Is it possible for cyclists to be stopped for a speeding offence? Lets look at the law.
Section 89 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 states "A person who drives a motor vehicle on a road at a speed exceeding a limit imposed by or under any enactment to which this section applies shall be guilty of an offence." The Highway Code rule 124 is clear on keeping within speed limits, but as in the Act above does not mention cyclists. As such this means cyclists are presently exempt from speeding offences on the majority of roads.
On some roads, such as within the Royal Parks in London, they have their own bylaws and as such cyclists could be prosecuted for speeding within them. Many people have been caught out by Park police because they had no idea how fast they were cycling or even that there were speed restrictions which applied to them .
Another area to be careful is on cycle paths. Archive notes on the Department of Transport code of conduct for cyclists gives general advice on using cycle paths, particularly those shared with pedestrians, suggesting "if you want to cycle quickly, say in excess of 18mph/30 kph, then you should be riding on the road". Even though you can’t be prosecuted for speeding on these, it is good practice to keep your speed to a safe limit.
In all instances a cyclist must ride with regard to other motorists and pedestrians and if you are found to be the cause of an accident, particularly where another person is injured and the police attend the scene, you can probably expect to be prosecuted for either careless riding, dangerous riding or causing death by dangerous riding. Unfortunately the same cannot always be said for motorists who cause cyclists to be injured in an accident.
Nick Routh is a keen cyclist and is on the road at least three times a week training for an Ironman. He has ridden in London and been much closer to the underside of a London bus than he would have liked or was healthy for him! He is also a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL). So if you want someone to represent you, who completely understands what it’s like to ride a bicycle in all weathers, on all terrains and along side motorists who are less than keen on the cycling community, call him today for a no obligation chat about your situation.