‘Absurd’ speed limit lands $460 fines for cyclists. Even joggers overtook them

www.brisbanetimes.com.au ‘Absurd’ speed limit lands $460 fines for cyclists. Even joggers overtook them

Police were fining cyclists up to $464 on World Car-Free Day for speeding on this Brisbane city bridge.

Bob* was riding across the Kurilpa Bridge into the city on a quiet school holiday Friday morning, also coincidentally World Car-Free Day, when ... BAM, he was $464 poorer.

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35 comments

10km/h is way too slow. But in other hand bike crashed to a person on 15km/h is serious risk. If pedestrian safety is concern better just ban bikes(and scooters) from shared pathways. Use roads or dedicated lines.
- You don't need speed limits for this. Cyclists are more than capable of riding to conditions and either slowing down or going around pedestrians. Fine cyclists if they're actually riding recklessly, not if they're going at a perfectly reasonable speed given the amount and proximity of pedestrians. The fact that there have been zero incidents recorded on this bridge pretty clearly indicates it's not a problem area.
  better just ban bikes(and scooters) from shared pathways
  It's literally called a shared pathway. The entire point of it is to allow active transport of all forms.
  
  We are not talking about reasonable cyclist. It is more about morons who zig-zag between peoples on full speed. And under ban, I mean to not create a shared pathways. Section of road should be for car or bikes/scooters or pedestrians.
  
  This could only work if you actually started building separated bikeways everywhere. Which we are a long, long way away from having.
- 15 km/h on a bike lane is pretty slow, and a bicycle crashing into a pedestrian at that speed won't do much harm - if any. But agreed, on a the sidewalk it's still too risky.
- I think here in Oslo there is no special speed limit on a bike on a road / bike lane, just the regular speed limit. However, if you are on a pavement or public space like a place etc, basically if you are among people, the limit is 6 kph. So, don’t pass people at over 6 kph. Sort of ok even if very few follow it unless they are forced to because of crowds.
- I have been to plenty of public spaces shared by bicyclists and pedestrians(squares, markets and the like), it is sometimes chaotic, but it was never dangerous. This is a ridiculous take on the danger of bikes. Semmingly coming from a place with no bicycling cluture.
  
  Did you ever been hit by a bike? Probably no. Rider on 15km/h would definitely knock pedestrian down, and it is alone enough to cause serious injuries. Plus bikes have so many sharp edges, it is not same as been rammed by a runner.
- Going by "fat man on a freakishly heavy bicycle" standards of a 350 pound bicycle crashing into someone at 15kph you get about 1,378 Joule energy out of it.
  That's about the energy of your average 2 ton car hitting someone at 5kph (~1929 Joule).
  Fat man on a freakishly heavy bicycle at 10kph nets you about 612 Joules, in car terms that would be about 3kph, I feel like most of them wouldn't even do that without stalling
  I'm not going to claim either can't actually be dangerous, you kind of have to wonder about how the lines are drawn here, especially given you have much, much more incenitive to not crash into someone on a bicycle compared to in a car

35 comments