What’s the deal here? I know it’s not a BIcycle, but what rules and regulations are to be followed?
-can you ride legally on the road? on the sidewalk?
-do you need lights for at night?
-can you ride drunk?
any takers?
Re: Canadian traffic laws?
Hi Sofa
This subject has been explored here a few times. The conclusion in all cases
seems to be that unicyclists are covered by exactly the same laws and rights
(lack of usually) that are applied to Bicycles.
Sofa said…
“No, this doesn’t hurt my balls!”’
Well… It bloody well hurts mine!
David Straitjacket
www.straitjacketcircus.co.uk
As far as I know they are the same as bikes. This means wheels larger than 24" are not permitted on the sidewalk, lights for night riding, helmets a must if under 18, obey traffic laws etc.
they probably don’t want you riding it when drunk, but that’s not a huge problem. Otherwise i haven’t had any problems with the side of the road and sidewalks
RE: Canadian traffic laws?
> What’s the deal here? I know it’s not a BIcycle, but
> what rules and regulations are to be followed?
> -can you ride legally on the road? on the sidewalk?
> -do you need lights for at night?
I don’t know the rules for Canada, these are just general guidelines:
In most cases, unicycles don’t seem to fit neatly into any pre-defined slots
in the traffic law. Even when they do, the cop that is telling you what to
do at that moment is the person you should be listening to. You can explain
to them what you know, but unless what you know has already been tested in
court it is not likely to make an impression on them.
Traffic laws can vary from town to town, state to state, province to
province, etc. Your local laws may be different from what people post here.
My personal advice along these lines is that, when using the roads, to
follow the rules for bicycles whenever and wherever possible. If you are
doing this there is usually little for police or other enforcers to say,
unless they think you are a hazard. If they do think you’re a hazard, it’s
up to them to come up with any rules or laws you are breaking before writing
you a ticket.
In some places, bicycles have rules we cannot easily comply with. In the
Netherlands there are many rules for bikes regarding paint on fenders,
reflectors, lights, and probably brakes and warning devices (bell or horn).
Some of these may apply in your area as well.
I for one would not want to put a fender onto my unicycle just to comply
with a law written for bikes. But if you do lots of road riding, it’s good
to be legal. I have made fenders for unicycles in fact, and there’s an
article about it in the USA newsletter around 1981 or so.
So back to basics. If your unicycle qualifies as a “vehicle,” it is probably
legal on the road. If this is the case, you technically probably do not
belong on the sidewalk. If bikes in your area are required to have lights,
you probably technically need them as well. If you’re a commuter, especially
if you ever ride in the dark, you should have them anyway.
Sharing the road with cars is inherently dangerous. Rights or no rights, the
cars outweigh you by a factor of at least 10, plus they’re going faster than
you are. So be careful out there!
> -can you ride drunk?
Who wants to know? I’m not particularly worried about danger from a drunk
guy on a unicycle. The more likely problem is that if you’re weaving around
and a car hits you, the people in that car have to live with the horror of
the accident, even if it was your fault and not theirs. In many places, you
can be ticketed for RUI (riding under the influence), BWI (bicycling while
intoxicated), or BSIP (being stupid in public), whatever you call it. Same
situation. If it’s true for the bikes, assume it is true for you as well.
Always get a designated unicyclist.
Stay on top,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
“How many America West maintenance personnel does it take to change a
bathroom light bulb in a 737?” Based on what I saw on the way home from
Phoenix recently, three!
COLOR=blue]Always get a designated unicyclist.[/COLOR] Thanks for that, that’s hilarious
I’m no lawyer, but here’s the Highway Traffic Act for Ontario, Canada*.
If you are a unicyclist in Canada you should read my "Uni"ized version (more complete than this posting) at:
I don’t think the Highway Traffic Act covers sidewalks, so it’s not covered here.
Here are some interesting bits:
“bicycle” includes a tricycle and unicycle but does not include a motor assisted bicycle;
“highway” includes a common and public highway, street, avenue, parkway, driveway, square, place, bridge, viaduct or trestle, any part of which is intended for or used by the general public for the passage of vehicles and includes the area between the lateral property lines thereof;
59.5. Any police officer or any officer appointed for carrying out the provisions of this Part may enter into any place where unicycles are stored or dealt in, or into any garage, repair shop, used car lot or premises used for the wrecking or dismantling of vehicles, and make the investigation and inspection that he or she thinks proper for the purposes of this Part.
60.1 Anyone who buys, sells, wrecks or otherwise deals in second-hand unicycles shall keep a complete record of all unicycles bought, sold or
wrecked and of the information that will enable the unicycles to be readily identified.
60.2 No person shall buy, sell, wreck or otherwise deal with any unicycle that has a gross weight exceeding 1,360 kilograms (That’s 2,992 lbs) where the manufacturer’s identification number or similar identifying mark has been obliterated or defaced or is not readily recognizable.
75.5 Every unicycle shall be equipped with an alarm bell, gong or horn, which shall be kept in good working order and sounded whenever it is reasonably necessary to notify pedestrians or others of its approach.
76.2 A unicycle is not considered a slow moving vehicle
104.2.1 No person shall ride on or operate a unicycle on a highway unless the person is wearing a unicycle helmet that complies with the regulations and the chin strap of the helmet is securely fastened under the chin.
142.5 … a person on a unicycle may indicate the intention to turn to the right by extending the right hand and arm horizontally and beyond the right side of the unicycle.
148.4 Every person in charge of a vehicle on a highway meeting a person travelling on a unicycle shall allow the cyclist sufficient room on the roadway to pass.
178.2 No person riding on a unicycle designed for carrying one person only shall carry any other person thereon.
- This posting is only for informational purposes. Do not take this posting for legal council. Seek a lawyer
Don_TaiATyahooDOTcoDOTuk, Toronto, Canada
Thanks man, that about covers everything, doesn’t it?
If you get a summons to court, it’s because I used your name when telling the cop why I was riding in the middle of the highway! “But I’m NOT a slow moving vehicle, officer!”
Riding a unicycle on the sidewalk is covered by Municipal By-laws which vary form city to city.
Toronto has a by-law banning all unicycles and bicycles with wheel diameters exceeding 24" from riding on the sidewalk.
http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/cycling/faq.htm
Another web page states the same and how much you’ll get fined. It also references Metropolitan By-Law 32/92 for Toronto but I can’t find the by-law on the web.
http://www.messengers.org/messville/TO_FINES.HTM
Don_TaiATyahooDOTcoDOTuk, Toronto, Canada