Speeding - you could be responsible for other people

absolute lunacy!!!!!

he's admitted to speeding, fine £60 + 3 points but as the article says, how can he be responsible for another rider who is in control of their own bike?

:shake:
 
i think it's called setting the pace, I was following 2 cars on the M6 a few years ago, we were doing er more than the limit, a cop car came down a slip road overtook me and the car in front and stopped the guy in the lead
 
Very silly. Strange how it doesn't apply to cars though. I lead groups of cars on "rideouts" every now and then. Nice to know I won't be treated any worse than those following me.

Having said that, I always dish out strict rules before a drive, explaining the etiquette, and advising that nobody should put themselves or others in danger to keep up with the person in front. Would a printout of the rules serve me well in court, if the law includes cars as well?
 
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That doesn't seem either logical or fair. But unfortunately being fair has little to do with law.
 
That's ridiculous. The whole point of riding a bike (for me) is that you are responsible and no-one else is in control.

I appreciate that people do play 'catch-up' but the leader shouldn't be fined for the others speed. They could be ahead because of traffic conditions etc.

In my experience each individual in the group rides at their own pace and the faster riders get the tea in at the next stop. (I was very slow)
 
So we all sit by the road until some idiot comes past like a bat
out of hell and then all take off after him and we dont get done ??... :thinking:



.

This was pretty much the way it used to be in SA when the speed traps were manually operated. Tuck in behind someone who was cruising fast and watch his brake lights. If he slammed them on, slow down. Chances were the cops would pull him over and you could just drive past innocently........

The other trick was to slow down as you approached a flyover. The only place the cops ever sat was in the shade under the bridges.
 
That's ridiculous. The whole point of riding a bike (for me) is that you are responsible and no-one else is in control.

I appreciate that people do play 'catch-up' but the leader shouldn't be fined for the others speed. They could be ahead because of traffic conditions etc.

In my experience each individual in the group rides at their own pace and the faster riders get the tea in at the next stop. (I was very slow)

Absolutely right, and many similar rules apply with car meets.

In March I led a group of about 30 cars on a Yorkshire Moors meet, and someone at the back was driving like a complete arse. I saw none of it, but received feedback from some other drivers about it. If I ended up suffering because of this driver's actions I would have been absolutely livid!
 
Riding a bike, driving a car, pushing a pram or just plain walking, you are responsible for what you do, you cannot (make that should not) be held responsible for other peoples actions. It has become common place for people to try to avoid responsibility for their actions by passing the blame onto someone (anyone) else but this is the opposite, it's a judge doing it for them.
 
The police **** me off with speed camera placement. Just last night I went out to see a film which ended at 10pm give or take. At 10:30 I was driving home on a local dual carriageway. This particular dual carriageway is about a mile long and has a limit of 40mph the whole way down which quite frankly is lunacy anyway (For any locals, its the dual carriageway out of Wakefield towards the M1 that passes the Wetherby Whaler towards Pugnies, I'd been to Cineworld).

Fortunately for me I was in no rush and was driving pretty much on the limit, possibly a nats under. The road was deserted, and I mean not a car for half a mile in front or behind. Half way down the dual carriageway, a police van, hidden essentially in the bushes, with two policemen holding a laser around the corner of a tree.

At that time of night on that road 60mph would be perfectly acceptable and yet you could have had points on your license for doing 45mph. Complete *******s IMO. Are they there during daylight hours when people are cutting each other up? Are they hell.

I've been driving for 10 years (27 now). I have been prosecuted for speeding once, 37mph as I drove out of a village. I had driven at 30mph right through the village, passed the last house and sped up as the 60mph sign approached. Police van with a radar, again hidden in the bushes. I mean seriously, that can only be there to pick up the numbers, it sure as hell wasn't for safety.

Did I break the law? Technically yes. Did that incident protect the public? Did it hell. The only purpose of that fine and 3 points (4 years ago now) was to give me a distrust of traffic officers.
 
Aaaarggggh! It's a waste of money, traffic control. There are a few areas where I would say it's necessary. None of which are policed. It's a bleeding joke. The only answer is to speed in areas that aren't policed. :D
 
What would concern me about that judgement is if you were out on your own on a bike, and as you were approaching a speed trap, a couple of complete strangers came zooming up behind you!

Is the copper or court going to believe that you are not associated with these other guys, so that you get penalised with the smae penalty that they get given?

It's a very slippery slope, and open to abuse by the powers that be.
 
Hmmm. Remember this is an individual case, and without knowing the specifics its hard to comment.

This wont be applied in most situations, clearly this chap was with the group (the article states they were all friends) who were toying with eachother and were being followed by an unmarked police bike, most likely for some time. The scenario of the lone rider minding his own business wouldnt have much to worry about other than his own riding I wouldnt have thought.

Its a very odd ruling though, and legally not totally sound. Will I now be legally responsible for my drunk mates on a night out? :thinking:
 
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