So, who got a ticket today on Coro Drive ?

[tomns]

I was riding into to work the "back" way for me which comes inbound on Coro drive bikeway from the UQ direction.

What should I see but 2 police with radar guns and 2 police on motor bikes handing out speeding and non compliance
(no bell). They seemed to be mainly nicking people coming from Mt Cootha direction where the tunnel meets the bikeway.

However it was just good fortune I didn't get done because the bloke had a go at getting me but I was slowing as there was a
bit of traffic around in front - a couple of riders.

I am just a bit confused as I read on roadgrime that blokes were getting done for 20km/hr over the limit (30 in a 10 zone)
however, I didn't see a sign until I reached the works area where they have built those elevated platforms.


Just an FYI

Cheers
Tom

[rsea]

thanks for the heads up. I came through there tonight at about 5 and didn't see them. Must've been v.lucky

whats the fine?

[tomns]

thanks for the heads up. I came through there tonight at about 5 and didn't see them. Must've been v.lucky

whats the fine?

One of the blokes on Roadgrime got a $180 + 3 Demerit points (20Km/hr over the speed limit 30 in a 10 zone)
and $40 for no bell + 1 Demerit point

Seems pretty steep to me

Tom

[rsea]

what the hell they take points of your drivers license!? how the f can they do that?
In fact how do they even id you. I don't ride with my wallet

[simonn]

what the hell they take points of your drivers license!? how the f can they do that?

It's the law.

In fact how do they even id you. I don't ride with my wallet

If you have committed an offense then the police are within their rights to ask you to identify yourself. To give false information is a criminal offense - speeding and riding without a bell are civil offenses so you better hope you do not get identified.

[Drunkmonkey]

thanks for the heads up. I came through there tonight at about 5 and didn't see them. Must've been v.lucky

whats the fine?

One of the blokes on Roadgrime got a $180 + 3 Demerit points (20Km/hr over the speed limit 30 in a 10 zone)
and $40 for no bell + 1 Demerit point

Seems pretty steep to me

Tom

No one of the guys on RG claims he knows someone who got a $180 fine + 3 demerit points........second hand story and others have posted that they got a warning for speeding so I wouldnt believe everything you hear

The cops are slowing people down because a pedestrian was hit by a cyclist the other day along there.

[tomns]

thanks for the heads up. I came through there tonight at about 5 and didn't see them. Must've been v.lucky

whats the fine?

One of the blokes on Roadgrime got a $180 + 3 Demerit points (20Km/hr over the speed limit 30 in a 10 zone)
and $40 for no bell + 1 Demerit point

Seems pretty steep to me

Tom

No one of the guys on RG claims he knows someone who got a $180 fine + 3 demerit points........second hand story and others have posted that they got a warning for speeding so I wouldnt believe everything you hear

The cops are slowing people down because a pedestrian was hit by a cyclist the other day along there.

Hey mate,

Did you read the thread ?



http://www.roadgrime.com.au/home/index. ... 3#msg72813



Tom

[tomns]

Not sure if anyone saw this either, two tweets from CBDBUG

"Police say they will be back in future and issuing speeding fines, and that cyclists with driving licences will gain demerit points"

and

"Police say they were issuing warnings on Bicentennial for speeding (>10 km/h) & issuing fines for other infractions e.g. no bell."

http://twitter.com/cbdbug

So DrunkMonkey is probably right on fine info.

$40 for no bell .... I have one on my bikes but really $40 .... that is pretty lame

Tom

[Drunkmonkey]

One of the blokes on Roadgrime got a $180 + 3 Demerit points (20Km/hr over the speed limit 30 in a 10 zone)
and $40 for no bell + 1 Demerit point

Seems pretty steep to me

Tom

No one of the guys on RG claims he knows someone who got a $180 fine + 3 demerit points........second hand story and others have posted that they got a warning for speeding so I wouldnt believe everything you hear

The cops are slowing people down because a pedestrian was hit by a cyclist the other day along there.

Hey mate,

Did you read the thread ?



http://www.roadgrime.com.au/home/index. ... 3#msg72813



Tom

Yep I read it - there are no first hand accounts of people getting a fine for no bell or speeding, its 2 stories starting with 'i was talking to someone and they said...........'

I will say it again and make it clearer - dont assume the fine for no bell, speeding on Coro Drive and losing points off licence is accurate until you hear a first hand account of that happening

Are people sure that people got fines, or are they only thinking they got a fine because they saw people getting pulled over?

