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Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 1:07 am
by rolandp
Must have been a slow news day in Perth. This report indicates 25510 motorists did the same thing in 6 months in 2010.

The sad thing, 385 people have so far commented to the Perth now article, but no one commented on the article back in 2010. We are still a car society here in Perth.

Cyclist got caught speeding, he now pays the fine. Let's move on.

Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 1:42 am
by Downhill
I think they should ping those cyclists that speed through the pinch points & blind corners of the cycle ways (e.g. the down hill approach to the Narrows or some of the underpasses around the CBD / Subiaco).

Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 4:17 am
by sogood
It's a road user's responsibility to stay under the speed limit. Unable to judge one's speed? Then get a speedo! Very poor excuse.

Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 5:59 am
by toolonglegs
Wait till the media find out about strava... And then look up places like Centennial Park and see that the record there for a lap is 50 kmph :-) on a 30 kmph limited rd.... Oh the horror.
WGARA!

Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 9:36 am
by ColinOldnCranky
rambler1au wrote:if its fair that a cyclist gets pinged for doing 55k in a 40 my question is how would he know? In order to break a law you need to know what the speed is so when are speedos mandatory on all bicycles?

Its not law that a cyclist has a speedo on his bike, so how can he be held liable for a speed he may not have known he was doing , even if he did have a speedo we all know that bike speedos are notoriously inaccurate so they wont count if this matter was disputed , and anyway what about others who have no speedo ? . So whats the next step in this nanny state fined for not having a speedo on your bike once its illegal to ride a bike with no speedo. I mean gt real St Johns is off Scarborogh beach road so I assume that's were he was doing 56k and its notoriously downhill so cars have a hell of a time keeping to 40 a bike has no chance unless you are sitting on the brakes all the way down or better still walking.

By the way my children went to that school only a few years ago and very few cross Scarborough beach road but I would not like to see anyone hurt but the topography of that road makes it a ridiculous fine for a cyclist.
Interesting point but not relevant. The Aust Standards for the accuracy of speedos is such that on cars registered before 2006 they can be in excess of 10% out - indeed possible to over read a 100kph car as being 114kph. Yet we are not given a freeby when picked up. I know that i factor in the difference that I have established by GPS.

But more practically, if a cyclist doing 56kph is not aware that his speed is likely to be exceeding the 40kph limit then he is lacking a fundamental skill for a rider and so arguably should be either bring ing that skill up to standard or not riding. There is no law prohibiting him from getting a speedo and they are certainly available at a cheap price. I think the argument if put by him would be disingenuous.

Citywomble got it right. I find it ludicrous that people are making "points" that even require responses like his. Brakes are there to be used. Duh. Cyclists can easily take steps to know their speed. Again duh.

Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:26 am
by herzog
Further to speedo issue, many road registered vintage cars and motorcycles have no speedo.

Their drivers are still obligated to abide all speed limits.

Forget this one as a get out of jail clause.

Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 11:12 am
by Pravda
herzog wrote:Further to speedo issue, many road registered vintage cars and motorcycles have no speedo.

Their drivers are still obligated to abide all speed limits.

Forget this one as a get out of jail clause.
Agreed. Ignorance has never been a defence.

Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 1:37 pm
by Lizzy
Gah, brilliant, now PerthNow has a poll up asking whether cyclists "should" be subject to the same laws as motorists :roll: :roll:

Cripes, how is that something to agree or disagree with, surely it's something to look up?! I think I would pay someone actual money to write me a blocker for the comments section of that excuse for a news source.

[head>>>desk]

Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 2:16 pm
by Becker_11
I was pinged last year for contravening a no entry sign and for riding the wrong way on a one way road. I was more than annoyed as I drive for a living so given the time I spend on the road I more than most should have known better. At the same time I defended the Police to some passers by who wanted to hassle them for "picking on" a cyclist.

Btw I didn't loose any demerit points for the offenses committed.

Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 2:30 pm
by Mrs Cadel
As the wife of the cyclist in question, I just wanted to set a few inaccuracies straight - particularly given the media sh*t storm that this incident has created.

