If a cop pulls you over for speeding on your bike, you're obviously going to get a ticket. But what happens if you dont have a license? What happens if you dont carry any form of ID? Or the only form of ID that you have is a school ID? What happens then? Will you still get ticketed?
Speeding on a bike?
- Thread starter Morisato
- Start date
It depends on your state and their laws.
If you dont have a license, everything is the same you pay the fine or go to court to fight it. The one change is you dont get the point on your license as you dont have one.
In michigan it is the law that you must carry a state ID on you if you do not have one they can detain you. so I would check with youe state law on that one. Yes you would still get a ticket.
If you dont have a license, everything is the same you pay the fine or go to court to fight it. The one change is you dont get the point on your license as you dont have one.
In michigan it is the law that you must carry a state ID on you if you do not have one they can detain you. so I would check with youe state law on that one. Yes you would still get a ticket.
I always carry ID so it would go on my driving record, but it would anyway even if I didn't carry the ID. If you don't have a drivers license then no it cannot go on your record. I got one speeding ticket years ago for doing 38 in a 25 school zone by a radar cop. The judge laughed so hard he threw it out!
I always carry my ID around with me. Nonetheless in Germany there is absolutely no limit for cyclists which is great. Hence the unlimited speeding on the autobahns.
Fines vary from 200$ for going through a red light to 25$ for having no lights. With a licence you recieve the fine and points on your licence.
Just a thought
Fines vary from 200$ for going through a red light to 25$ for having no lights. With a licence you recieve the fine and points on your licence.
Just a thought
Wish we had highways in America like the Autobahns. I think we don't because they need the revenue from speeders. We also don't enforce a law that has been on the books for years even before I born in the 1950's; and that law states that the far left lane, or the passing lane as it is noted, is for cars going faster then the rest and they are to use the far left lane to pass then get back into the right lane when clear, it's also for emergency vehicles...but we don't enforce it so someone wanting to do 55 in a 65 may do so in the "passing" lane, thus until they enforce a law that's been on the books for untold years we won't and can't have an "Autobahn". And yet we still buy cars that go over 150mph...
Here in Texas the law requires you to have in your possession, at all times, a state issued ID. Doesn't need to be a drivers license but an ID issued by the state. Failure to provide an ID to a law enforcement office is a misdemeanor and you can be arrested. After all, the police don't know you and they are going to assume, correctly or incorrectly, that you are someone who doesn't want to be identified. You go to jail and then you make bail. But the bail bondsman will probably require proof of identity as well. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif Advice, get an ID if you don't have one and carry it.
I got pulled over by a county mountie for speeding here in the land of tofu-also known as Boulder, CO and I begged him to write me a ticket- ****- I was 58 yrs old at the time and I was going 17 mph over the speedlimit ( yeah it was downhill) still I would have framed that sucker and put on my living room wall! He insisted on just giving me a warning- Oh well
If this refers to North America, I very seriously doubt any police officer would actually ticket a cyclist.
That would have to be one hella bored cop!
And speeding??
I don't normally use a cycloputer, but when I did, the fastest I clocked myself was 37 mph, that was balls-to-the-wall, hell-for-leather highest gear racing along with traffic on a 40 mph speed limit 3-lane city thoroughfare where cars routinely top 60, trying not to get killed.
Hardly enough for a speeding ticket.
That would have to be one hella bored cop!
And speeding??
I don't normally use a cycloputer, but when I did, the fastest I clocked myself was 37 mph, that was balls-to-the-wall, hell-for-leather highest gear racing along with traffic on a 40 mph speed limit 3-lane city thoroughfare where cars routinely top 60, trying not to get killed.
Hardly enough for a speeding ticket.
I'm pretty sure it's the same in all jurisdictions in the US that you can appear in court rather than just pay the fine. I would be tempted to do just that. Make the cop put in an appearance in court to justify the ticket. Hopefully on his day off. I had a ticket tossed in Washington, D.C. once because after I showed up in court for the 3rd time and the cop didn't the judge decided that was enough and dismissed the ticket.
It use to be, not sure now since it's been a long time since I've had a ticket, that at least in Santa Barbara Ca, I had the option to pay meaning I accept the guilt, or go to the court on a ticket and plea innocent or guilty and ask for traffic school; when I pleaded innocent the judge would set a 2nd hearing and in that hearing the they would try to plea bargain with you by lowering to a lessor charge and lessor fine, if I didn't take the lessor charge and continue my innocence path then the 3rd trial would have the officer present, if he failed to show the ticket was dismissed there was no trial after that to try to get the officer in.
