Pillion question....is it legal......

[SteveC#222]

.......for your pillion to ride side saddle in the UK?

Just come back from the Lincoln SteamPunk festival with no 3 son .- sadly a bit disappointing as most of the 'Steampunk' costumes were mostly somewhere between Alice in Wonderland and Pirates of the Caribbean- and on the way back down we spotted a 'Steampunk' Scooter coming up the hill (very nicely done in the 2 seconds I glimpsed it), pilot and pillion in costume with pillion riding side saddle! I didn't manage to get a picture as I'd just put the camera away

I didn't think it was legal to ride side saddle in the UK...am I right?

[Andy M]

The pillions feet have to be on the pegs as designed by the vehicle manufacturer. Nothing to stop you designing and approving something for side saddle but I would guess what you saw was illegal.

Andy

[themoudie]

Page 33, 'The Highway Code 2016'

"85.  You MUST NOT carry more than one pillion passenger who MUST sit astride the machine on a proper seat. They should face forward with both feet on the footrests.
         
         You MUST NOT carry a pillion passenger unless your motor cycle is designed to do so.

         Provisional licence holders MUST NOT carry a pillion passenger. Laws RTA 1988 sect 23, MV(DL)R 1999 reg 16(6) & CUR 1986 reg 102"

There you go! One of the 'trick' questions asked by examiners is "What are the three things you must ensure when carrying a pillion passenger?" "Facing forward!" is the part of reply often forgotten. 

Purple Helmets take note! 

My regards, Bill

[johnr]

and yet whenever there is cycling on the roads on tv, the race is invariably covered by a cameraman sitting on a motorcycle pillion seat facing backwards. and im not talking about continental races, ive seen it when the tour de france was in yorkshire and on the tours of both yorkshire and lancashire.

[iansoady]

I suspect as the roads are closed the usual rules don't apply.

[Andy M]

The same as traffic lights, going on the pavement and keeping left then 

Andy