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Original poster

Cycling on the motorway

171 replies

Cycling2023 · 14/06/2023 20:43

DH decided to cycle from London to St Alban's today and on his way back, was apparently very dehydrated and had a dead phone so accidently ended up on the motorway.

He called the police for their help to leave the motorway safely and they took down his name and details and said he would be sent a fine. Does anyone know how much it could be and if this would be a FPN (where it doesn't show up on DBS and CRB checks).

This is the first time he has been fined for anything so we are actually quite worried as it is all unknown to us.

Thank you and please be kind.

OP posts:
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GeorgeSpeaks · 14/06/2023 20:46

I have no idea but DH sounds mad. Is he ok?

RunningFromInsanity · 14/06/2023 20:47

There was a recent case where a man was given a £50 (on the spot) fine for cycling on the M25. And he did it deliberately after being told not to.

There is legislation for up to £1000 fine for careless cycling.

Original poster
Cycling2023 · 14/06/2023 20:49

RunningFromInsanity · 14/06/2023 20:47

There was a recent case where a man was given a £50 (on the spot) fine for cycling on the M25. And he did it deliberately after being told not to.

There is legislation for up to £1000 fine for careless cycling.

Has there ever been offences where they charged the full £1k?

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Driving & parking
SandTigerSharkFart · 14/06/2023 20:49

Can I ask how he accidently ended up on a motorway? Speaking gently, surely he has some vision to see signposts, etc. He could have dismounted before he got himself into a dangerous situation?

Original poster
Cycling2023 · 14/06/2023 20:50

GeorgeSpeaks · 14/06/2023 20:46

I have no idea but DH sounds mad. Is he ok?

Yes he is fine. When he is tired and dehydrated, he doesn't think straight.

OP posts:
Readyplayerthr33 · 14/06/2023 20:51

How? You don’t accidentally end up cycling on the motorway. If he was in such a state that he couldn’t tell what he was doing then he shouldn’t have been cycling at all.

Has he had rehydration salts?

Cupcakekiller · 14/06/2023 20:52

There are sliproads and big blue signs! 🤣🤣

JoshLymanIsHotterThanSam · 14/06/2023 20:52

He would have had to cycle down a slip road….I don’t see how you could accidentally end up on a motorway. If he was even nearly looking where he was going he would have noticed the 3 lanes as he was going down the slip road….that would have been his cue to dismount and get the fuck off the motorway!

Readyplayerthr33 · 14/06/2023 20:52

There’s “not thinking straight” and then there’s “completely of his mind.”

To end up on the motorway, he was completely out of his mind, a danger to himself and to others. Idiotic to get into that sort of state.

Original poster
Cycling2023 · 14/06/2023 20:53

SandTigerSharkFart · 14/06/2023 20:49

Can I ask how he accidently ended up on a motorway? Speaking gently, surely he has some vision to see signposts, etc. He could have dismounted before he got himself into a dangerous situation?

It was a slip road and apparently the writing was quite small. I wasn't there. Also Google maps' route was through the farms (which he definitely couldn't take) so he tried to take a route outside of it

OP posts:
BillyNoM8s · 14/06/2023 20:54

I'd suggest your husband shouldn't be cycling if he isn't safe on the road. If he can accidentally end up on the motorway, what's to stop him accidentally riding into a pedestrian or swerving in front of a car? He could kill someone.

No idea about fines, but I hope they make home do a cycling proficiency course if such a thing exists.

Original poster
Cycling2023 · 14/06/2023 20:54

JoshLymanIsHotterThanSam · 14/06/2023 20:52

He would have had to cycle down a slip road….I don’t see how you could accidentally end up on a motorway. If he was even nearly looking where he was going he would have noticed the 3 lanes as he was going down the slip road….that would have been his cue to dismount and get the fuck off the motorway!

It was down a slip road

OP posts:
Readyplayerthr33 · 14/06/2023 20:55

The writing was quite small? No, it wasn’t. There would be massive fucking blue signs all the way heading up to it and then on the slip itself.

it’s bad enough he did it, but it’s worse that he is making such blatant lies as excuses instead of accepting what he did and realising how unsafe he is on the road. He needs to learn he is unsafe and cannot cycle on the roads again.

JoshLymanIsHotterThanSam · 14/06/2023 20:56

Okay so his immediate thought was to phone the police? Surely dismount…get up on the verge and walk back up would have been a far more effective solution.

