In fear for my life

scholarsgate
scholarsgate Posts: 66
edited June 2008 in Road beginners
Does anyone know if I am able to cycle on a pavement if I am in fear of my life?

I thought there was some such caveat in the highway code but I can't find it now.

Comments

  • Eat My Dust
    Eat My Dust Posts: 3,965
    scholarsgate wrote:
    Does anyone know if I am able to cycle on a pavement if I am in fear of my life?

    I thought there was some such caveat in the highway code but I can't find it now.

    lol, I think if you're in fear of your live you're just about allowed to kill someone. Being serious though, short of someone actually trying to kill you by running you over, you are NOT allowed by law to cycle on the pavement.
    SNAPS
  • Adamskii
    Adamskii Posts: 267
    'In fear of your life'! Why?
    It's all good.
  • CrookedCucumber
    CrookedCucumber Posts: 324
    In general, English criminal law does not recognize `fear' as a defence to criminal charges. People have committed crimes when threatened at gunpoint, and still been convicted of those crimes.

    So, no, this would not be a defence. Sorry.
  • Agent57
    Agent57 Posts: 2,300
    http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTr ... /DG_069837
    59-82: Rules for cyclists

    64
    You MUST NOT cycle on a pavement.

    [Laws HA 1835 sect 72 & R(S)A 1984, sect 129]

    Then again, it also says:
    60

    At night your cycle [...] MUST also be fitted with a red rear reflector (and amber pedal reflectors, if manufactured after 1/10/85).

    Neither of which I have.
    MTB commuter / 531c commuter / CR1 Team 2009 / RockHopper Pro Disc / 10 mile PB: 25:52 (Jun 2014)
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    Why do you want to cycle on the footpath if it's illegal anyway? Pedestrians and oaps have to share those paths young man! :lol:
  • CrookedCucumber
    CrookedCucumber Posts: 324
    It is, technically, an offence to ride a bicycle without the appropriate reflectors. I suspect that many police officers do not know this, and would not pay much attention if they did.

    However, I suspect that most officers know that cycling on pavements is an offence.

    The fact that some legal requirements for bicycles are petty and pointless does not mean they all are.
  • northpole
    northpole Posts: 1,499
    Why do you want to cycle on the footpath if it's illegal anyway?

    In London sometimes it is unavoidable. I saw one guy last week calmly mount the kerb and cycle along the footpath. If he hadn't done so he may well be dead now - in London I reckon the bendy buses are a real threat to cyclist's lives.

    In some cases, regrettably, my advice would be worry about the Highway Code after the event rather than contemplate it in the afterlife.

    Having said that, there are clearly some complete to**ers who regularly cycle on the pavement for no other reason than they think it is a cool thing to do & I've no sympathy for any action the police wish to take against them.

    Peter
  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,719
    At times it is unavoidable to go on the pavement, as it would be genuinely dangerous to ride on the road.

    However, on these rare occasions, you should do what the pavement is designed for and WALK. It's easy, you step off your bike, hold the handlebars and walk alongside it. Magically, the bike will follow you wherever you go, as long as you keep hold of it. Then, when it's safe to go back on the road, you can get back on and off you go.
  • neeb
    neeb Posts: 4,473
    60

    At night your cycle [...] MUST also be fitted with a red rear reflector (and amber pedal reflectors, if manufactured after 1/10/85).

    Now I wonder where I am supposed to put amber pedal reflectors on my speedplays, and even if I did how they would be visible when they are inside the cleats... :D

    That said, my sidi shoes have reflective bits on the back. They're not amber, though.
  • Red Rock
    Red Rock Posts: 517
    whyamihere wrote:
    At times it is unavoidable to go on the pavement, as it would be genuinely dangerous to ride on the road.

    However, on these rare occasions, you should do what the pavement is designed for and WALK. It's easy, you step off your bike, hold the handlebars and walk alongside it. Magically, the bike will follow you wherever you go, as long as you keep hold of it. Then, when it's safe to go back on the road, you can get back on and off you go.


    Couldn't have put that better.

    Red Rock

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