And NUKUHIVA, your speed of 38 with balls to the wall is nothing! Sorry, but while that is fast for you and me but not really all that fast for pro racing. The Tour de France will see speeds between 37 to 50 MPH on level ground for the final sprint and speeds up to 68 on descents and the average speed for the entire race is hovering at almost 40mph with the highest average speed recorded in the 2003 race at almost 41 (40.940 to be exact) over the entire 20 stages! And they do this without balls to wall efforts, they can't or else they would be zapped for the next day's race. So I'm sorry but your too slow for the TDF. This years 21 stage average was just 39.788, maybe there were more older people racing.
And NUKUHIVA, your speed of 38 with balls to the wall is nothing! Sorry, but while that is fast for you and me but not really all that fast for pro racing. The Tour de France will see speeds between 37 to 50 MPH on level ground for the final sprint and speeds up to 68 on descents and the average speed for the entire race is hovering at almost 40mph with the highest average speed recorded in the 2003 race at almost 41 (40.940 to be exact) over the entire 20 stages! And they do this without balls to wall efforts, they can't or else they would be zapped for the next day's race. So I'm sorry but your too slow for the TDF. This years 21 stage average was just 39.788, maybe there were more older people racing.
If you don't have id, you risk a good deal of inconvenience.
Tow your bike. Hold you at a police station until someone with id comes along to pick you up. They might need to bring your id.
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I was a bit smart once in a small town once and did not produce my id. Then I was charged with eluding which requires a MOTOR vehicle. Bike towed. Sat at the police station for a couple hours. Then a short trial. Found not guilty. The judge assessed me court costs. The appeal took up a couple more hours of my time. I did get my court costs and the towing charge for my bicycle back.
Tow your bike. Hold you at a police station until someone with id comes along to pick you up. They might need to bring your id.
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I was a bit smart once in a small town once and did not produce my id. Then I was charged with eluding which requires a MOTOR vehicle. Bike towed. Sat at the police station for a couple hours. Then a short trial. Found not guilty. The judge assessed me court costs. The appeal took up a couple more hours of my time. I did get my court costs and the towing charge for my bicycle back.
I'm of the opinion that autobahns just wouldn't work here. Drivers just don't abide to the basic rule that you move over once you've overtaken a slower vehicle. Montana used to have either unrestricted roads or a very high speed limit and their incident rate wasnt the best... People here would freak if the traffic fines were as high as they are in Germany. People buy cars that go over 150 because they're fun. My little s2000 will supposedly do 150+ but I'll never go that fast in it but getting to almost 90 in 3rd gear at 9000rpm is a blast. Our old Camaro with a 502 big block has been purposely gear limited for warp speed acceleration but sub 110 top speed... If I put a smaller gear in the rear end - something sub 3.0 it'd go way over 150 and still be pulling like a train... As I found out the hard way, Texas speed limits and traffic fines are quite leniant. I-20 and I-10 are 80mph during the day and you have to be doing ~110 before you risk anything other that mailing in a ticket... At night the speed limit on those roads is around 65 but there's a bit of a grey area between what is day and what is night :jacked: lol. As for the bike, if any officer could keep up with me in a Crown Vic going down a big hill on a technical descent I'd ask for his autograph while taking the ticket... But during autocross events I've seen cops drive and that isn't gonna happenFroze said:
I take my ID out with me on the bike for all the wrong reasons - it saves hastle if I get mowed down by a car when I'm either dead or unconscious...
I don't believe the Tour de France participants get speeding tickets.
I also don't believe they have to compete with 3 lanes of traffic going 15, 20 or more miles overe the posted limit.
And stop lights.
Most of them don't ride mountain bikes with racks and lights.
And I've never heard of one of them work 10 hours before the ride and carry their lunch/daily essentials in a daypack on their back while riding.
(Not since the 1920's, anyway....)
So...yeah, I'm too slow for the TDF....
I also don't believe they have to compete with 3 lanes of traffic going 15, 20 or more miles overe the posted limit.
And stop lights.
Most of them don't ride mountain bikes with racks and lights.
And I've never heard of one of them work 10 hours before the ride and carry their lunch/daily essentials in a daypack on their back while riding.
(Not since the 1920's, anyway....)
So...yeah, I'm too slow for the TDF....
Originally Posted by jpr95 .
Ummm...I think you misread a stat somewhere. The average speed for the TdF has been around 40 KILOMETERS per hour for several years now, which is about 25 MPH.