Wolfiefan · 14/06/2023 20:56

He shouldn’t be cycling if he’s making these sort of decisions. Was he sober?

AnyaMarx · 14/06/2023 20:57

I'm a police
Officer and there is no way the police would not come to his aid to get him off the motorway - it would be treated as an immediate response .

Has he been given a fpn on the spot of reported on summons ?

He has been incredibly stupid . It out him at risk , other road users at risk and someone has to go rescue him . How the hell did he NOT realise he was joining a motorway ? He needs to
Give up the bike . He's dangerous. I'm struggling g slightly to believe the post but giving the benefit of a doubt .

Original poster
Cycling2023 · 14/06/2023 20:59

AnyaMarx · 14/06/2023 20:57

I'm a police
Officer and there is no way the police would not come to his aid to get him off the motorway - it would be treated as an immediate response .

Has he been given a fpn on the spot of reported on summons ?

He has been incredibly stupid . It out him at risk , other road users at risk and someone has to go rescue him . How the hell did he NOT realise he was joining a motorway ? He needs to
Give up the bike . He's dangerous. I'm struggling g slightly to believe the post but giving the benefit of a doubt .

They did come to his aid and they said that apparently he wasn't the first one today. They said the notice is to be sent to his home.

OP posts:
AscensionToCheese · 14/06/2023 21:00

Ring 101 and ask?
I'm not surprised, when people are allowed out willy-nilly with no road sense this is what happens.

AnyaMarx · 14/06/2023 21:00

Re reading I'd say he's been reported in summons . You'll get a letter in a few weeks with a court date .

What he did is utter madness. He will be convicted of road traffic offences . A fine and how much will be down to the magistrate on the day .

imnotsickbutimnotwell · 14/06/2023 21:02

But why did he go down the slip road? Was he trying to take a short cut? If he didn’t realise it was a motorway slip road that’s worrying and he really shouldn’t have been cycling in case he swerved into traffic etc.

If he was that dehydrated that he was not able to see the massive blue signs surely the police would have arranged first aid treatment or stopped him continuing on his journey / arranged for someone to collect him?

AnyaMarx · 14/06/2023 21:02

AscensionToCheese · 14/06/2023 21:00

Ring 101 and ask?
I'm not surprised, when people are allowed out willy-nilly with no road sense this is what happens.

No point in doing that.

He will get a summons through the post in a few weeks and will need to either plead guilty and avoid going to court (the results will be sent to him with the fines , court costs etc ) or go to
Court if he pleads not guilty - howeve bear in mind that traffic officers have dash cam and body worn cottage that would be used in evidence .

MermaidEyes · 14/06/2023 21:06

So he was out cycling in high heat with not enough liquids, a dead phone so no way to contact anyone (apart from the police apparently) and no google maps for directions. I'd be furious if that was my husband. It's basic safety precautions for cyclists. I hope his fine is just a minor one but in future I hope he understands the seriousness of not being fully prepared for that kind of journey.

SandTigerSharkFart · 14/06/2023 21:07

@Cycling2023 Thanks for the explanation. Some slip road on the A1M near us are no more than tarmac-ed back roads, with very little signage, so can sort of see how this happened. He should have dismounted immediately and walked back.

However, hindsight is a wonderful thing😁

Trust he is rehydrated and feeling better, OP

Oblomov23 · 14/06/2023 21:07

This isn't just a small accident, this is very poor judgement irrespective of dehydration.

Casilero · 14/06/2023 21:10

Did he realise he was joining the motorway on the slip road then and dismount? I'm trying to picture it. The motorway I use every day to work, there's a roundabout with 2 local roads leading off it as well as the slip road for the motorway so I guess it's possible you could take the wrong exit. But you'd realise superfast it was the wrong exit, as it looks exactly like a motorway slip road and has blue signs.

Sorry, I don't know about fines, but I'd be more worried about your husband generally, because it sounds like a pretty big error. Maybe other slip roads aren't as obvious, but it's hard to understand how someone on a bicycle could be travelling so fast, and with so little attention, that they'd make such an error. I can kinda get it, how a learner driver, for example, might end up in this situation as they're travelling at speed and once they've joined the slip road might feel they're committed. But someone on a tiny bike could surely just pull in? Why the hell did he continue? He could have so easily been killed because none of the other drivers would be expecting to have to look out for a cyclist.

Hope he's ok.