Police object to Southwark’s 20 mph speed limit plans - Includes Pedal Cycles!

[Alun]

It doesn't sound like the Met will be out in force to catch errant motor vehicles, horse drawn carriages and cycles anyway.

 

[Maylian]

Not that this affects me in any way at all. But how would they be able to measure the speed the cyclist is doing? If police are claiming that they haven't the resources to enforce this for motor vehicles in what scenario would they be able to go after an unregistered cyclist?

It may be from being down South proper but I frequently overtake cars doing faster than 20mph on some roads although not heavily built up areas and wouldn't filter at that speed.

 

[TwickenhamCyclist]

So the police object to the proposed speed limit because it's lower than what the motorists currently do? Geeeez...

That sums it up well.... Along with the objection that people will expect them to enforce the law....

 

[J.Primus]

I don't think a speed gun can pick up a cyclist. We're too small. I'd still like to know how a council has the power to tell police to change how a law is enforced. Surely any speed limit will still be governed by the 1984 Road Traffic Act that states speed limits only apply to motorised vehicles.

 

[Alun]

Lack of a dashboard that is in your eyeline whilst looking at the road?

The same as on a motorbike you mean?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I don't think a speed gun can pick up a cyclist. We're too small. I'd still like to know how a council has the power to tell police to change how a law is enforced. Surely any speed limit will still be governed by the 1984 Road Traffic Act that states speed limits only apply to motorised vehicles.

Static speed "guns" capture cyclists without problem. There's one on the outskirts of Brighton people ride all night to set off.

 

[Alun]

Static speed "guns" capture cyclists without problem. There's one on the outskirts of Brighton people ride all night to set off.

Are these the usual Gatso devices? If so, how do they identify the speeding cyclist?

 

[ClichéGuevara]

It's an argument offered by the Police over a number of issues/initiatives that they're not resourced to deal with it. For example, they offered it as a reason to oppose new bus lanes.

As they should currently Police the existing limit anyway, surely they'll gather more income Policing the self and same roads with a lower limit?

Am I missing something?

 

[snorri]

I don't think a speed gun can pick up a cyclist.

I had a speed gun pointed at me about 10 years ago and asked the police officer what speed I had been doing, he quoted precisely the figure indicated on my cycle computer at the time.
i would add all this was done in good nature, with smiles at both ends of the speed gun.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I had a speed gun pointed at me about 10 years ago and asked the police officer what speed I had been doing, he quoted precisely the figure indicated on my cycle computer at the time.
i would add all this was done in good nature, with smiles from both ends of the speed gun.

Yup, a speed gun would catch a cyclist easily. My paramedic friend spent some time wasting time sat next to a copper on speed gun duty and got to play around with it, they could hit the helmet of a motorcyclist a ridiculous distance away. They'd have no problem hitting the head/body of a cyclist.

 

[J.Primus]

I had a speed gun pointed at me about 10 years ago and asked the police officer what speed I had been doing, he quoted precisely the figure indicated on my cycle computer at the time.
i would add all this was done in good nature, with smiles from both ends of the speed gun.

Fair enough. I stand very much corrected. I'm still not convinced that councils have the authority to change the actual law as well as the speed limit though.

 

[Origamist]

I'd still like to know how a council has the power to tell police to change how a law is enforced. Surely any speed limit will still be governed by the 1984 Road Traffic Act that states speed limits only apply to motorised vehicles.

I don't think they do - it would need new legislation AFAIK.

 

[biking_fox]

There is no requirement for a cyclist to have a speedo, and no documentation to show that it is calibrated correctly. Hence cyclists can't know what speed they are doing. Whether or not that is a valid excuse for going faster than the limit is a different matter. The council could presumably easily bylaw the speed restriction to include all vehicles.

 

[Alun]

There is no requirement for a cyclist to have a speedo, and no documentation to show that it is calibrated correctly. Hence cyclists can't know what speed they are doing. Whether or not that is a valid excuse for going faster than the limit is a different matter. The council could presumably easily bylaw the speed restriction to include all vehicles.

The lack of speedo is a red herring. A Byelaw or change in the existing legislation would seem to be necessary to include bikes. Speeding byelaws including bikes exist in some London Parks, I don't know what is required to implement these though. The appropriate 20mph signage is something which needs some consideration in a complex network of streets as well. I think enforcement of a speed limit on bikes would be the biggest challenge, speed cameras will not work so it would have to be a manual operation requiring at least 2 people, The area looks fairly flat on Google maps so how many 20mph+ cyclists will there be?

 

[benb]

It's an argument offered by the Police over a number of issues/initiatives that they're not resourced to deal with it. For example, they offered it as a reason to oppose new bus lanes.

As they should currently Police the existing limit anyway, surely they'll gather more income Policing the self and same roads with a lower limit?

Am I missing something?

Money from speeding fines don't go to the issuing police force, they go to the treasury.
Resources are stretched, but I don't hold much truck with the argument that you shouldn't introduce a speed limit somewhere where drivers aren't already going that slowly!