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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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AnyaMarx · 14/06/2023 22:57

Op - try not to worry re dbs. It's a traffic offence - he might need to declare it but it shouldn't affect him .

I actually feel for you - but in the great scheme of things it's a slap on the wrist a fine , court costs and "he's been a very naughty boy " scenario ! Not that bad .

In a month it will be over and done with .

Otarge · 14/06/2023 22:57

I've done (north) London to st albans a few times. It's not 40 miles! Takes about an hour to get to barnet. Don't know how many miles that is. Ten? An hour's cycle is fine. But you do have to get on the right road haha 😂

Otarge · 14/06/2023 23:00

(And then from barnet wheel down the hill to the pub in Totteridge, have a pint, get on the tube.)

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deplorabelle · 14/06/2023 23:00

I think he should definitely learn from this that he should not be pushing himself to his limits as he was doing today. He could so easily have been killed. (You know this, it's why you're so shocked and tearful 💐) He's also much more likely to injure himself if he regularly pushes past dehydration, muscle strains etc so he should take this as a warning.

He should make amends to you for giving you such a shock. He could also write to the highways agency and his MP about the dangerous layout which caused his incident (but be clear this isn't so he can wriggle out of the consequences but simply raising a safety concern). Maybe some good can come of it to make the road safer for everyone.

AnyaMarx · 14/06/2023 23:00

Op isn't the one who did it - she's getting a hard time wh h is a bit misplaced.

At least he did call the police - rather than press on .

No harm was done .
Silly yes - very . But let's keep
Some perspective.

deplorabelle · 14/06/2023 23:04

He's unlikely to be the only one in his profession with a road traffic offence against him. It's a horrible thing to happen but being officially in trouble is actually the least important aspect of the whole thing.

AscensionToCheese · 14/06/2023 23:11

deplorabelle · 14/06/2023 23:04

He's unlikely to be the only one in his profession with a road traffic offence against him. It's a horrible thing to happen but being officially in trouble is actually the least important aspect of the whole thing.

Yes this. Road traffic offences are very common and unlikely to cause any damage of course unless you drove into a shop window, injuring people or soemthing.,

Thatladdo · 14/06/2023 23:17

So confused and delerious he couldnt tell it was a motorway he was heading into yet, converses with traffic officers who must have found him to be competent, together and safe enough to continue riding when off the motorway???! 😣
Doesnt sound quite right.... Unless he is as blind as a bat. In any case, it doesnt sounds like the public highway is the best place for him to be, certainly not on a bicycle - Does he drive a car? actualy, i dont want to know....😬

Original poster
Cycling2023 · 14/06/2023 23:36

Thatladdo · 14/06/2023 23:17

So confused and delerious he couldnt tell it was a motorway he was heading into yet, converses with traffic officers who must have found him to be competent, together and safe enough to continue riding when off the motorway???! 😣
Doesnt sound quite right.... Unless he is as blind as a bat. In any case, it doesnt sounds like the public highway is the best place for him to be, certainly not on a bicycle - Does he drive a car? actualy, i dont want to know....😬

They actually took him to Watford....

OP posts:
Original poster
Cycling2023 · 14/06/2023 23:40

AnyaMarx · 14/06/2023 22:57

Op - try not to worry re dbs. It's a traffic offence - he might need to declare it but it shouldn't affect him .

I actually feel for you - but in the great scheme of things it's a slap on the wrist a fine , court costs and "he's been a very naughty boy " scenario ! Not that bad .

In a month it will be over and done with .

He is actually in the process of switching roles which is also why I am worried. They basically made him a job offer but it's £72k so lower than his current total package so he is negotiating for a rise.

I read that it wouldn't show up on the checks but I am angry that he chose to take such risks at such a crucial time.

OP posts:
whynotwhatknot · 14/06/2023 23:50

I dont get how hes done the route before but didnt know where he was going

Original poster
Cycling2023 · 15/06/2023 00:00

whynotwhatknot · 14/06/2023 23:50

I dont get how hes done the route before but didnt know where he was going

He used a different GPS device. He later thought it wasn't very good and returned it so he was just using his phone and Google maps sketched out the wrong route.

OP posts:
lljkk · 15/06/2023 06:59

How far had he been cycling when he made the wrong turn onto Mway?

