Is it legal to ride on 'M' roads?

[Dazshell]

Hi all.  I have missed a bit of this thread so am not sure if you are all aware of the Ethekweni Cycle Safe Forum that has been established to help clarify all of this?  All the clubs, shops, city departments, Metro Police, SAPS and RTI are involved.

 

Unfortunately there seems to be a discrepancy between the Act covering road usage for cyclists and local bylaws.

 

As per the statement made by the head of Metro Police at the inaugural meeting, we can ride on ANY road not designated as a freeway without fear of arrest.  We, in turn, gave an undertaking to keep off the M4 from Argyle Road to Umhlanga.   The forum has however written to the RTI asking for clarity just to be sure.  As soon as we get this, all parties will make it their mission to communicate the exact rules.

 

Thanks

Daryl Harris

Chairman East Coast Cycling Club

[ricochet_rabbit]

If you are trying to be obtuse, go for it.

 

However that not withstanding; if you give your under 16 year old a bike and you do not accompany him/her or have not informed him/her as to the rules of the road and where and where not to ride you are a delinquent parent.

 

Simple. Ignorance is not a defense.

 

 

 

I don't disagree but there are plenty of kids who don't receive this guidance from their parents and your solution doesn't provide for the adult commuter whose parents never taught him any road rules.. I'm not trying to be obtuse either. In other parts of the world people grow up knowing the rules of the road because society demands it. We live in a county where whole generations were never taught things that you and I may take for granted. We need to accommodate them and in this instance a simple no cycling sign would suffice.

[xdoomx]

Hi all.  I have missed a bit of this thread so am not sure if you are all aware of the Ethekweni Cycle Safe Forum that has been established to help clarify all of this?  All the clubs, shops, city departments, Metro Police, SAPS and RTI are involved.

 

Unfortunately there seems to be a discrepancy between the Act covering road usage for cyclists and local bylaws.

 

As per the statement made by the head of Metro Police at the inaugural meeting, we can ride on ANY road not designated as a freeway without fear of arrest.  We, in turn, gave an undertaking to keep off the M4 from Argyle Road to Umhlanga.   The forum has however written to the RTI asking for clarity just to be sure.  As soon as we get this, all parties will make it their mission to communicate the exact rules.

 

Thanks

Daryl Harris

Chairman East Coast Cycling Club

 

Thanks Daryl, have created a thread for that here:

https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/157654-durban-cycle-safe-forum-launched/

 

[eccc whippet]

I attempted to create a route in strava from my house to Umhlanga.

 

all M4 - 7 - 19 etc you can create a cycling route...HOWEVER...you cannot create a cycling route in strava on a freeway N2 nor N3...as soon as you attempt to use the N3 or N2 it creates an alternate route.

[ricochet_rabbit]

I attempted to create a route in strava from my house to Umhlanga.

 

all M4 - 7 - 19 etc you can create a cycling route...HOWEVER...you cannot create a cycling route in strava on a freeway N2 nor N3...as soon as you attempt to use the N3 or N2 it creates an alternate route.

 

open to correction but I think these roads were never previously considered highways (hence the older small green signs you see denoting the road & direction). At some point in the last 25 years or so these roads seem to have had their designation changed/upgraded. There probably wasn't a concerted media campaign at the time so people continue to do as they have always done.  

[eccc whippet]

It must be friday...i get to ride amongst the trees...no blue...no green...signs...no vicious drunk motorists out to kill me...

 

 

[eccc whippet]

Blue signs....green signs...cycle lanes...it is not safe anywhere[emoji15]

[eccc whippet]

Had to go out to Umhlanga today...took note of all the signs on the M4...the ones going past umhlanga are all green with the bicycle triangle.

 

on my way back i seem to piss off a lot of motorist driving at 100 km/hr...people were hooting...flashing lights...pulling signs at me as they passed on the left...the way i see it ...take a pic of me driving at 100 km/hr in a 100 k zone and tell someone who cares.

 

Then to spoil my day...i see a lonely cyclist pedaling down the M4 where there are blue signs over the place...at 3.30 pm going over the blue lagoon bridge...maybe the oke doesnt listen to the news...read the news paper...listen to the radio...belong to a club...or follow this forum.