What law are you breaking by not riding with a bell?

[Rhubarb]

In Qld it is law to have a bell.

Other guys on road grime have contested getting demerit points on your licence for offences committed on bike and won every time. The fines stand but the points get wiped.

[Undertow]

I was under the impression that speed limits weren't enforcable on bike paths.

Also when I'm running along there I do so at about 15kmh does that mean I'd get a fine for that or are they selectively enforcing it.

[BrisVegas]

I got lucky and didn't get one. They had two riders pulled over when I came out of the tunnel and turned onto the path yesterday at around 7:30am. I did get a flat tyre yesterday morning somewhere along Coro drive, as I noticed it when I turned up onto Turbot Street. There are some pretty sharp edges on the timber walkways where the boards have lifted up.

I came past this morning at 7.00am and there was only the hi-vis council dude there.

[neil13]

Yep I read it - there are no first hand accounts of people getting a fine for no bell or speeding, its 2 stories starting with 'i was talking to someone and they said...........'

I will say it again and make it clearer - dont assume the fine for no bell, speeding on Coro Drive and losing points off licence is accurate until you hear a first hand account of that happening

Are people sure that people got fines, or are they only thinking they got a fine because they saw people getting pulled over?

What law are you breaking by not riding with a bell?

Ah, first hand that I was talking to a guy at work who was shaking his head saying he got a $40 fine for having no bell........he had the ticket in his hand.

[Undertow]

Drunkmonkey wrote:
Yep I read it - there are no first hand accounts of people getting a fine for no bell or speeding, its 2 stories starting with 'i was talking to someone and they said...........'

I will say it again and make it clearer - dont assume the fine for no bell, speeding on Coro Drive and losing points off licence is accurate until you hear a first hand account of that happening

Are people sure that people got fines, or are they only thinking they got a fine because they saw people getting pulled over?

What law are you breaking by not riding with a bell?

Ah, first hand that I was talking to a guy at work who was shaking his head saying he got a $40 fine for having no bell........he had the ticket in his hand.

Ah but thats only second hand for the rest of us so we can't believe it

[m@]

Sounds as though there's a lot of confusion and a lack of clarity of the rules... IMO they would be better off issuing warnings and making sure everyone knows the rules rather than issuing fines when it's unclear what the speed limit is or whether it applies to the cycleway. IIRC this is the approach some councils in WA have been taking - pulling people over for a chat rather than issueing fines on the spot. If there is no 10Kmph speed limit sign I can't see how they could issue you with a speeding fine anyway and would be interested to know whether they're charging people for breaching road rules or some council bylaw.

IMO fining people for not having a bell is pedantry at best and bare-faced revenue raising at worst... but if you have a bell you can't get fined.

[Undertow]

IMO fining people for not having a bell is pedantry at best and bare-faced revenue raising at worst... but if you have a bell you can't get fined.

Is the law in queensland that all bikes must be fitted with a functioning bell. Only exception is when you are participating in a race on closed roads.

Its no more pendantic than fining people for not wearing seatbelts or not having a number plate on their car.

And if people are that worried about an extra 50g (or whatever it is) weight from a bell then they've obviously got enough money to spend $$$$ on a bike and can afford to pay a $40 fine.

[igstar]

How can they enforce speed limits for bicycles when speedos are not compulsory?

[m@]

IMO fining people for not having a bell is pedantry at best and bare-faced revenue raising at worst... but if you have a bell you can't get fined.

Is the law in queensland that all bikes must be fitted with a functioning bell. Only exception is when you are participating in a race on closed roads.

Its no more pendantic than fining people for not wearing seatbelts or not having a number plate on their car.

And if people are that worried about an extra 50g (or whatever it is) weight from a bell then they've obviously got enough money to spend $$$$ on a bike and can afford to pay a $40 fine.

Oh, I realise it's the law (and do have bells fitted to my bikes). Hardly comparable to seatbelt or number plate laws though as there is no compelling safety or regulatory reason for a bicycle to be fitted with a bell - the law is just a historical hangover from ye olden days AFAICT. As an 'audible warning device' (the actual legal requirement) a bell is abjectly inadequate and much less effective than simply using your voice. It's also not a widely known law and most bikes are sold without a bell - so IMO there is a strong argument for directing resources toward education rather than enforcement.
Just my 2c

[Undertow]

. As an 'audible warning device' (the actual legal requirement) a bell is abjectly inadequate and much less effective than simply using your voice. It's also not a widely known law and most bikes are sold without a bell - so IMO there is a strong argument for directing resources toward education rather than enforcement.
Just my 2c

http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/Home/Ge ... _cyclists/

Equipment on a bicycle (s258)

Your bicycle must:

have at least one effective brake
have a bell in working order.


