Warning bell?

[wafflycat]

Not sure where this one should go exactly...

Anyhow.

What set me thinking on this is the possible implications for cyclists. I first heard this reported on the radio yesterday. It's in the Grauniad today

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/aug/06/1

"Mobility scooter takes A-road"

"It is not illegal to drive such vehicles on A-roads, but the man was warned against attempting the route again."

Now... whilst I personally wouldn't be wanting to use a 'fast' road in a mobility scooter, the fact remains the guy was doing nothing illegal. So what on earth is plod doing warning the guy from attempting to do it again?

What happens when a 'slow' cyclist is using a main road? Shades of Telford again?

 

[domtyler]

Many things are not illegal, walking along the railings of bridges when drunk, head butting brick walls, swimming the channel unaided and so on. I'm pretty sure you would be stopped pretty quickly from doing them though.

 

[Bokonon]

It seems from the article that it was the manner in which the scooter was being driven (eg inappropriate lane choice) was the problem.

I find

motorists who had been forced to brake hard or swerve to avoid the scooter

quite worrying. I would hope that motorists would have seen the obstruction earlier and taken appropriate action early enough to avoid having to brake hard or swerve.

 

[Riding in Circles]

Aren't the ones for the pavement restricted to 5mph?

 

[CopperBrompton]

I think there's a difference between claiming a 'right' to do something and it being a sensible thing to do. Clearly taking an 8mph 'vehicle' onto a national limit dual-carriageway fails the commonsense test, just as it would if, say, a horse-rider attempted it.

The report says he was using lane 2 at times! This is clearly a gentleman for whom some words of advice were very much in order.

I've seen cyclists on 70mph dual-carriageways on a Sunday, but they were well into the left in lane 1 and doing something around 25-30mph. It wouldn't be my idea of a fun ride, but I wouldn't see that as inappropriate. A wobbly granny doing 8mph, and veering into lane 2? Same as the case cited here.

Ben

 

[Arch]

Now... whilst I personally wouldn't be wanting to use a 'fast' road in a mobility scooter, the fact remains the guy was doing nothing illegal. So what on earth is plod doing warning the guy from attempting to do it again?

On my reading, I'd it depends how you interpret 'warned'. I don't think it was used here in any kind of official meaning (like a caution, that goes on record), it was just sensible advice... I don't think they were saying "'Ere, sonny, do that again and you'll be in clink".

I suspect if a cyclist was pootling along, weaving about a bit and occasionally using the outside lane, people might be concerned enough to report it, and any policeman would be quite sensible to offer the same advice, I think.

 

[Riding in Circles]

The warning was more like "do that again and you will likely end up being the bumper ornament on a Scania".

 

[byegad]

I'd not ride a mobility scooter on a 70mph Dual Carriageway, neither would I chose to ride my recumbent trike on one by choice. However, if the law says he can use the road what are the Police going to do? I agree a warning bell has been sounded and we should watch the Police reaction with care.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

The warning was more like "do that again and you will likely end up being the bumper ornament on a Scania".

+1, I'd say it was a 'What you playing at, you bell-end' rather than, as Arch says, an official one.

 

[Amanda P]

The problem is that the news stories make it sound like the "official" warning, not the friendly advice that we've all concluded.

The average driver is quite likely to be strengthened by this in his/her conviction that only cars are allowed on roads, and everything else, especially if it's slow, should be removed.

I speak as one who has little choice but to use a trunk A road frequently on a bike.

 

[peanut]

most of the mobility scooters around the housing estates seem to be used for cheap transport down to the super market and pub. There are dozens of his and hers zipping along the roads weaving in and out of parked cars at 20mph .
Most of them do not appear to have any obvious disabilty given the speed they run round the supermarket ailses