Jumping across the M4 Motorway

Motorist

Hi all,

If a motocross rider was to jump across the motorway at around 50 feet from one private field to another, can they be prosecuted for breaking any rules of the road. Does the vehicle have to be in contact with the road to be considered on the road?

Thanks

Alun

:eek: I sincerely hope this is a rhetorical question, and that you, or anyone else for that matter isn't seriously considering doing anything as stupid.

slavetothegrind

should be prosecuted for reckless endangerment imo.

Lapin

Please tell us this is a hypothetical question. :eek:

Frank Grimes

Sounds like a Darwin Award in the making.

n97 mini

I would think it could result in a custodial sentence.

Victor

Do you have a pilot's licence?

Any type of stunt is likely to be looked at very seriously. A bunch of guys did it in a Fiesta across a laneway in Cork and got into serious trouble.

They only way it would be legal would be if the road was closed and you had a ton of insurance and contingencies (doctor, ambulance, **lots** of mattresses).

Alkers

Victor wrote: »

They only way it would be legal would be if the road was closed and you had a ton of insurance and contingencies (doctor, ambulance, **lots** of mattresses).

What law would he be breaking?

im invisible

Be sure to post the link when its up on youtube

JimmyCrackCorn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIoYiDGdlTI

Not the M4 but you get the idea.

Jimoslimos

Simona1986 wrote: »

What law would he be breaking?

I dunno, but I guess probably something to do with causing a distraction to motorists - is that covered in the rules of the road or any laws?

Cookie_Monster

Simona1986 wrote: »

What law would he be breaking?

Dangerous Driving :pac:

Sponge Bob

Air Traffic Control regulations too

AndyP

The world would be a better place if stupidity was made a criminal offence.

dowlingm

only if the entire length of motorway said individual jumped over was lined with poisoned spikes. You know, as an incentive to get it right.

Mikros

Simona1986 wrote: »

What law would he be breaking?

Oh at a guess maybe endangerment...

Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997

13.—(1) A person shall be guilty of an offence who intentionally or recklessly engages in conduct which creates a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another.

(2) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable—
(a) on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £1,500 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both, or
(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years or to both.

trellheim

One of the original Mway laws says its illegal to make an entry onto a motorway outside the provided entries and exits.

Motorist

Motorist wrote: »

Hi all,

Does the vehicle have to be in contact with the road to be considered on the road?

Thanks

If a vehicle were to take off at one edge of a motorway and travel through the air for 50 feet, the vehicle would be in contact with the road, having landed on it quite heavily.

Alkers

Mikros wrote: »

Oh at a guess maybe endangerment...

Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997

13.—(1) A person shall be guilty of an offence who intentionally or recklessly engages in conduct which creates a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another.

(2) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable—
(a) on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £1,500 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both, or
(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years or to both.

Which ANOTHER is he putting at substantial risk of death or serious harm? The motorists on the road? What if it is done at night when there is no traffic? The kind of distances involved are well within the capabilities of doing on a dirt bike.
I've got nothing to do with the OP but I know for a fact that a fella on a mountainbike jumped over a road while the tour de france was going passed, crashed and everything and he didn't get in any trouble.

Mikros

Simona1986 wrote: »

Which ANOTHER is he putting at substantial risk of death or serious harm? The motorists on the road? What if it is done at night when there is no traffic? The kind of distances involved are well within the capabilities of doing on a dirt bike.
I've got nothing to do with the OP but I know for a fact that a fella on a mountainbike jumped over a road while the tour de france was going passed, crashed and everything and he didn't get in any trouble.

Someone asked what law might be relevant, I suggested it would be endangerment. You're more than likely right that at night, with no traffic, and a skilled biker there probably would be no issue. Who'd know anyway?

But yes a motorist on the road is potentially at risk - the bike might not make the jump, the motorist might slam on the brakes and lose control, you can paint a lot of other "what ifs" that could result in a death or serious injury. It's the opinion of the guards / judge etc. whether it is a "substantial" risk or not that you would have to worry about.

Professional jumps are carefully managed, risk assessed and generally not over public roads. You might have a bit of bother explaining the alternative approach.

overshoot

Motorist wrote: »

Hi all,

If a motocross rider was to jump across the motorway at around 50 feet from one private field to another, can they be prosecuted for breaking any rules of the road. Does the vehicle have to be in contact with the road to be considered on the road?

Thanks

i hope your ability to calculate jumps is better than your ability to measure... its about 70ft from egde to edge of tarmac... now add in the verges so you actually get into the fields and you are looking at 70m or 230ft. (looking at the m6 in CAD atm) add another 120ft and its a world record!:pac:
think your fairly well covered by others on the legal aspects

Dodge

I love that the user who pointed out the length involved is called 'overshoot'

stevedublin

trellheim wrote: »

One of the original Mway laws says its illegal to make an entry onto a motorway outside the provided entries and exits.

