Could a child on a bike get a speeding ticket?
<p>Can a child who is younger than sixteen, and who is below an age at which they could hold a driver's license, be ticketed for exceeding the posted speed limit on a road on a (non-motorized) bicycle?</p>

<p>It depends on the laws of the jurisdiction. In Washington, speed limits are implemented via <a href="https://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.61&amp;full=true" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Chapter 46.61 RCW</a>, the very first section of which states:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The provisions of this chapter relating to the operation of vehicles
refer exclusively to the operation of vehicles upon highways except:
(1) Where a different place is specifically referred to in a given
section. (2) The provisions of RCW 46.52.010 through 46.52.090,
46.61.500 through 46.61.525, and 46.61.5249 shall apply upon highways and elsewhere throughout the state</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We then turn to the question of what a &quot;vehicle&quot; is (this is the discussion of a number of legal treatises). Title 46 is about <em>motor</em> vehicles, but still you should look at the definition, if any, of &quot;vehicle&quot;. We have two definitions of vehicle in RCW <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=46.04&amp;full=true#46.04.670" rel="nofollow noreferrer">46.04.670</a>. Definition 1 says that</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Vehicle&quot; includes every device capable of being moved upon a public
highway and in, upon, or by which any persons or property is or may be
transported or drawn upon a public highway, <em>including bicycles</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Definition 2 omits the italicized bicycle inclusion, and explicitly excludes</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A bicycle, for the purposes of chapter 46.12, 46.16A, or 46.70 RCW, or
for RCW 82.12.045((.))</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This is a bit of a mess arising from legislative screwup, which should be resolved by appeal to <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=1.12.025" rel="nofollow noreferrer">RCW 1.12.025</a>. The explicit-exclusion sections are about registration, dealers and taxes, and not speed limits. The latter version was <a href="https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2023-24/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Laws/House/1066.SL.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">recently reaffirmed</a> effective July 23, 2023.</p>
<p>The courts could therefore be somewhat inclined to <em>not</em> apply speed limits to bicycles, because bicycles were recently removed from the set of explicit vehicles. But as notes in the Eskridge's extensive discussion of a hypothetical ban on vehicles in Lafayette Park, there are multiple principles for interpreting laws, and &quot;legislative intent to assure safety&quot; would be one prominent consideration, in case the wording of the law is not crystal clear – as it is not, in this case.</p>

<h2><a href="https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/bicycle-riders/road-rules-for-bicycle-riders#:%7E:text=Bicycle%20riders%20in%20NSW%20must,road%20rules%20as%20other%20vehicles." rel="nofollow noreferrer">Yes</a></h2>
<p><a href="/questions/tagged/australia" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;australia&#39;" aria-label="show questions tagged &#39;australia&#39;" rel="tag" aria-labelledby="tag-australia-tooltip-container">australia</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>A bicycle is considered a vehicle in NSW and must follow the same road rules as other vehicles.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Like all states and territories, the NSW rules are an implementation of uniform Australian Road Rules. While there are a few jurisdictional variations, there aren’t any about bikes.</p>

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