then they stopped, and now they have started again (apparently):-

https://richmond.nub.news/news/loca...mit-in-royal-parks-applies-to-cyclists-184486

This is the most common one for me
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.515...o9RMezItNrkOU_6A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

When I pass the 40 limit sign ahead, I am usually doing around 35, have actually already been doing 40 on a couple of occasions ( in the other lane to the streetview camera of course). It is more downhill than streetview makes it look. I mentioned this in the 20mph thread, thinking it was likely to change to 20, but now I've seen the maps, it is going to be an exception, remaining at 30.

 

[matticus]

"Ever heard of folk running?"
Is that a kind of speed morris dancing?

No silly - it's when they smuggle folk musicians between venues, crossing the vast tracts of the UK that detest them; they hide in the boots of cars until reaching the sanctuary of the next folk club.

 

[matticus]

I wonder what a 70kg male on a 7kg bike going at 37mph when hitting me as an 87kg pedestrian would feel like. I don't think I'll be saying n it was OK because he doesn't have the kinetic energy of a car or SUV! I'm sorry if this goes against the entitlement majority feeling but I'll stick to my beliefs that I as a cyclists will obey the same speed limits as cars have to. I sure you guys will do what you want to.

There are many such collisions in Pro-racing - gormless spectators, team helpers in a badly-planned finish zone etc. Every season. You will see that serious injuries are (fortunately) very rare.
Of course people get a little bashed-up - nearly always the riders involved, not the innocent pedestrian bystanders. Not desirable, but people get hurt falling down stairs every day, so ...

Now compare that with the litany of KSIs in your local UK town. Did you see those little kids in Wimbledon (IIRC) recently, crushed in a 30mph limit. They were on school property, the SUV driver had to crash through a fence - and the picnic table next to them - before she could kill those kids.

tl:dr - get some perspective. not all vehicles are the same.

 

[Solocle]

How many of those points coincide with 30mph zones? Not many I wager.

And remember, most cyclists just pootle around. We on Cyclechat are more committed and even a slow-coach like me is probably faster than average. And I doubt I've ever exceeded a speed limit on the bike. Not because I'm a good citizen, just because it never happens.

If I look at my last long ride I see that I hit 60kmh/just under 40mph, going down a long straight hill which was national speed limits. But in speed restricted areas you tend not to have the long unobstructed downhill sections with no road hazards to build up speed. They do exist (I can think of only one) but they are atypical.

Maybe "incredibly rare" was an overstatement, but if not that it's certainly rare enough to warrant a news story about it.

There's Headington Hill in Oxford. One of my first rides on a road bike, I went down there at night. Bus about 8+ car lengths ahead, I was barely keeping pace with it. Thought I was therefore doing 30 mph, the speed limit.

Nope... maxxed at 44 mph.

It's not even a super steep hill, I once averaged 17 mph up it.

It's not exactly a high hazard environment. I once was contemplating overtaking a police van that was doing dead on 30 mph, but the oncoming bus in the distance is the only thing that stopped me.

 

[Fab Foodie]

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...d-to-be-mindful-after-being-stopped-by-police

View attachment 705279

A couple of cyclists got pulled by Devon and Cornwall police after they clocked them above the 30 limit. Not an offence as such but could potentially have been charged with dangerous cycling.
Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, a spokesperson for the force wrote: 'Cyclists, please be mindful of your speeds and just how this will affect you in the event of a collision. Their comments were received positively by the group reportedly.
Comments from motorists suggested they should be fined.
Irresponsible or not posing any real danger? What do you think?

It wasn't me, but I'd be smug if it was....

 

[PK99]

There are many such collisions in Pro-racing - gormless spectators, team helpers in a badly-planned finish zone etc. Every season. You will see that serious injuries are (fortunately) very rare.
Of course people get a little bashed-up - nearly always the riders involved, not the innocent pedestrian bystanders. Not desirable, but people get hurt falling down stairs every day, so ...

Now compare that with the litany of KSIs in your local UK town. Did you see those little kids in Wimbledon (IIRC) recently, crushed in a 30mph limit. They were on school property, the SUV driver had to crash through a fence - and the picnic table next to them - before she could kill those kids.
View attachment 705459

tl:dr - get some perspective. not all vehicles are the same.

The understanding locally (I am a local) is that the driver in question was not speeding bus suffered a medical incident which caused her to accelerate out of control.

Local press:
A source ... that she was in a delirious condition and had bitten through her tongue after having a seizure at the wheel.

They said: “She’d stopped outside the school but the car took off as if the driver had suddenly floored the accelerator.

“At this point the police believe she had some kind of seizure just before the accident.”


The pejorative phrasing of your last sentence may be seen as unfortunate

 

[mjr]

The understanding locally (I am a local) is that the driver in question was not speeding bus suffered a medical incident which caused her to accelerate out of control.

Why aren't these heavy motorised vehicles required to have speed limiters like e scooters or even speed and power limits like ebike assistance?

 

[mjr]

Ever heard of folk running?

Not only that: I've seen them. They still are visible and do not teleport.

 

[Cycleops]

It wasn't me, but I'd be smug if it was....

Badge of honour for many I suspect.

 

[Alex321]

Why aren't these heavy motorised vehicles required to have speed limiters like e scooters or even speed and power limits like ebike assistance?

Any such limiters would be set to the maximum speed those vehicles are allowed to go on UK roads - namely 70mph. Which would have msde no difference whatsoever in this type of case.

I'm sure that at some point in the not too distant future, new electric cars will be fitted with systems that monitor the current speed limit and prevent you accelerating above that. We first need reliable GPS speed limit recognition though, which is why I say not too distant.

 

[matticus]

Any such limiters would be set to the maximum speed those vehicles are allowed to go on UK roads - namely 70mph. Which would have msde no difference whatsoever in this type of case.

wot? Different rules for different vehicle types - surely not?!?

 

[PK99]

Any such limiters would be set to the maximum speed those vehicles are allowed to go on UK roads - namely 70mph. Which would have msde no difference whatsoever in this type of case.

I'm sure that at some point in the not too distant future, new electric cars will be fitted with systems that monitor the current speed limit and prevent you accelerating above that. We first need reliable GPS speed limit recognition though, which is why I say not too distant.

Some new cars have that already. A Honda Hybrid we looked at a couple of years ago, detected speed limits from roadside speed limit signs and limited speed to that limit but with an active optional driver over-ride.

 

[markemark]

Some new cars have that already. A Honda Hybrid we looked at a couple of years ago, detected speed limits from roadside speed limit signs and limited speed to that limit but with an active optional driver over-ride.

Isn’t a legal requirement on all new cars sold in the eu now?

 

[icowden]

I'm sure that at some point in the not too distant future, new electric cars will be fitted with systems that monitor the current speed limit and prevent you accelerating above that. We first need reliable GPS speed limit recognition though, which is why I say not too distant.

My Renault Scenic had one in 2007.

 

[Dogtrousers]

My Tom Tom satnav is pretty reliable at knowing the current speed limit. It's linked to the accelerator via me.