However the motocross rider would not actually be entering the motorway, merely flying over it.

Victor

stevedublin wrote: »

However the motocross rider would not actually be entering the motorway, merely flying over it.

So, you'll be cool with him doing the same to your garden?

amacachi

stevedublin wrote: »

However the motocross rider would not actually be entering the motorway, merely flying over it.

Then he/she would need permission from the aviation authorities.

There's a lot of room for interpretation in endangerment laws and I'd be pretty sure that for something like this a judge would use the harshest interpretation possible.

the groutch

probably get done for tresspass on the land at either side of the motorway, unless he owns it.

Ben D Bus

overshoot wrote: »

i hope your ability to calculate jumps is better than your ability to measure... its about 70ft from egde to edge of tarmac... now add in the verges so you actually get into the fields and you are looking at 70m or 230ft. (looking at the m6 in CAD atm) add another 120ft and its a world record!:pac:
think your fairly well covered by others on the legal aspects

I thought the 50 feet referred to altitude? The stunt theoretically taking place where the road is in a cutting?

seamus

Simona1986 wrote: »

What if it is done at night when there is no traffic?

Unless that can be guaranteed by officially closing the road at the jumping point, then the risk is always there and will be treated as such.

Run_to_da_hills

If there was a third party fatality, ie the motor x rider took the head off another passing motorcyclists on the motorway, I would gather he would be done for vehicular manslaughter if there is such a charge in this country.

Carawaystick

I think there's two issues here,
what law would you break, specific to motorways
what law would you break, jumping any road.

Capt'n Midnight

OFFENCES INCURRING PENALTY POINTS

Bridge strikes, etc. m* 3 Court Fine

Dangerous overtaking 2 5 80 120

Crossing continuous white line 2 4 80 120

Driving a vehicle on a motorway against the flow of traffic 2 4 80 120

Driving on the hard shoulder on a motorway 1 3 80 120

Driving on a median strip, e.g. Boundary between two carriageways
1 3 60 90

Failure to drive on the left hand side of the road 1 3 60 90

Failure to leave appropriate distance between you and the vehicle in front
2 4 80 120 - remember the two second rule ? - you will need an altitude of 20m above the tallest vehicle

Driving without reasonable consideration 2 4 80 120

Failure to comply with traffic lane markings 1 3 60 90

Speeding 2 4 80 120 - Possibly

Driving without insurance m* 5 Court Fine - Unless you had insurance that covered this you would be traveling without insurance.

Driver found to be driving carelessly m* 5 Court Fine



Careless driving: This is defined as 'driving a vehicle in a public place without due care and attention'.
Once the wheels leave the ground the rider has no control over the speed or direction of the vehicle. Fairly sure that's enough to throw the book at them.

Del2005

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Careless driving: This is defined as 'driving a vehicle in a public place without due care and attention'.

I think jumping a road would require a lot of care and attention.

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Once the wheels leave the ground the rider has no control over the speed or direction of the vehicle. Fairly sure that's enough to throw the book at them.

You can still control a bike in the air. Not as accurately as on the ground, but a jump over a motorway would allow some control of where the bike goes. If they mess up the take off there's none.

Not that I'm encouraging the OP to even think about doing this without full legal authority

Capt'n Midnight

Del2005 wrote: »

I think jumping a road would require a lot of care and attention.

You can still control a bike in the air. Not as accurately as on the ground, but a jump over a motorway would allow some control of where the bike goes. If they mess up the take off there's none.

Not that I'm encouraging the OP to even think about doing this without full legal authority

That's the whole point. Regardless of what happens in the field before takeoff, unless you are wearing wings you have almost no control once the wheels leave the ground.

KevR

Simona1986 wrote: »

What if it is done at night when there is no traffic?

The M4 carries between 20,000 and 50,000 vehicles per day depending on the section. At no point during the day or night is the M4 totally free of traffic.

http://nraextra.nra.ie/CurrentTrafficCounterData/html/M04-35.htm
http://nraextra.nra.ie/CurrentTrafficCounterData/html/M04-32.htm

antoobrien

overshoot wrote: »

i hope your ability to calculate jumps is better than your ability to measure... its about 70ft from egde to edge of tarmac... now add in the verges so you actually get into the fields and you are looking at 70m or 230ft. (looking at the m6 in CAD atm) add another 120ft and its a world record!:pac:

Most of the M4 has at least 6ft high fencing (which I wouldn't like to smack into at speed). Do we need to add another few feet from that?

padgo

sounds pretty cool but dangerous to me

devnull

Is this for real? Jeez, I think you really would have to be a complete tool to try such a thing, it sounds like a typical thing someone would try to do to show off to their mates. Sadly ending up paralyzed for life or worse isn't going to be very funny at the end of it all.