Cycling on the motorway

[Cycling2023]

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.

But if you are going on a long cycle ride you have to ensure you know the route , have a charged phone and plenty to
Drink and snacks , plus spare inner tube etc .

If he can't do this he shouldn't be cycling long distance

I carry a number for a taxi (when ) I was able to
Cycle - a taxi could have picked him up
And his bike - he chose to plough on despite being in a motorway .

Driving between J1 and J2 of the M32 last week and had to report a cyclist on the hard shoulder riding against the traffic.

If I hadn't seen him with my own eyes I wouldn't have believed it!

If he's going to be summonsed it will be down to the magistrates on the day. You can however get a vague idea from the Sentencing Council's guidelines: https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/offences/

Or got scared when he realised he'd been a monumental twat and called them with his bullshit excuse.

Motorway junctions are well signed. A few are a bit less obvious, mainly on roads that have been upgraded from A roads like the A1(m), but they are still obvious enough for a cyclist to realised in time to get off the road and over the crash barrier before the end of the slip road.

It definitely happens. I'd assume generally not cyclists, but idiots who happen to travel by bicycle

Dangerous! Should be grateful he's still alive! How many lives put at risk during that mistake! Hopefully he will learn from it.

How can he call the police if his phone is dead?

I find this hard to believe. There are massive signs ahead, signposting to you the motorway. You can't just miss them...

Or if you do, you do not just carry on down the slip road and ignore them, surely you would know ....

Presumably he used an emergency phone (since supposedly in this situation because his was dead)... those phones are placed a mile apart so he'd have to have gone more than an "oh shit I've made a mistake" distance to get to one in the first place

Not the first one today?! WTF is wrong with these cyclists.

It is utterly ridiculous to suggest that ANYONE who can do this is safe on the road. He is confused when he is dehydrated so it is selfish and irresponsible to get dehydrated.

Neither of you seem to comprehend the seriousness of this and how dangerous a confused middle aged man getting his jollies on an reckless bike ride really is!

I have been crying for an hour so not sure how this helps. I am not my DH, I don't even cycle (except in spin class). I am now on hold to the 101 hotline. I came home from work to this so I am completely blindsided.

Not all motorways have ruddy great slip roads. Some A roads become motorways for a bit. A23 Is one that does this.

Also, there is a phenomenon i call 'cycling stupid' that occurs from long distance, high exertion cycling. I can become incapable of making decisions and it takes a 10 or 15 minute break to pass. This might have happened to to your husband but in future he needs to do proper route planning, but wing it. Mad to just do this.

In fairness to the OP and her husband, that junction from St Albans, if it was joining the M25 is indeed odd.
There are 2 very mini roundabouts, the area looks very rural and out of keeping - then you are suddenly literally right on the M25

Not wing it, I mean.

Why are you phoning 101? People have real problems they need to contact the police for not to discuss your idiotic husband

I don't think it was OP who said his phone was dead, I think it was another poster who said that (wrongly). OP said Google maps tried to send him through farms where there was no public right of way so he tried to find a road route round, "accidentally" ended up on the motorway, called the police who fined him. Accidental my arse. He was either looking at the phone and that's how he missed all the massive blue motorway signs or he thought he'd chance riding maybe one junction or something and got caught I reckon. He's a liability.

She said it was dead in her first post.

101 is for non urgent crimes not for enquiries. Hang up and phone your local police station.

Even if it was a junction that didn't make it obvious from the road, all the signs would have turned blue which is a bit of a hint! He shouldn't have carried on until he came to an orange phone. I can't believe anyone would do that instead of dismounting and going back where you came from off the bloody motorway!

I think the same as some pp, he tried to do a quick short cut and got caught.

Did he stop at the pub on this bike ride?

My mistake. Story doesn't add up then.

Op - kindly there is no point in ringing 101 .

They wi t be able to tell you anything.

You'll just have to wait till the summons drops and then wait for the court date . He will be able to attend court if he wishes . But no one can tell you what the fine will be .

I agree 101 will just tell you to wait for the summons. They can't say what the fine will be.

OP,

He was incredibly stupid and incredibly lucky.

This must be a massive shock for you, but everything worked out well.

It isn't your fault, you're not responsible for this.

London to St Albans is about 40 miles. Madness in 30 degrees.

Why are you stressing and ringing round. He fucked up, he should be sorting this shit out, and making it right. If you are going to struggle to afford it, he needs to have a plan … how about he sells the bloody bike to pay the fine.

theres being a kind and helpful partner, but this has strayed beyond that and into shielding him from the consequences of his own damned dumb decisions.