Cycling on Pavements

Cycling on Pavements - a common occurrence in Oxford

As a cyclist I want to cycle on the roads not pavements. It’s that simple.

Occasionally, I am sympathetic to cycling on a pavement.

• If necessary to get from one road to another.
• To miss dangerous junctions where a cyclist would be forced to take a risky crossing.
• When I see very young kids learning to cycle on the pavement I can understand why they are avoiding roads. However, I feel a better solution is to make roads safer, rather than avoid roads. A 20 mph speed limit in urban areas should help make roads safer.

However, if a cyclist is forced to use the pavement, they should go at walking speed and be willing to give way to pedestrians. Often they don’t.

Pavements / Cycle Paths.

I am usually suspicious of cycle paths made out of narrow pavements. They satisfy neither pedestrians who have to share a small pavement with cyclists. Cyclists are left with the worst of both worlds. They have to be very cautious on the ‘cycle path’ because of pedestrians. But, if they don’t use these useless ‘cycle paths’ they get criticised by motorists for being on the road. They are kind of left with a no win situation. It is this kind of cycle path that is often worse than nothing.

• Unless it is path on a pavement designed to avoid an awkward junction.

Dangers Of Cycling On Pavement

I regularly reverse my car out of the drive. I also frequently see kids (often teenagers) cycle bikes very fast on the pavement. This is actually very dangerous. Many motorists are not expecting cyclists on the pavement, they expect people to moving at walking pace. By cycling on pavements, cyclists put themselves at greater danger from collisions. and crossing junctions.

Dangers to Pedestrians.

If a cyclist cycles furiously on the pavement, I can understand why pedestrians get annoyed. If they went at walking pace and were willing to give way to pedestrians then it wouldn’t be such a nuisance. Cyclists can cause injury and even death in rare cases.

Many cyclists use the pavement at this junction because there is quite a long wait at the lights. However, it can’t be justified on the grounds of being safer. Here using the pavement does not help cyclists.

Legalising Cycling on Pavements

Should it be legal to cycle on pavements? Probably not.

Many cyclists will abuse the law and cycle faster than is prudent.

Cyclists need to fight for the right to use roads in a safe way, not be moved onto walkways and inferior cycle paths.

On the other hand, there are times when the common sense thing is to use the pavement, so the law should make allowances.A cyclist travelling slowly, short distances on pavements and who gives way to pedestrains is not causing any real problems.

Should Cyclists be Fined for Cycling on Pavements?

Cycling on the pavement, could in theory leave you with a fixed penalty charge of £30. If the police did this in Oxford, they could make a nice profit.

If the cyclist is riding fast and if there is no real necessity for cycling on the pavement, Fining is probably a good thing.

I wouldn’t mind seeing cyclists fined for this kind of action. (Although I would love to see motorists fined for much more dangerous driving manoeuvres they usually get away with.)