[Markthecycletourist]

I had no idea cycling on N roads was illegal in South Africa!

 

I recently cycled from Durban to Tugela without any issue and now I'm planning to cycle from Richards Bay to Swaziland next week, but for the majority of it I can't see any possible route other than the N2. 

 

I've cycled N roads before without any problem but maybe I was lucky - do you think I could actually get arrested?

[RocknRolla]

Higher Probability of getting run over than being arrested.

[dave303e]

I had no idea cycling on N roads was illegal in South Africa!

 

I recently cycled from Durban to Tugela without any issue and now I'm planning to cycle from Richards Bay to Swaziland next week, but for the majority of it I can't see any possible route other than the N2. 

 

I've cycled N roads before without any problem but maybe I was lucky - do you think I could actually get arrested?

 

They say speed kills, but reality is that a differential in speed kills. In theory 100 cars doing 600km/h down the highway in a line will never crash into each other unless one changes direction but otherwise the equal speed will keep them safe.

 

You doing 30kmh and a truck doing 100 gives a speed differential of 70kmh. So it is the same as hitting a pole at 70kmh. Look at race tracks where a motorcyclist slides along slowly slowing down they rarely get hurt, where they impact something and the speed difference is instant and big then it hurts. 

 

Now with this in mind do you want to go ride on the N2 where the speed differential should in theory be between 70 and 90kmh? 

 

Law is not there to limit you, it is there to keep you alive.

[fanievb]

I had no idea cycling on N roads was illegal in South Africa!

 

I recently cycled from Durban to Tugela without any issue and now I'm planning to cycle from Richards Bay to Swaziland next week, but for the majority of it I can't see any possible route other than the N2. 

 

I've cycled N roads before without any problem but maybe I was lucky - do you think I could actually get arrested?

 

N (National roads) has nothing to do with being allowed to cycle or not.

 

You may not cycle on a freeway and sometimes (usually closer and in/around towns) the National Roads are freeways as well.

 

so if you see BLUE board or this sign, you may not cycle there

http://www.gadacademy.co.za/Freeway%20sign.jpg

 

 

example of blue sign

 

 

if you see green signs you may cycle on that road (this is the N2 near Stilbaai)

 

 

 

[Ed-Zulu]

I had no idea cycling on N roads was illegal in South Africa!

 

I recently cycled from Durban to Tugela without any issue and now I'm planning to cycle from Richards Bay to Swaziland next week, but for the majority of it I can't see any possible route other than the N2. 

 

I've cycled N roads before without any problem but maybe I was lucky - do you think I could actually get arrested?

I can assure you that cycling on the N2 from Richards Bay to Swaziland will not land you in jail. The road is used by numerous cycling commuters and bicycle tourers on a daily basis.

 

You might die of boredom crossing the Makhatini flats between Bayala and the Swazi border, but your biggest concern should be your visibility. The emergency lane on that road is used as the slow lane by trucks and slower vehicles. So ensure you are visible 

[Fat Boab]

I haven't read the whole thread from 2016, so apols if this has been asked already, but I understand the green vs blue road signs thing, but that's only useful if you're already on the raod. How about planning a route, from A to B ahead of time. Is there a google map differentiator, or list of freeway sections, or routes on which cyclists are prohibited somewhere on the web or elsewhere?? 

[Dirkitech]

I haven't read the whole thread from 2016, so apols if this has been asked already, but I understand the green vs blue road signs thing, but that's only useful if you're already on the raod. How about planning a route, from A to B ahead of time. Is there a google map differentiator, or list of freeway sections, or routes on which cyclists are prohibited somewhere on the web or elsewhere?? 

Google maps has a feature where you can toggle to avoid highways/tolls/ferries after selecting a destination. I just tested again using my route going home and it "successfully" diverted the route thorugh jhb cbd, avoiding N1, M1, M2, N3.

 

Tested it going to Suikerbosrand and worked too.

[Dirkitech]

This is the perfect thread to share what I found a while back on a national highway (blue board) in JHB:


To clarify - -given half a safe and legal chance, I'd also cycle on this highway, but since it isn't the case, I don't!