Is It Illegal To Cycle On The Pavement

[gordiescotland1]

When out for my daily exercise i am constantly having to avoid people who cycle on the pavement. It is absolutely ridiculous. How on earth are people supposed to social distance when cyclists take over the pavement? Surely it is contrary to the Highway Code? About 90 per cent of the cyclists I nearly bump into are adults ! They should be setting an example to younger cyclists

[Spicerack]

Might you have been walking in the cycle-lane, gordie?

[SlackAlice]

Illegal
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-for-cyclists-59-to-82
Scroll down to Rule No 64 and also read Rule No 62

[gordiescotland1]

No spice rack definitely not.

[gordiescotland1]

Thanks Slack Alice that was great

[Buenchico]

As someone who has spent many hours carrying out surveys on cycle routes, I know that there seem to be a great many pedesrtrians who never even seem to notice these 'shared use' signs, and who then go on to moan about cyclists (who've got just as much right to be there as they have!)
https://c8.alamy.com/comp/M116EJ/new-signage-marking-a-shared-use-foot-and-cycle-path-in-a-hampshire-M116EJ.jpg

Further, only footways adjacent to highways are covered by the primary legislation anyway. So, unless the local council has made an order prohibiting the riding of bikes on a specific path that doesn't run alongside a highway, it's perfecetly legal to cycle on it.

See 'Pavement cycling' here for a lot more detail (and note that there are difference in Scottish legislation):
https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/whats-legal-and-whats-not-your-bike

[alavahalf]

Not at all illegal .. Many of our pavements which are only wide enough to have two people pass in opposite directions have now had a line painted down the middle of them. The idea is one half for pedestrians and the other for cyclists.
The end result is a mother with a flock of kids heading to school (not at the moment obviously) and a cyclist doing 25 mph along the pavement towards each other... bad, bad planning on the local councils behalf. This is the end result of providing a cycle lane and not spending much money.

[NickorWan]

It’s a funny one. Our relationship with bikes is very different to our relationship with motorbikes and cars. We are brought up to stay on the pavement, then at some stage allowed to go on the road a bit, then supposed to stay off the pavement. For some reason we don’t make that adjustment very well. It’s like short pants, we are supposed to stop wearing them about the same time we stop cycling on pavements, but you still some grown-ups wearing them about town.

[-SharonA-]

This is my one bugbear. The number of times i've been nearly mowed down.
I refuse to get out of their way and I'm fed up with telling cyclists to get in the road.
Sometimes you get a whole family, Dad in front, then mum followed by 2 kids wobbling about all over the place.
GET IN THE BLOODY ROAD!!!!

[anneasquith]

Pavements are for pedestrians, bikes ( excepting young children) on the road. It’s dangerous and very selfish .

[johnny.5]

well there you have it
so please report it in the first instance every time you witness such a crime
dial 111
leave your name, address and contact number

then come back and tell us what happens please

[New Judge]

Here you go. Highways Act 1835, S72:

Penalty on Persons committing Nuisances by riding on Footpaths, &c.