SnackSizeRaisin · 15/06/2023 07:11

I've done this more than once although not in the UK. It's obvious because all the cars start hooting at you. Dismount and walk back as quickly as possible is the quickest way to get off again.
I don't think I'd ever do it in the UK as I know what the signs and typical road layout look like. But it's not inconceivable that someone could.

JeminaPudd · 15/06/2023 07:12

I think the fine is dependent on income if it goes to court.

rwalker · 15/06/2023 07:20

You need to get him to go to a doctor
even if u end up on slip rd surely there must be surrounding land he could of walked across

endofthelinefinally · 15/06/2023 07:26

Russellandholmes · 14/06/2023 22:47

I was trying to rack my brains imagining this but I think pp has it right. If he was cycling from St Albans via London Colney and was trying to get back to North London via Radlett/Elstree, he might easily have ended up on the westbound entrance at junction 22.
For those people who've never been there, it genuinely doesn't look like a motorway. There's no hard shoulder at the entrance, barely any slip road and it looks like the 3rd normal roundabout exit. I've seen several learner drivers end up heading down there by mistake (and yelled at my own children to keep going round the roundabout when they were heading that way). The signage is poor but also there's no safe way of getting back off the motorway at that point as there really isn't a proper verge or hard shoulder etc.
I can see how it's possible.

That stretch and the roads going through South Mims are very badly signed and confusing. It is very easy to end up on a slip road by mistake.

Verystressedsenmum · 15/06/2023 08:04

Op £1000 or not the fine would be the least of my worry . I’d just be relieved that my dh managed to get off the motorway unscathed. It could have been much much worse . You could be planning his funeral now , sorry to be blunt. Take the fine speak to dh that he stops cycling anywhere near motorways before he kill’s himself and others that should bd your concern.

NerrSnerr · 15/06/2023 09:23

Russellandholmes · 14/06/2023 22:47

I was trying to rack my brains imagining this but I think pp has it right. If he was cycling from St Albans via London Colney and was trying to get back to North London via Radlett/Elstree, he might easily have ended up on the westbound entrance at junction 22.
For those people who've never been there, it genuinely doesn't look like a motorway. There's no hard shoulder at the entrance, barely any slip road and it looks like the 3rd normal roundabout exit. I've seen several learner drivers end up heading down there by mistake (and yelled at my own children to keep going round the roundabout when they were heading that way). The signage is poor but also there's no safe way of getting back off the motorway at that point as there really isn't a proper verge or hard shoulder etc.
I can see how it's possible.

This is the westbound entrance of junction 22. Blue signs galore, plenty of warning that there won't be a hard shoulder but enough of a hard shoulder for him to dismount and go back up the slip road when he saw he was on a motorway!

Cycling on the motorway
Cycling on the motorway
Cycling on the motorway
PinkFootstool · 15/06/2023 09:36

Thanks @NerrSnerr that's very clear indeed! Any competent adult who cycles (we don't know if he can also drive) should have balked immediately at the sight of that road even if they didn't see the signage....

Original poster
Cycling2023 · 15/06/2023 09:47

PinkFootstool · 15/06/2023 09:36

Thanks @NerrSnerr that's very clear indeed! Any competent adult who cycles (we don't know if he can also drive) should have balked immediately at the sight of that road even if they didn't see the signage....

We now think perhaps his childhood epileptic seizures may be coming back. It hasn't really affected him but as he is undergoing a lot of stress at work as well as onboarding on the new role, it may be triggering it. i booked an appointment with the online gp service he gets through work but they didn't really have the correct field to book it under. We probably have to go through nhs though perhaps we should look into getting it privately. i mean, the reason why DH never wanted to think about it is because he was traumatised from his previous experiences with the NHS (as a teenager) where they did nothing.

And we both have jobs and in my experience, its almost impossible to get a GP appointment (haven't gotten one in 5 years) and usually involves 5 hours of me waiting at A & E. We probably have to do that sometime to get this checked out unless we go private.

OP posts:
tymberland · 15/06/2023 09:57

Well, that's a drip feed. So you think he had a seizure rather than just cycled onto a motorway?

JeminaPudd · 15/06/2023 10:00

FS has epilepsy, obviously your DH can't cycle until he gets checked. Be thankful he's alive if he had a seizure on a bike on the motorway Flowers

JeminaPudd · 15/06/2023 10:01

DS. Not FS

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 15/06/2023 10:07

OP, how did your husband call the police with a 'dead phone'?

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