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Riding illegal bikes can lead to being charged with driving offences.

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All 3 charges suggest that the bike had been dongled, none of those charges could apply with an ebike with a motor assist cutoff of 15.5mph.

looks like it has a rear hub motor so no dongle needed as you can change the settings in the display also known as a of road switch.

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looks like it has a rear hub motor so no dongle needed as you can change the settings in the display also known as a of road switch.

It's a Specialized ebike and I thought they used crank driven motors. It could be as converted Specialized pushbike of course.

Not that that's at all relevant to the crimes allegedly committed.

Looking at that video, which is all that a court can do, the cyclist was well out into the road and the woman had to run to throw herself under him. Makes me wonder if someone threw himself of a motorway bridge onto my car if I would be blamed.

looks like it has a rear hub motor so no dongle needed as you can change the settings in the display also known as a of road switch.

I though (others may well be able to correct me here) that if it is switchable to an illegal mode it is remains illegal whatever setting it is on at the time.

Looking at that video, which is all that a court can do, the cyclist was well out into the road and the woman had to run to throw herself under him. Makes me wonder if someone threw himself of a motorway bridge onto my car if I would be blamed.

The court can also study the bicycle to see if it was legal or illegal.

 

What I can't see in the video is the state of the lights. I think it very probable that the cyclist was running a red light. I have nearly been hit by a (non-electric) cyclist in an almost identical crossing (New Cross Gate) long after the lights had changed. It may be in the video case that the woman was a little impatient and started crossing when the road lights went red, rather than waiting for the pedestrian lights to go green.

It is still a hit and run and that makes him appear pretty guilty before anything else is even established.

Edited by Amoto65

In the video he was certainly going at a fair lick, there was another cyclist some way ahead of him on the N/S and he was catching him hand over fist. What we can't see is a proper clear view of the rear hub and whether a geared or D/D hub my suspicions are that it is likely a D/D hub.
A legal bike can't be convicted of speeding but a charge of wanton or furious riding can be used.
It seems pretty irrelevant if the lights were red or green if he was riding an illegal bike it is his fault due to the fact he should not be on the road.

A legal bike can't be convicted of speeding but a charge of wanton or furious riding can be used.

He's being charged on 3 counts: causing death by careless driving, causing death while uninsured and causing death while unlicensed. None of those charges could be brought if the bike was legal.

 

It's not a legal bike.

Makes me wonder if someone threw himself of a motorway bridge onto my car if I would be blamed.

 

If you were found to be driving uninsured and or unlicenced then its likely you'll be prosecuted for that.

 

A few years back I was out on my m/bike forgetting the MOT had run out two days prior. I'd parked up in a side street and while away it was knocked over in a hit & run. Witnesses came and told me and provided a description and reg no. of car.

 

Off I popped to the local police station to report it and as a matter of course I was on a producer, where my lack of MOT became apparent. Lo and behold I was soon up in front of the magistrate in the easiest police case ever. Thankfully the magistrate was lenient with me imposing minimum fine for my offence after hearing my sob story. Nothing was done to the car driver...

It seems pretty irrelevant if the lights were red or green if he was riding an illegal bike it is his fault due to the fact he should not be on the road.

There are two separate kinds of offences involved. Riding uninsured etc applies if the bike was illegal, and would apply even if he was riding it perfectly (though he might not get caught in that case). He can't be held for those however fast/badly he was riding if the bike was legal; and the lights are irrelevant as you say.

 

The second kind of offence is the reckless driving/riding. The technical details of that offence will depend on whether the bike was illegal (driving) or not (riding). It looks almost certain he is guilty of such an offence. If he shot a red light he is absolutely guilty of this.

It is still a hit and run and that makes him appear pretty guilty before anything else is even established.

He can say that he was dazed and didn't know what he was doing.. The court would have to decide if that's a valid excuse. Some people get away with murder with worse excuses than that. What about the USA policewoman that went into the flat above and shot the guy in there, saying she thought he was an intruder. I wonder if his loud music and stomping around on her ceiling had anything to do with it.

Until the case has concluded or during the beaks summing up we won't know the outcome but like the Alston case (no ebike) he will likely go to jail if illegality is found/proven.

There will be a knee jerk reaction after the case by the media and suspect the Met will for a while be stopping a lot of e bikes but generally it will all go by the way until some one else has an accident.

Either way it was a hit and run, which in itself is an offence.

Nope! NOT an offence if it was a bicycle / legal EPAC.

The facts seem to be that the judiciary and law system have deemed the bike illegal and HE is in violation of motoring offences so the bike is not classed as a bicycle/pedelecs but an over powered one (moped class) capable of well above the legal cut off.

I can't see that he is being done for cycling offences like furious riding but for riding an uninsured moped and offences relating to that, following the death in which HE collided at speed with a pedestrian.

Edited by Nealh

It wouldn't be called "hit and run" but there would still be a related offence. Maybe riding dangerously, recklessly, carelessly or inconsiderately:

http://www.cyclelaw.co.uk/cycling-offences-riding-dangerously-recklessly-carelessly-or-inconsiderately

Completely different offence and criteria to judge. The point being that 'Fail to Stop' isn't an offence for a bicycle / legal EPAC rider.

Completely different offence and criteria to judge. The point being that 'Fail to Stop' isn't an offence for a bicycle / legal EPAC rider.

Exactly, that was the point I was making.

If the 'ebike' is technically a moped, (or motor vehicle) then surely the rider should not be called a cyclist?

 

When there were road tax discs mopeds & motorcycles were oddly taxed under the 'bicycle' class (some historic relic like an appendix?!?!) IIRC it was also the same on the V5.

 

bike-tax.jpg?mode=max&quality=90&scale=down

So are you saying if you run someone over on a bike, injure them and ride off no offence is committed?

When there were road tax discs mopeds & motorcycles were oddly taxed under the 'bicycle' class (some historic relic like an appendix?!?!) IIRC it was also the same on the V5.

 

bike-tax.jpg?mode=max&quality=90&scale=down

 

Under Road Tax up until 1935 and then that class transferred to VED discs, historic as you say.

 

A bit like the now incorrect usage of Moped, which originally referred to autocycles which had a petrol engine and pedals, i.e. motor and pedals.

 

Also back in the 1920s we had cyclecars which were some very light cars with bicycle like wheels and small engines, but no pedals of course. Photos link

 

And to complete the misnaming, the very first motor vehicle law ever, the Highways Act 1835, refers to all road vehicles with any sort of motor as Locomotives. It's still in force and it includes our pedelecs. Had you realised that you are pedaling a locomotive in law? :)

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