And be it further enacted, That if any Person shall wilfully ride upon any Footpath or Causeway by the Side of any Road made or set apart for the Use or Accommodation of Foot Passengers ; or shall wilfully lead or drive any Horse, Ass, Sheep, Mule, Swine, or Cattle, or Carriage of any Description, or any Truck or Sledge upon any such Footpath or Causeway ; or shall tether any Horse, Ass, Mule, Swine, or Cattle on any Highway, so as to suffer or permit the tethered Animal to be thereon ; or shall cause any Injury or Damage to be done to the said Highway, or the Hedges, Posts, Rails, Walls, or Fences thereof , or shall wilfully obstruct the Passage of any Footway; or wilfully destroy or injure the Surface of any Highway; or shall wilfully or wantonly pull up, cut down, remove, or damage the Posts, Blocks, or Stones fixed by the said Surveyor as herein directed; or dig or cut down the Banks which are the Securities and Defence of the said Highways ; or break, damage, or throw down the Stones, Bricks, or Wood fixed upon the Parapets or Battlements of Bridges, or otherwise injure or deface the same ; or pull down, destroy, obliterate, or deface any Milestone or Post, Graduated or Direction Post or Stone, erected upon any Highway; or shall play at Football or any other Game on any Part of the said Highways, to the Annoyance of any Passenger or Passengers ; or if any Hawker, Higgler, Gipsy, or other Person travelling shall pitch any Tent, Booth, Stall, or Stand, or encamp, upon any Part of any Highway; or if any Person shall make or assist in making any Fire, or shall wantonly fire off any Gun or Pistol, or shall set fire to or wantonly let off or throw any Squib, Rocket, Serpent, or other Firework whatsoever, within Fifty Feet of the Centre of such Carriageway or Cartway; or bait, or run for the Purpose of baiting, any Bull upon or near any Highway ; or shall lay any Timber, Stone, Hay, Straw, Dung, Manure, Lime, Soil, Ashes, Rubbish, or other Matter or Thing whatsoever upon such Highway, to the Injury of such Highway, or to the Injury, Interruption, or personal Danger of any Person travelling thereon ; or shall suffer any Filth, Dirt, Lime, or other offensive Matter or Thing whatsoever to run or flow into or upon any Highway from any House, Building, Erection, Lands, or Premises adjacent thereto; or shall in any Way wilfully obstruct the free Passage of any such Highway; every Person so offending in any of the Cases aforesaid shall for each and every such Offence forfeit and pay any Sum not exceeding Forty Shillings, over and above the Damages occasioned thereby.

"A fine not exceeding forty shillings" (for younger readers, that's two quid).

[bhg481]

The fine for cycling on the pavement may be forty shillings but the penalty for cycling on a road can be the death penalty.

[diddlydo]

What seriously p***** me off is cyclists who ride on the road when there is a dedicated cycle path running parallel to the road. Why????

[New Judge]

And a collision between a fast moving bicycle and a pedestrian (especially a small one) can also be fatal - for the pedestrian. The difference is the bicycle should not be on the pavement (bar the ridiculous "split" footways mentioned, the sensibility - if not the legality - of which is somewhat questionable). The pedestrian should.

[teacake44]

Have we not been down this path before, its getting as bad as mine:0)

[beso]

Australia laws are much more progressive. Details depend on the state. It is legal for anyone to ride a bicycle on the footpath in Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory and ACT.

In Victoria, children under the age of thirteen are allowed to ride on the footpath. A supervising adult accompanying the child is also allowed to ride on the footpath. An adult with a child in a basket or being towed in a pedalled trailer are allowed on the footpath.

In New South Wales, children under the age of sixteen are allowed to ride on the footpath. An adult supervising them or other children accompanying them aged sixteen or seventeen are also allowed.

They must keep left and give way to pedestrians.

Skaters and unicyclists are considered pedestrians so are allowed on the footpath but must give way to other pedestrians.

[THECORBYLOON]

NJ, that isn't the current wording of the Act though, is it?

[bhg481]

NJ // And a collision between a fast moving bicycle and a pedestrian (especially a small one) can also be fatal//

Absolutely right and let's not go down the electric wheelchair and electric scooters route. Two things need to happen; regulations need to be updated to take account of more powered vehicles and the drivers of these vehicles need to realise they have to ride responsibly. I have no objection to people riding carefully on pavements but there is absolutely no need for them to ride like idiots.

[emmie]

it is and they should be ashamed of their stupid behaviour.

[Old_Geezer]

"The fine for cycling on the pavement may be forty shillings but the penalty for cycling on a road can be the death penalty."

Er, no. That's the penalty for being daft enought to go out on a flimsy, unprotected, self powered, not easily spotted, vehicle and putting oneself and others at risk. Bad enough when cyclists obey the rules, even worse when they decide that the rules don't apply to them.

Any rational caring responsible government should be dissuading or preferably banning this attempt at self harm. Only irresponsible ones think it worth the cost and encourage it.