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  1. #1
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    Default Police issuing traffic summons to bicyclists

    LOVETTSVILLE, Va. -- Beware, Virginians, your bicycling infractions could mean points on your drivers license.
    Bicyclists Learn Lesson About Obeying Virginia Traffic Laws




    Watch Video

    Eight bicyclists in a charity ride learn biking infractions can lead to driver's license points when they are stopped for running a stop sign.






    Eight cyclists riding for a cause learned that the hard way last month in Loudoun County. They were among 700 cyclists on a 150-mile ride for charity when they got tickets for running stop signs.
    "That's what folks have to realize is that they have an obligation to obey the law, like everybody else," Sheriff Steve Simpson said. "They can be held accountable, like everybody else."
    Lawyer Doug Landau got two of the bikers off with fines. The rest pleaded guilty, paid fines and got four points on their driver's licenses.
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    "They should have been given warnings, their information captured from their driver's license such that if they got caught a second time, they would be in big trouble," he said. "It's unfair that dogs get one free bite and cyclists don't in Virginia."
    Ignorance is no excuse, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. A bike is a vehicle, and two-wheel violators will be treated the same as their four-wheel counterparts.
    Loudoun County Sheriff Nabs 8 Bicyclists in Charity Ride | NBC Washington
    Issuing traffic summons to bicyclists on a charity ride, are you f*cking kidding? As in, those tickets carry a 4 point penalty on your MVR(same as doing 19 over). I like how they say "two-wheel violators will be treated the same as their four-wheel counterparts". I fail to understand how a bicycle is a "motor vehicle"

    Fortunately for them it was a charity ride and not a marathon race...............otherwise they would've arrested for reckless driving-racing, and had their bicycles impounded.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Police issuing traffic summons to bicyclists

    Quote Originally Posted by Asleeper View Post
    I fail to understand how a bicycle is a "motor vehicle"
    That's exactly how the law is written in probably most, if not all states. Rules of the road apply to all vehicles, motor or not. Even jaywalkers can get tickets.

    Fortunately for them it was a charity ride and not a marathon race...............otherwise they would've arrested for reckless driving-racing, and had their bicycles impounded.
    Now that would be funny!

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  3. #3
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    Default Re: Police issuing traffic summons to bicyclists

    I have a feeling there was a large group of cyclists that busted through the stop sign and held up traffic or someone nearly got hit.

    I think it was in Cobb County (I know it was somewhere in north metro Atlanta) where a motorized wheelchair operator was recently arrested for DUI.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Police issuing traffic summons to bicyclists

    If you think that is bad, try riding in a Critical Mass ride...

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Police issuing traffic summons to bicyclists

    Quote Originally Posted by geekmedic View Post
    I have a feeling there was a large group of cyclists that busted through the stop sign and held up traffic or someone nearly got hit.
    Like this...


    "Buy the BEST and screw the rest." - fire65

    "im intrested to see how well you do.i never seen a car JTG before would be a first for me.." - radarrob

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Police issuing traffic summons to bicyclists

    ^All I have to say is holy sh!t.

    In regards to where the cyclists were ticketed its a 25mph zone, in the center of town and traffic at that time of day(~10 sunday morning) would have been light.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Police issuing traffic summons to bicyclists

    I don't like bikes on the road, they are always getting hit in South Bend . I think it really takes balls to ride your bike on the road here, but I hate the whining when they get ran over by the SUV because they thought it was cool to ride down main street during rush hour. If they want to ride on the road and pretend they are a car they should have to follow the same laws.
    Last edited by rocky2; 07-14-2009 at 01:08 PM.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Police issuing traffic summons to bicyclists

    Quote Originally Posted by Asleeper View Post
    Issuing traffic summons to bicyclists on a charity ride, are you f*cking kidding?
    So you think that just because someone is riding for charity that they are above the law?

    I fail to understand how a bicycle is a "motor vehicle"
    Look it up in your state's motor vehicle code: bicycles are vehicles.

    And therein lies the biggest problem with bicyclists: they behave (and apparently believe) that the traffic laws do not apply to them. They blow through stop signs and red lights. As they said in the article, ignorance of the law is no excuse. I only wish more cops would make an effort to nail scofflaw cyclists; then maybe I wouldn't have to dodge quite so many of them all the time.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Police issuing traffic summons to bicyclists

    Cyclists are required to obey the same rules of the road as anyone else.

    I know when i was racing I tried many times to get a speeding ticket on a bicycle, but never could get a LEO to pull me over while running radar.

    I did get stopped twice in one day by a National Park Ranger for speeding and passing on a double yellow, but no citation.
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  10. #10
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    Default Re: Police issuing traffic summons to bicyclists

    Considering that people of almost any age can legaly ride a bike without being licensed by the state, I don't know how they connected bike riding to driver's licenses.

    Why didn't they ask them for their "tax id number", "parade permit" or something else just as relevent?

    This is bogus.

 

 

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