Hi,

Noticed this article in the online news yesterday.

"JAKE Sloman was riding along the Logan Highway on Monday when he stretched his leg.

Bang! The cops pulled him over and fined him a whopping $146.

The offence? "Fail to keep both feet on footrest".

The fine has caused outrage on Twitter and on Sloman's Facebook page, with people saying taking this particular road rule to the letter would mean almost every motorcycle rider would be liable to be fined."

Not just bikers are coping it though, a car driver was fined for leaving his windows down a few cm's on a hot day so the car would not get too hot while parked in the street.

Sounds like there are a few over zealous cops out there who luckily are in the minority. Most I've met have been reasonable, doing a tough job I would not like to do, but ones like this give them all a bad image!

So remember, next time you pull up at the lights, keep your feet on both pegs or you can be fined!

Peter

It is the law, but unless you were standing on your seat (stunt riding), you would think common sense would prevail. I often take a foot of the pegs to gesture "thanks" and to warn following riders of crap on the road. As for keeping your feet on the pegs at the lights, it would depend on the definition of "riding".

Here are the rules from the Qld government website:

General rules for motorcycle riders. When riding on your motorcycle:
- you and any pillion or side car passenger must each wear a correctly fitted, securely fastened and approved helmet (complies with Australian Standard AS 1698)
- you must have at least one hand on the handlebars
- you must keep both feet on the footrests when riding
- you must not ride more than two abreast within one lane
- you must not lane split irrespective of whether traffic is moving or stationary
- there must be an approved seat and adequate/secure footrests (separate from any rider’s footrests) for any pillion passenger
- you and any other pillion passenger must sit astride the seat and face forwards
- any pillion passenger must have their feet on the footrests
- only one pillion passenger can be on a motorcycle
- any pillion passenger, except a passenger in a sidecar, must be eight years of age or older.

Here are the laws from WA. Some slight differences. The lane splitting law is excluded (legal in WA?). The law states that both feet must be on the footrests if the vehicle is "moving". That could be a tricky maneuvre as you reverse into a parking spot.

5.1 Motorcycle Specific Rules
In addition to the general road rules and regulations, you must also comply with specific motorcycle rules and regulations while riding your motorcycle.
• You and your passenger(s) must wear an approved safety helmet compliant with Australian and New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS) 1698 (failure to do so will incur a fine and demerit points).
• If the motorcycle is moving, you must be correctly seated on the motorcycle, facing forward, with at least one hand on the handlebars and both feet on the footrests.
• Your motorcycle must have a current licence and display the number plate (see below) - it is an offence to ride, cause or permit another person to ride an unlicensed motorcycle on a road or road-related area.
• You can position your motorcycle anywhere within the lane providing it is safe and reasonable.
• Where the motorcycle is equipped to carry one pillion passenger, you can carry only one pillion passenger (additional passenger can be carried in a side car should the motorcycle be equipped with one).
• The number of passengers carried cannot exceed the number of seats designed to carry passengers.
• You must ensure that pillion passengers are at least eight years of age and are able to keep both feet on the footrests whilst facing forward.
• Passengers in sidecars and on motor trikes must be safely seated.
• Passengers must not impede your control of the motorcycle.
• Passengers must not block the display of signals to other motorists.

From the ACT. Being the home of our political system their guidelines are 77 pages long. Here is the part relating to footrests.

The motorcycle rider must:
• Sit astride the rider’s seat facing forwards.
• Wear a correctly fitted and securely fastened approved motorcycle helmet.
• Keep at least one hand on the handlebars.
• Keep both feet on the foot pegs (designed for use by the rider), when the motorcycle is moving.

And the registered owner needs to be aware:
"There is a penalty for allowing an unlicensed or inappropriately licensed rider to ride your motorcycle. Before you allow someone to ride your motorcycle check that they have the correct licence and that their licence is valid."

And in case you are a politician getting your licence in Canberra they would like to remind you that:
"It is illegal to offer, request or accept gifts or other favours in order to get a licence without passing the required tests."

While I was joking about keeping your feet on the pegs when stopped at the lights, I am sure everyone here has felt the need to stretch a leg at some point after riding a long distance to prevent the onset of cramp. To be fined for this is, I feel, is against common sense unless the rider is demonstrating a degree of foolish behavior which is what this law was clearly meant to define.

Unfortunately, common sense isn't always common enough.

