Do cyclists have to stick to the speed limit?

[The Ouzo]

This, https://road.cc/content/feature/do-cyclists-have-stick-speed-limit-303663 ,popped up in one of my feeds earlier and had me thinking ?

Whats the SA law regarding speed limits ?

 

I recall as a teenager, there was a certain corner near home that formed part of my daily newspaper delivery route. As it was a particularly problematic corner for motorists they dropped the speed limit to 40km/h. Traffic cops being what they were took great delight in trapping on the corner, the good old lines across the road trap.

As a teenager trying to be clever I would regularly try and break the speedlimit on my bicycle to see what the cops would do, I was never stopped.

 

[mecheng89]

What does our law say? It probably mentions motorized vehicles from 2 wheels up. I don't think human-powered vehicles are submit to speed limits. But good luck reaching 120kph on the open road. You could perhaps each 60kph in a cocooned recumbent.

https://www.arrivealive.mobi/speed-limits-and-the-law

[The Ouzo]

15 minutes ago, mecheng89 said:

What does our law say? It probably mentions motorized vehicles from 2 wheels up. I don't think human-powered vehicles are submit to speed limits. But good luck reaching 120kph on the open road. You could perhaps each 60kph in a cocooned recumbent.

https://www.arrivealive.mobi/speed-limits-and-the-law

wasnt thinking 120, more like the 40/50/60 speed limits in urban areas or steeper downhills.

[lechatnoir]

If the speed limit is 40 for cars, the safe limit for bikes is lower as brakes and traction aren't nearly as good. It's all fun and games until it's not. Be safe out there kids

[The Ouzo]

7 minutes ago, lechatnoir said:

If the speed limit is 40 for cars, the safe limit for bikes is lower as brakes and traction aren't nearly as good. It's all fun and games until it's not. Be safe out there kids

The question was about legality and not safety, to debate safety would need a long friday and an entire subdivision on bikehub.

[lechatnoir]

3 minutes ago, The Ouzo said:

The question was about legality and not safety, to debate safety would need a long friday and an entire subdivision on bikehub.

You are correct. apologies for putting my safety ahead of the law. No one else seems interested when I'm on my bike, I thought I'd just go ahead.

[dasilvarsa]

You Don't have to stick to the Speed Limit.

You don't have to Stop at Stop Streets or Traffic Lights.

You can Ride the Wrong Way down any road.

You can ride on pavements.

You cannot ride on Freeways.

 

[Shebeen]

26 minutes ago, lechatnoir said:

If the speed limit is 40 for cars, the safe limit for bikes is lower as brakes and traction aren't nearly as good. It's all fun and games until it's not. Be safe out there kids

You sure about that?!

Try going from 60km/h to dead still in your car and then on your bike.

Same with cornering.

 

 

but to answer the original question, obviously they apply to cyclists. Would be fun to get a speeding ticket on your bike. 

 

 

 

[Shebeen]

2 minutes ago, dasilvarsa said:

You Don't have to stick to the Speed Limit.

You don't have to Stop at Stop Streets or Traffic Lights.

You can Ride the Wrong Way down any road.

You can ride on pavements.

You cannot ride on Freeways.

 

nor do you pay "roadtax"!

[Jono]

Yes.

Source: National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996

[Mtree]

6 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

You sure about that?!

Try going from 60km/h to dead still in your car and then on your bike.

Same with cornering.

 

 

but to answer the original question, obviously they apply to cyclists. Would be fun to get a speeding ticket on your bike. 

 

 

 

Would like to see them write a ticket for a cyclist in SA, I reckon it would get interesting very quickly...

Also wouldn't something like an ID number be required such that they could address the ticket to your person? Otherwise you could just be 'John Doe seven hundred. listen properly. and sixty nine'

In theory yes, bicycles are supposed to behave like vehicles on SA roads, so that would include obeying the speed limits.

[mecheng89]

2 minutes ago, Mtree said:

Would like to see them write a ticket for a cyclist in SA, I reckon it would get interesting very quickly...

Also wouldn't something like an ID number be required such that they could address the ticket to your person? Otherwise you could just be 'John Doe seven hundred. listen properly. and sixty nine'

In theory yes, bicycles are supposed to behave like vehicles on SA roads, so that would include obeying the speed limits.

Nice.

[Pieter-za]

2 hours ago, lechatnoir said:

If the speed limit is 40 for cars, the safe limit for bikes is lower as brakes and traction aren't nearly as good.

Not the point of the discussion, but let's see, from 40 km/h:

Approx 6.24m for a bike

Approx 9m for an ave family car

[justinafrika]

19 minutes ago, Pieter-za said:

Not the point of the discussion, but let's see, from 40 km/h:

Approx 6.24m for a bike

Approx 9m for an ave family car

… and I’m convinced I can, and do, stop even quicker-shorter on my mtb knobblies on tar.  There are a few descent spots, on routes or on my way to the trails a few blocks away, where I’m able to go near 70 (yes overtaking cars occasionally) and have had to brake rapidly.

[droo]

3 hours ago, The Ouzo said:

wasnt thinking 120, more like the 40/50/60 speed limits in urban areas or steeper downhills.

The speed trap on Kloof Nek should get a few pictures a week. Not easy to set the camera off on a bike though, and I've never heard of anyone actually getting their photo in the mail.

[Yyyy]

3 hours ago, dasilvarsa said:

You Don't have to stick to the Speed Limit.

You don't have to Stop at Stop Streets or Traffic Lights.

You can Ride the Wrong Way down any road.

You can ride on pavements.

You cannot ride on Freeways.

 

🤔