Author: Andrew Dalton

Can I ride my motorbike on pavement to access private land?

ABR’s legal eagle, Andrew Dalton, discusses the legality of riding on pavements for access to private property…

Q. A police officer came to my house as a neighbour had complained that I was riding my bike on the pavement to get access to my home where I park my bike in my garden. Before I respond, am I actually doing anything wrong?

A. The law is clear.  Section 34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 forbids riding over land which is not a highway.  This is what gets you nicked if you ride across Dartmoor, a village green or a public park.  It also applies to pavements, beaches and all the other places people do not customarily drive.

However there is an exception which is limited to 15 yards travel if you are travelling to park.  Therefore unless your ride across the pavement covers more than 15 yards you are in the clear.

Strangely enough, parking your bike on the highway, which is apparently what your neighbour wants you to do, is technically the offence of obstructing the highway.  Whilst a technical offence, it is never enforced, but if your troublesome neighbour objects you could make your relationship even worse by pointing out that his parking on the highway is an offence, whereas your conduct is not.

The 15 yard rule

In conclusion, unless you are using your bike in an antisocial way, distressing or harassing your neighbours and your ‘off-roading’ is less than 15 yards and for the purposes of parking off the road you are absolutely NOT committing an offence.

Neither are any other motorcyclists or motorists who, for the purpose of access to your land, even without your permission, committing an offence if they ride on the pavement with the intention of parking on private land.

What about other ‘off-road’ riding?

As you are not committing an offence it does not really bother you that this is an non-endorsable offence, but before any riders get over excited about a non-endorsable offence meaning that they can ride over moorland, common land or generally off-road, these do have other significant powers to seize motorcycles which are used on ‘unofficial’ off-road areas.

The powers that the police have are quite limited, and some forces put out information which indicates that they can seize and crush motorcycles being used on common land.  This is only true if the motorcycle cannot be proven to be insured.

Therefore if you are riding a non-street legal motocross bike on common land, your bike certainly can be seized, because you are using it in an area to which the public have access, whilst not insured.  If you do not have a full motorcycle licence, you are committing further offences.

What about a street legal bike?

If you have a street legal bike, you will have a number plate and the number plate will be traced back to you.  There is a presumption in English Law that the registered keeper of a vehicle is the user of the vehicle, a presumption you can rebut, but the burden is on you to show that is was somebody else riding the bike.

However, if the police give you the appropriate statutory warning notices, a repeated incident can result in your bike being seized and crushed.

The enforcement rules on off-piste riding are a complete jumble. Very few police officers understand them.

This officer who is coming round to have a word with you I suspect is having a neighbourly chat with you to see if there is anything you can do to stop your neighbour whining, but if I were you, I would continue doing exactly what you are doing and you are absolutely not committing an offence.