A quick Google search found this:
http://bikeraceinfo.com/tdf/tdfstats.html
Thanks for clearing that up, I did misread it, I thought that seemed fast, thinking: gee they really up the speed with new bike technology over the years! Silly me. But I will say this, at 58 with no race training going on and with balls to wall pedaling on flat ground I was able to obtain 34mph, I guess if an old geezer like me with no race training going on could do that...howbeit for a very short time...then I would assume a race trained young pro should be able to make that and then some. If I'm now correct about this MPH vs km confusion then the fastest stage run during a TDF over a distance of 41.94 miles was done at 35.6mph...That's fast for maintaining that kind of speed for almost 42 miles. But again that goes back to the balls to wall statement that pro riders do ride faster then 32mph and do so for a lengthy distance not for some short 5 second period like for me.
Ummm...I think you misread a stat somewhere. The average speed for the TdF has been around 40 KILOMETERS per hour for several years now, which is about 25 MPH.
A quick Google search found this:
http://bikeraceinfo.com/tdf/tdfstats.html
Thanks for clearing that up, I did misread it, I thought that seemed fast, thinking: gee they really up the speed with new bike technology over the years! Silly me. But I will say this, at 58 with no race training going on and with balls to wall pedaling on flat ground I was able to obtain 34mph, I guess if an old geezer like me with no race training going on could do that...howbeit for a very short time...then I would assume a race trained young pro should be able to make that and then some. If I'm now correct about this MPH vs km confusion then the fastest stage run during a TDF over a distance of 41.94 miles was done at 35.6mph...That's fast for maintaining that kind of speed for almost 42 miles. But again that goes back to the balls to wall statement that pro riders do ride faster then 32mph and do so for a lengthy distance not for some short 5 second period like for me.
Back in the 1980's I was stopped on a Naval Base for doing 27mph in a 15 mph zone. The officer didn't know how to write up the ticket for a bicycle so he gave me a strong verbal warning. Out in the real world I am rarely able to even come close to the posted speed limits so I don't think that I will ever have to deal with this scenario.
To answer your question, it is at the discretion of the commander.
The commander can say warn, charge-and-release, charge and arrest, arrest only, beat and mace mercilessly...
In my opinion, in this day and age of violent crime, you are not going to get a ticket or arrested for anything on a bike.
The prosecutors, courts, and cops, have bigger fish to fry.
My experience is that as long as you present some kind of ID that checks out (valid),
are reasonably respectful and penetant after a potential stop, you will git a talkin'-to.
EEven if you smash out the windshield of a moterrorist's mini-truck with a 33 oz. Zefal Magnum bottle full of water,
you will just get charged with destruction of private property and released; AS long as you don't give the cop any sh!t.
The theory behind all of this... (under U.S. Law), is, that; you have the right to decline to self-incriminate.
So, if there is no obvious reason to think that you have been operating a motor vehicle or are licensed tO operate one,
there is no reason to demand that a motor vehicle operator's license be presented,
no reason for you to present one and; no reason for you to be charged
with any violation of any provision of any motor vehicle operator's code of conduct.
So, carry around a type -written ID card that does not correspond to any motor vehicle operator's license issued in your name and,
with your name, CURRENT ADDRESS and valid phone # and offer it, only, as ID
at any bicycle traffic stop and be polite to any officer of the law.
Don't talk about driving.
Don't discuss whether or not you are licensed to operate unless you're ordered to.
If you're ordered to discuss it w/o the benefit of counsel, it's automatic dismissal.
I'm still Not Sure
The commander can say warn, charge-and-release, charge and arrest, arrest only, beat and mace mercilessly...
In my opinion, in this day and age of violent crime, you are not going to get a ticket or arrested for anything on a bike.
The prosecutors, courts, and cops, have bigger fish to fry.
My experience is that as long as you present some kind of ID that checks out (valid),
are reasonably respectful and penetant after a potential stop, you will git a talkin'-to.
EEven if you smash out the windshield of a moterrorist's mini-truck with a 33 oz. Zefal Magnum bottle full of water,
you will just get charged with destruction of private property and released; AS long as you don't give the cop any sh!t.
The theory behind all of this... (under U.S. Law), is, that; you have the right to decline to self-incriminate.
So, if there is no obvious reason to think that you have been operating a motor vehicle or are licensed tO operate one,
there is no reason to demand that a motor vehicle operator's license be presented,
no reason for you to present one and; no reason for you to be charged
with any violation of any provision of any motor vehicle operator's code of conduct.
So, carry around a type -written ID card that does not correspond to any motor vehicle operator's license issued in your name and,
with your name, CURRENT ADDRESS and valid phone # and offer it, only, as ID
at any bicycle traffic stop and be polite to any officer of the law.
Don't talk about driving.
Don't discuss whether or not you are licensed to operate unless you're ordered to.
If you're ordered to discuss it w/o the benefit of counsel, it's automatic dismissal.
I'm still Not Sure
