To Overtake or Not

[DaveReading]

Citation needed.

Not hard to find:

https://www.gov.wales/introducing-20mph-speed-limits-frequently-asked-questions#91814

 

[Alex321]

Not hard to find:

https://www.gov.wales/introducing-20mph-speed-limits-frequently-asked-questions#91814

I can't see anything in that relating to the thing the citation was asked for???

Which was that speed limits don't apply to cyclists because when they were introduced no cyclist had a speedometer.

It does mention that the speed limits don't apply to bicycles, but I think we all knew that, it the why that was being asked about.

 

[Mike_P]

Is it me or this thread going round in circles. There are plainly some who are not bothered over what a speed limit may be and others who do give regard despite not being itself applicable but if the worse were to happen there is the charge of wanton and furious driving.

 

[Alex321]

There is actually a map available now, showing roads that are going to change to 20, and which ones are going to be exceptions.
https://datamap.gov.wales/maps/roads-affected-by-changes-to-the-speed-limit-on-re/view#/

Looking at that, the one I mentioned up-thread, it looks like the 20 yards after the houses IS going to stay as 30. I really didn't think they would, although I always thought they should.

And another one I rode today on the A4119, where I was thinking as I came down this nice wide road on a gentle hill at about 28, "no way am I going to slow to 20 here, but it probably will be". It seems it is another exception.

In fact it looks like all of the current 30 limits where I regularly get close to that on the bike are being retained, except the one through St Mary Church, and the hill down to Llysworney (which isn't even a restricted road, but will change to 20 by order - currently 30 by order)

 

[Mr Celine]

Not hard to find:

https://www.gov.wales/introducing-20mph-speed-limits-frequently-asked-questions#91814

As @Alex321said this doesn't say why speed limits don't apply to bicycles.

The more obvious and most likely explanation is that speeding bicycles have never been a problem worth legislating on.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Is it me or this thread going round in circles. There are plainly some who are not bothered over what a speed limit may be and others who do give regard despite not being itself applicable but if the worse were to happen there is the charge of wanton and furious driving.

Very much so.

We can all make our own choices. I wouldn't overtake a car in those circs, even if I could, which I can't. Others would. I don't break speed limits on my bike, but probably wouldn't be able to even if I wanted to. Others aren't bothered.

Meh

 

[DaveReading]

As @Alex321said this doesn't say why speed limits don't apply to bicycles.

The more obvious and most likely explanation is that speeding bicycles have never been a problem worth legislating on.

Fair point.

In which case, good luck finding a statute that contains an explanatory note.

 

[TheDoctor]

As @Alex321said this doesn't say why speed limits don't apply to bicycles.

The more obvious and most likely explanation is that speeding bicycles have never been a problem worth legislating on.

Speed limits apply to motor vehicles.
Bikes are not motor vehicles.

 

[Dogtrousers]

OK I've just been wasting time googling things.

Speed limits were first introduced in the UK in 1861, and amended on multiple occasions subsequently (linky). The world's first speeding ticket was in 1896 in Paddock Wood in Kent (linky) This pre-dates the law for compulsory speedometers in cars, which was introduced in 1937 (linky)

So the idea that you can't have a speed limit unless you make it mandatory for everyone to have a speedo is fanciful. This was not the case for motor vehicles for 76 years.

There may be good reasons why speed limits don't apply to bicycles, but the fact that speedometers on bikes aren't compulsory is not one of them.

 

[Drago]

All this talk of whether you would overtake a motor vehicle in the scenario presented, yet no one has offered a compelling reason  why they would want to.

 

[Rusty Nails]

All this talk of whether you would overtake a motor vehicle in the scenario presented, yet no one has offered a compelling reason  why they would want to.

Because they can, innit.

 

[DaveReading]

There may be good reasons why speed limits don't apply to bicycles, but the fact that speedometers on bikes aren't compulsory is not one of them.

It's looking like we'll never know ...

 

[Dogtrousers]

bbbb

It's looking like we'll never know ...

Never know what?

 

[Alex321]

bbbb


Never know what?

Why speed limits only apply to motor vehicles.

 

[Alex321]

All this talk of whether you would overtake a motor vehicle in the scenario presented, yet no one has offered a compelling reason  why they would want to.

For the same reason a car driver overtakes another car that is going slower than they are.

Namely, they want to go faster than the vehicle in front is doing.