Cyclists allowed to jump red lights

[benb]

There are quite a few light controlled junctions where the phases stay red to control the flow of traffic further ahead.
There is one near where I live where traffic is coming the other way, but it is red for going straight on. There is nothing else entering the junction.
I know I could continue through this red without any effect on any other road user. Why shouldn't I? Why should I be inconvenienced just because there are too many cars on the road?

I think you could make a very strong case to allow cyclists to treat all red lights as give way.
We already have different laws for different types of vehicles, so I can't see a problem, except some of the drivers will moan that it's not fair.

 

[Milkfloat]

I only ever RLJ at one junction and that is because on my early morning rides the sensor does not detect a bike and so I can be stuck there for quite a few minutes waiting for a car to come along and trigger the light. I have tried waving arms, zig zagging and bunny hopping in the road but all I do is make myself look more of a dick than I already do in lycra.

 

[Chris1983]

What's the mortality rate?

No idea, but to say how chaotic it is a lot less than you would expect based on the fact that i haven't witnessed any accidents since being here, this is now my 5week out here this year.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

No idea, but to say how chaotic it is a lot less than you would expect based on the fact that i haven't witnessed any accidents since being here, this is now my 5week out here this year.

1 person out there for 5 weeks is far too little to make any kind of judgement on it.

I've not been killed yet when cycling, but plenty of people are.

 

[Chris1983]

Don't knock it till you've tried it that's what I say ;-)

 

[Deleted member 1258]

[QUOTE 3848330, member: 45"]Yes a death occured, but didn't they then extend the scheme to another five junctions?[/QUOTE]

Yes they extended the scheme, I think they've done something like 6 junctions so far. I've walked, rode and driven through shared space junctions, as long as everybody behaves themselves they seem to work OK, I think its the blind, partially sighted and the infirm that they can cause problems for.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

the blind, partially sighted and the infirm

I think the word you're looking for is, drivers

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I think the word you're looking for is, drivers

No thats not what I meant.

 

[Dan B]

True, as does travelling on the pavement, climbing escalators, using the tube, jumping on a bus, entering shops, poodling around the aisle at tesco and walking across the orchard to the pub.

Not everything that works for a pedestrian translates safely to driving a car.

You almost seem to be implying that it's reasonable to impose different rules on different kinds of road user