My husband is not a professional cyclist (but he liked the reference :D ). Nor was he 'annoyed' at the fine he received. He realised (too late) that he was speeding, and accepted the fine. What he was 'annoyed' about was the 2 demerit points he received - given you don't require a licence to ride a bicycle on the road. The discussion that ensued with the policeman was about the appropriateness of the demerit points - not the fine. The original article didn't mention the demerit points, until I emailed her.

Not a big deal, really. Hundreds of motorists get fined for speeding every day. Surely this isn't important news?

It has been quite disappointing to watch the vitriol and hatred stirred up against cyclists. Ignorant and one-sided articles such as these give the idiots of Perth (and wider) the platform to voice their hatred against cyclists - which will do nothing to make our roads safer - for anyone.

Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 2:35 pm
by sogood
Becker_11 wrote:... At the same time I defended the Police to some passers by who wanted to hassle them for "picking on" a cyclist.
Btw I didn't loose any demerit points for the offenses committed.
Your defence of them clearly was paid back ;)

Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 3:20 pm
by roller
Oxford wrote:
Lizzy wrote:Gah, brilliant, now PerthNow has a poll up asking whether cyclists "should" be subject to the same laws as motorists :roll: :roll:

Cripes, how is that something to agree or disagree with, surely it's something to look up?! I think I would pay someone actual money to write me a blocker for the comments section of that excuse for a news source.

[head>>>desk]
feel like answering no just because I believe its such a stupid question to ask.
personally i think there's more than a few laws that cyclists could be either not be subject to or subject to differently, either penalties or limits.

so i would answer no as well.

Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 3:36 pm
by find_bruce
Pravda wrote:Agreed. Ignorance has never been a defence.
+1 - in fact it is so old the English lawyers said it in latin "Ignorantia juris non excusat"
roller wrote:personally i think there's more than a few laws that cyclists could be either not be subject to or subject to differently, either penalties or limits.
Gee there is a radical concept that the penalties should reflect the risks to public safety - "abuser pays" to put it in economic rationalist terms. Yes a cyclist doing 56 km/h in a school zone is dangerous. The question is whether a truck doing 56 km/h in a school zone is significantly more dangerous - if so, shouldn't the truck face a harsher penalty ?

Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 5:22 pm
by velocopedant
I just heard a police sergeant on ABC radio who confirmed that cyclists are subject to the same fines as motorists for infringements but there are no demerit points associated with the offence.

Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 5:47 pm
by herzog
find_bruce wrote:The question is whether a truck doing 56 km/h in a school zone is significantly more dangerous - if so, shouldn't the truck face a harsher penalty ?
Possibly, but the flip side is that an almost silent and much smaller speeding cyclist, is less likely to be seen or heard by a small child in a school zone.

Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 6:06 pm
by Yagan
rolandp wrote:Must have been a slow news day in Perth. This report indicates 25510 motorists did the same thing in 6 months in 2010.

The sad thing, 385 people have so far commented to the Perth now article, but no one commented on the article back in 2010. We are still a car society here in Perth.

Cyclist got caught speeding, he now pays the fine. Let's move on.
Exactly what I was thinking. If this was a car would it be in the news. Guy pays his fine and slows down next time he is in a school zone. What I dislike is the ignorance shown in comments on Perthnow.

Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 6:36 pm
by KonaCommuter
Are radar guns accurate when used on a cyclist?


A cars shape is rigid. A cyclist moves. What if the first reading is off the cyclists body and the second reading off their arm?



Just asking

Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 7:17 pm
by blkmcs
Yagan wrote:
rolandp wrote:Must have been a slow news day in Perth. This report indicates 25510 motorists did the same thing in 6 months in 2010.

The sad thing, 385 people have so far commented to the Perth now article, but no one commented on the article back in 2010. We are still a car society here in Perth.

Cyclist got caught speeding, he now pays the fine. Let's move on.
Exactly what I was thinking. If this was a car would it be in the news. Guy pays his fine and slows down next time he is in a school zone. What I dislike is the ignorance shown in comments on Perthnow.
Catching a cyclist doing 56 Kmh is uncommon so newsworthy, motorists caught doing 160 Kmh are uncommon and tend to make the news in the same way and attract comments.

Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 7:18 pm
by blkmcs
KonaCommuter wrote:Are radar guns accurate when used on a cyclist?


A cars shape is rigid. A cyclist moves. What if the first reading is off the cyclists body and the second reading off their arm?



Just asking
Yes!

Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 7:28 pm
by CommuRider
@MrsCadel (you wish hahah) we are used to the vitriol against a perfectly logical and rational solution to our transport problems. Your hubby must be pretty fit and anyway, who needs a driver's licence when two wheels powered by your own legs is infinitely better.

Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 7:32 pm
by Baalzamon
And if cyclist is on drops and then moves off the drops, that will change the speed as well as they have mostly hit the helmet then hitting the chest.. That is why a GPS is good. They fine you, you get home and check the speed and don't pay and take it to court with your proof.

Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 7:45 pm
by trailgumby
find_bruce wrote:
Pravda wrote:Agreed. Ignorance has never been a defence.
+1 - in fact it is so old the English lawyers said it in latin "Ignorantia juris non excusat"
roller wrote:personally i think there's more than a few laws that cyclists could be either not be subject to or subject to differently, either penalties or limits.
Gee there is a radical concept that the penalties should reflect the risks to public safety - "abuser pays" to put it in economic rationalist terms. Yes a cyclist doing 56 km/h in a school zone is dangerous. The question is whether a truck doing 56 km/h in a school zone is significantly more dangerous - if so, shouldn't the truck face a harsher penalty ?
This is purely apocryphal, but I did hear once upon a time that in Italy the fine was proprortional to the value of your car. However, given that fines used to be settled in cash directly with the policeman at the time of infringement, this may not have been - ahem - official policy. ;)

Maybe something like that could operate here :mrgreen:

Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 7:58 pm
by Pravda
toolonglegs wrote:Wait till the media find out about strava... And then look up places like Centennial Park and see that the record there for a lap is 50 kmph :-) on a 30 kmph limited rd.... Oh the horror.
WGARA!
I actually lol'd at this. I hope they dont find the segment down the Hay St mall where there's speeds over 50kmh clocked. Not that I had anything to do with that...

Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:24 pm
by Mrfenejeans
It's interesting to read about peoples apparent hatred for the Lycra clad road cyclist, with one commentator on Perth Now stating that Road cyclists specifically those on"road bikes" are the only ones who should pay registration as that is the purpose for the bike.

Which I think outlines people's obvious lack of understanding of even the most basic applicable laws, regardless of the type of bike an adult must not ride on a footpath. There is no cycle way or shared path linked directly to my driveway so I must use the road.


What worries me more than a cyclist receiving a speeding fine(cop it on the chin and move on), is that a snap shot of the Perth public believe that the only good cyclist is basically a dead one.

Re: Cyclist nabbed for speeding in school zone

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:00 am
by rambler1au
you know I get the distinct feeling that some posters on this site are a bunch of self righteous sanctimonious twits who probably work as government clerks and follow every rule religiously lest you don't get the next ass kissing promotion.

I bet you and complain to the council about the neighbors rooster in the morning and have lived with your mothers until you were 40 and probably still wear the sweater she knitted for you for your 21st birthday

Rules are not there for the sake of the rule they are there for safety so lets get back to the safety thing how many people were killed by cyclists last year.... yes that's right NONE how many people were killed by cars, LOTS so the winner of the prize are CARS

Just like the odd shark attack happens and people advocate the mass killing of sharks, so is this lemming mentality that all rules must be followed to the letter because they are there in the road code or GOD will smite you and or the cops will send you to Casuarina until you have repented.

I'm going to tell you this that yes I go trough a red lights on my bike ( if no one is coming) , and I do go the wrong way up a one way street,I also ignore no entry signs and park my bike in a no parking zone and OMGosh I even may even sometimes ride two a breast on a cycle path.

If I a bad person well I'm sorry Ill bet I'm not the only one amongst you that does that and I have never been picked up and if I do, I'm going to whinge about it like hell.

What ever happened to using your common sense whilst riding and being observant of the situation you are in whilst on a bike or is there no room for that in the government gazette rule book.