That specifically says bell, it might be different in other states, but in Queensland its gotta be a bell that works.

Also all 4 bikes i've bought in the last 4 years haven't come with a bell, but when purchasing the shopkeep asked if I already owned a bell as it is a legal requirement to have one (i wanted a bell on each bike so i didn't have to swap them around so i said yes each time). And this was from two different shops. So from my experience i would guess most people who buy bikes should know the law and have the opportunity to comply.

[x8pg2qr]

How can they enforce speed limits for bicycles when speedos are not compulsory?

Cars have to follow several laws when parking e.g.:

http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Saf ... arking.htm

They still have to be followed even though rulers/tape measures are not compulsory in cars.

[m@]

. As an 'audible warning device' (the actual legal requirement) a bell is abjectly inadequate and much less effective than simply using your voice. It's also not a widely known law and most bikes are sold without a bell - so IMO there is a strong argument for directing resources toward education rather than enforcement.
Just my 2c

http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/Home/Ge ... _cyclists/

Equipment on a bicycle (s258)

Your bicycle must:

have at least one effective brake
have a bell in working order.


That specifically says bell, it might be different in other states, but in Queensland its gotta be a bell that works.

That's just an interpretation to everyday language; the actual legislation doesn't specify a bell:

258 Equipment on a bicycle
A person must not ride a bicycle that does not have—
(a) at least 1 effective brake; and
(b) a bell, horn or similar warning device in working order.
Maximum penalty—20 penalty units.

Emphasis mine (I got the wording a bit wrong as well).

Also all 4 bikes i've bought in the last 4 years haven't come with a bell, but when purchasing the shopkeep asked if I already owned a bell as it is a legal requirement to have one (i wanted a bell on each bike so i didn't have to swap them around so i said yes each time). And this was from two different shops. So from my experience i would guess most people who buy bikes should know the law and have the opportunity to comply.

Fair enough - OTOH my bikes have all been second-hand or bought over the net; I wasn't aware a bell was a legal requirement until pretty recently. At the end of the day it's easy enough to fit a bell and avoid any possiblity of being fined - but that doesn't mean police resources are best used fining cyclists for not having a bell.

[MountGower]

This thread cracks me up.

I can't decide what is funnier; the fact that people actually still live down there, the fact that they think their laws are of any interest to or have any influence over us, or the fact that they think we could possibly care about their laws or the extent to which they do not apply to us.

Either way, just too funny and on a sadder note, too typical.

[m@]

Whether someone lives 'down there', 'up norf' or up their own backside isn't really relevant... Personally I just think it sucks that the cops think that fining a cyclist for failing to have a bell on their bike is a worthwhile exercise but can't be arsed following it up when a driver deliberately swerves to hit a cyclist. YMMV

[Rhubarb]

Just for clarity here:

1. The cops were pulling people over for speeding in the section of bikepath where the tunnel under Coro Dr joins the path near Wesley Hospital. Whilst this is undergoing roadworks it is temporarily marked as 10kmph, with signs written every 100m or so saying cyclists slow down.
2. Once pulled over, they were giving warnings only for the speeding offence, but would fine for no bell or helmet.
3. There is not normally any speed limit on the bike path although a police spokesman was recently quoted in the paper as having recorded fines against cyclists for excessive speed on the bike path recently. The spokesman said there was no limit, rather this was an application of police discretion in these few instances.
4. There has been a significant increase in police presence on foot and bike over the last 5 months on the bike track.
5. The council workers in hi vis vests are there to redirect pedestrians around the roadworks via the footpath on Coro Dr, leaving the temporary narrow bikepath to cyclists only. They are not there to police cyclists and haven't been doing so (at least not that I've seen and I commute back and forth every week day).

[x8pg2qr]

Whether someone lives 'down there', 'up norf' or up their own backside isn't really relevant... Personally I just think it sucks that the cops think that fining a cyclist for failing to have a bell on their bike is a worthwhile exercise but can't be arsed following it up when a driver deliberately swerves to hit a cyclist. YMMV

Ah well, before this there were people unaware that demerits points could be given/waived. Now they know. And we’ve just had a revision in this thread on the road rules. Again. So it’s not all bad.

A blitz on mobile phone-using drivers is friggin overdue.