Peter

And from my state of SA, they refer to the "Australian Road Rules". There is a little more common sense. Highlights that in WA and ACT you have to keep both feet on the footrests while pushing your bike along the road! But in all states it is illegal to take both hands off the handlebars while you are stationary at the traffic lights, so no pulling back your jacket sleeve to look at your watch, etc. And it does infer that you can "ride" a stationary motorbike.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RULES - REG 271

271—Riding on motor bikes

(1) The rider of a motor bike that is moving (other than a rider who is walking beside and pushing a motor bike), or the rider of a motor bike that is stationary but not parked, must:

(a) sit astride the rider's seat facing forwards; and

(b) ride with at least 1 hand on the handlebars; and

(c) if the motor bike is moving—keep both feet on the footrests designed for use by the rider of the motor bike.

Offence provision.

Note—

"Motor bike" and "park" are defined in the dictionary.

(2) A passenger on a motor bike (except a passenger in a sidecar or on a seat designed for a passenger, other than a pillion seat) that is moving, or is stationary but not parked, must:

(a) sit astride the pillion seat facing forwards; and

(b) keep both feet on the footrests designed for use by a pillion passenger on the motor bike.

 

 

Video 2. Speeding motorcycle police officer. Plus riding/moving with his feet off the footrests as he takes off from the lights about 2:30 mark:

 

Never let common sense and decency get in the way of an opportunity to collect revenue.

Then this story bobs up...

http://motorbikewriter.com/rider-fined-gopro-helmet-will-contest-fine/

Time for all of us to get Go Pro's for our helmets...

It is getting effin ridiculous in QLD...

Matt Smithson (gopro fine recipient) needs to share this video with the Vic police.  Published by the Queensland police showing an undercover police bike with officer wearing a helmet mounted camera:

 

fuck off Sherlock and get back in ya box

Here is the link to the original article, on a side note the picture of his fine has the wrong date. The officer has used 2013 instead of 2014. I wonder if this could work in his favour?

http://www.news.com.au/technology/design/the-ten-road-rules-you-never-knew-you-were-breaking/story-fnjwucvh-1226796995159

Peter

Double standards and grey areas; a fun time for the whole family.

contesting it would cost more than paying it.
if you write a letter to have it dropped, they will reissue one with the correct date.
YES THERE IS AN EXAMPLE

my wife got a speeding fine from a speed camera via the post. the location stated she was on the "Lincoln Highway", she said no way and got the photo sent out.
clearly it was her in her car, but she was on the "Playford Ave. extention" or "Pt Augusta road".
google map Whyalla, they are on opposite ends of Playford Avenue.
efectivelly, it is the main road from Pt. Augusta to Pt Lincoln, with Whyalla in the way.

she had to pay

i was riding from sydney to perth about 15years ago. as we were approaching the outskirts of wyalla (whyalla) my mate had both legs hanging off his bike. i was behind him and saw the copper sitting on a side street but my mate didnt see him so he rode past with both legs getting well and truly stretched. i had a small bag of pot in my pocket and was trying to avoid attention but the copper pulled my mate over so i stopped too. the cop said "what do you think your doing" my mate replied (in his irish accent) "im stretching me fukin legs" i started laughing cos it was funny. the cop said where are yous going and my mate said "were going to fukin perth" the cop told him he could catch his leg in a pothole and i laughed again. my mate turned away in disgust and started talking to himself under his breath. the cop looked at me and started laughing too. by this stage my mate had walked up the road a bit and collected himself. he walked back and said "what are yous laughing about?" the cop pulled a serious face and told him to enjoy the trip but keep your feet on the bike. we rode out of town and pulled up under a bridge and smoked a joint and i laughed my fukin tits off. by that stage my mate had settled down a bit and had a bit of a giggle too.

I actually feel worried for some long legged riders in a small group I travel with that stretch their legs out in front of the pegs. From my position (usually at the back) their heels appear perilously close to the road. If they did catch their feet / shoes on a bump / obstacle, I can almost feel the bones breaking as the legs smash back into the pegs with no where to go. I do rest the backs of my boots on the pegs on occasion. Depends if you / the police are worried about "no part of the leg" being on the footpegs.

Sort of makes highway pegs illegal, because no way to shift your feet from the footboards to the pegs while you are moving.

There may be more to this story than we realise. For all we know he could have had his feet over the handlebars doing something stupid.

Last night at Surfers there was a rider "stretching"his legs while on his 1098. He was sitting on the tank with his feet
trailing on the ground as he weaved in and out of pedestrians.