Participating in traffic legally by unicycle? No problem, some would say, no chance others and no idea probably most. But don't worry, most policemen don't know an answer either. At least, they approached me pretty often when riding to university or to the bakery around the corner. I was told, sometimes politely, sometimes less politely, I am obliged to ride my unicycle at the sidewalk, I am not allowed to ride on the road, I'm not allowed to ride it at all, I am allowed to ride on the road, but only, if I get lights and a bell or riding a unicycle is allowed, but isn't it that very unsafe and so on. Obviously every policeman (I was only stopped by men, women don't seem to worry about unicycling in traffic) has his own opinion concerning unicycles and this opinion doesn't need to be related to his colleagues opinion, I talked to some days earlier. When I was tired of this to and fro, I decided to check it out. On one hand I didn't intend to get feed as threatened by several policemen, on the other hand I wanted to know, if my insurance policy was valid for an accident by unicycle, if I should become involved in one. So I asked the next policemen, who wanted to tell me his humble opinion of traffic law, which authorities are in charge for that. He directed me to the police head quarters. Calling there, I was told to talk to the registration office. They declared them for not in charge. Ok, next try. I asked a friend who was with police, to check it out. She asked three colleagues who where said to be traffic experts and she got three different answers. The first one had no idea, the second one told me to get a permission at the registration office, a pure formality as he said, the third one considered MOT to be in charge for that. So I called again at registration office. They probably thought I'm nuts and I was told, they never before had heard about that kind of permission. Next I called MOT. They couldn't help me either, but they directed me to a department of the Bavarian ministry of the interior (then I lived in Augsburg). That hint should later proof to be the right one.
The next step was to write a polite letter to the ministry of the interior asking for information. Information received at my place three months later. I was told, a unicycle is a prop for sports and playing according to art. 24 par. 1 of StVO, so it's forbidden to ride it anywhere except of sidewalks, pedestrian areas and roads with speed bumps and speed limits. It could only be considered as a bike, if I got a break, lights and so on, but this obviously would not be the case. I had written in my first letter that I got all those things attached to my unicycle, but probably it wasn't read that carefully. So I wrote another letter, asking if that information means, I'm allowed to ride my unicycle on roads, if I get the appropriate equipment for it. To hedge my bets I enclosed a photo, showing clearly every reflector and so on. Two months later I received another letter from Munich. I was informed that a committee with representants of the ministry of the interior and the ministry of transport has been set up for discussing my request. At least I had managed to wake them up! Another four months later, it was done. I was told that my unicycle is admitted to traffic, if it's equipped according to StVZO art. 63-67 (these articles determine the equipment like lights, reflectors, breaks and so on that is obligatory for bikes). Especially I was satisfied that my arguing concerning the break has been accepted. A bike has to be equipped with two independent breaks. I had argued that this is fulfilled, when attaching a calliper break to my unicycle, as the other break is provided by pedalling backwards, because a unicycle doesn't have a freewheel. Happy end.
Finally here's a short abstract of the legal situation (not legally waterproof of course) for anyone who also wants to ride a unicycle on roads: a unicycle is allowed to be ridden on sidewalks, at pedestrian areas and on roads with speed bumps and speed limits, no matter how it is equipped. But you have to be considerate for pedestrians. When the unicycle is equipped with a calliper break, lights, bell and several reflectors like obligatory for bikes, then it's allowed to be ridden on roads and cycle paths as well. So you are in the unique situation to be allowed to use roads or sidewalks as desired. That information of the ministry of the interior is legally valid, as well for each single policeman as for courts. It doesn't matter that it was the Bavarian ministry of the interior that submitted that information as traffic laws are federal laws. But there's one drop of bitterness. The ministry considers a unicycle not fitting to the so called race bike rule (StVZO art. 67 par. 11). In that case it would be sufficient to have battery lights instead of a dynamo. But I think, police accept bikes with (working!) battery lights. When being on the road by unicycle, I always have photocopies of the letters with me. Those are for showing to each policeman, who wants to explain his sight of the situation (most times full of self-confidence).
Another question is the international legal situation. The Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, issued November 8, 1968 is an international UNESCO agreement to increase road safety through the adoption of uniform traffic rules. Art. 3, section 5 says
Contracting Parties shall be bound to admit to their territories in international traffic cycles and mopeds which fulfil the technical conditions laid down in Chapter V of this Convention and whose drivers have their normal residence in the territory of another Contracting Party. |
That means that all people living in Germany are allowed to ride their unicycles - respective technical equipment provided - on the roads of all other contracting countries. The list of contracting parties is available here.
At July 5, 2013 German parliament agreed on a change of traffic laws which releases bycicles from having a dynamo, but making battery lights sufficient. This new law came into effect by August 1, 2013. Of course it applies for unicycles as well. So there is no more need to refer to the race bike rule. The new version of art. 67 StVZO, par. 1 reads:
Bicycles in operation need to be equipped with headlight and rear light powered by a light machine with actual power output of 3 W or above and nominal voltage of 6 V, or by battery with nominal voltage of 6 V (permanent battery lighting), or by a rechargable energy storage system. Notwithstanding par. 9 it is not necessary that headlight and rear light are being switched on together. |
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Letter of the ministry of the interior of July 4, 1996 (German) |
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Letter of the ministry of the interior of September 23, 1996 (German) |
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Letter of the ministry of the interior of January 23, 1997 (German) |
| Please read this hint. |