Have you been fined for running a red light on your bike?

[Poacher]

Thread title is confusing. I had expected to read about people being fined for having a red light on their bike!
Never been fined here as I don't do it, well there are at least 2 Junctions around here with those under-tarmac sensors that will never make the lights go green for a cyclist, so it's either wait for a car to come up behind you, in which case you have to motion the driver onto the sensors, or you carefully go through or turn into a pedestrian.

This, in spades, doubled. Last year I stopped at such a light, about 100 meters from my home, and, being in a bloody-minded mood and in no particular hurry, stayed there in a position which stopped any motor vehicles pushing past. Fortunately, a police car came through from another direction, stopped, and the driver asked what the problem was. I explained, very patiently, that the failure was a frequent occurrence, and that the lights were clearly faulty. He signally(!) failed to arrest or caution me, so I hope (but doubt) he took note and reported it.
When I'm in my more normal mode of goodwill to all mankind, I'll do as you do and wave a car forward to activate the sensors, but it's sometimes ignored or requires explanation. Am I a bad person? On second thoughts, don't answer that.

 

[nickyboy]

Which is RLJ in the eyes of the law. So you are seeing them committing the offence. That more don’t is purely down to the opportunity. Many would do it if the driver in front does it, but if driver in front has stopped, then they must stop as well.

I'm more concerned about the £6 pints to be honest

 

[Dwn]

Until a few years ago, I worked in London and often commuted by bike. I’d say a sizeable minority treated red lights as if they were invisible. You can see why it irritates other road users.
Glasgow isn’t quite as bad, but rlj still a fairly common occurrence. I’ve never seen anyone on a bike pulled over by the cops for this

 

[DaveReading]

In the last 15 years of cycling. I've only ever seen a cyclist fined once, in Lewisham. More fool him as just behind him was a cop on a motorbike.

Yes, clearly the cyclist should have seen the motorbike when he was overtaking it ...

 

[newfhouse]

I'm more concerned about the £6 pints to be honest

I’d happily pay £6 for a pint in a decent pub right now.

 

[Lovacott]

Cars often seem to barrel on through a changing set of lights, and if one does it, the one following will sometimes tailgate through. The lights with cameras seem to attract much more law-abiding customers.

Over in Australia, they have these strange flashing lights which kick off about 20 seconds before the traffic lights ahead are about to go red.

They are supposed to be used as a warning that you should be braking ready to stop because you are too far back to make in through on green.

But most people use them as a warning that they need to put the pedal to the metal to try and beat the change. Tee boning at traffic lights is a pretty common occurrence over there.

 

[byegad]

Don't think I've ever seen a car go through a red light. Seen plenty of cyclists. I was behind one last weekend so I shouted at him as he went straight through the lights (I stopped). He looked at me somewhat nonplussed. Caught him up a couple of miles later and gave him the death stare when I passed him

Come to our village, it happens several times a day. We have a set of lights controlling access from the by-pass, and drivers routinely jump them. About once a year it goes badly wrong!

 

[derrick]

Don't think I've ever seen a car go through a red light. Seen plenty of cyclists. I was behind one last weekend so I shouted at him as he went straight through the lights (I stopped). He looked at me somewhat nonplussed. Caught him up a couple of miles later and gave him the death stare when I passed him

You need to open your eyes more often.

 

[Pale Rider]

I've been known to set off a second or two early to avoid being boosted from behind, but only if I can see the other set of lights on red and the other traffic stopped.

It's still not very clever, because red for all motor traffic can mean green for pedestrians.

 

[Sharky]

I was running Blue Lights when I was commuting. Thought I might get stopped, but in fact a couple of motorists actually asked me where I got them from as they were very effective.

Technically, I have jumped a red light. There was one set of traffic lights that I knew the sequence and it was possible to ride beyond the lights and watch the lights for the cross traffic. It was also up hill, so as soon as the cross lights started to change, I was off and I could get across the junction in safety before the cars started to rush past.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Nope, have never ran a red

 

[figbat]

I won’t run a red. It’s known in the group that ride (rode) with that I will stop at red lights. At first they all went through the reds and I would stop - they would then wait some way up the road for me. When I pointed out that if they were going to wait for me anyway, they may as well stop at the light they now usually stop with me. It’s the same with riding on pavements; I don’t they would, now they don’t (when with me anyway). Worst of it is that one of the riders is a former policeman.

My approach is that I don’t want to be that one cyclist who gives them all a bad name. Perhaps I might even be the one cyclist who actually improves an onlooker’s opinion of cyclists as a whole? And maybe I have also influenced a small group of others to change their behaviour.

 

[mjr]

My approach is that I don’t want to be that one cyclist who gives them all a bad name. Perhaps I might even be the one cyclist who actually improves an onlooker’s opinion of cyclists as a whole? And maybe I have also influenced a small group of others to change their behaviour.

It won't work. The haters already condemn us and will dismiss you as a freak. The only way that will change is when they start cycling.

But well done persuading a group to behave a little less outrageously. That's likely to avoid some future arguments, especially if it's an identifiable group.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Plus anyone who stops their motor vehicle in an advanced bike box is a RLJ

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I won’t run a red. It’s known in the group that ride (rode) with that I will stop at red lights. At first they all went through the reds and I would stop - they would then wait some way up the road for me. When I pointed out that if they were going to wait for me anyway, they may as well stop at the light they now usually stop with me. It’s the same with riding on pavements; I don’t they would, now they don’t (when with me anyway). Worst of it is that one of the riders is a former policeman.

My approach is that I don’t want to be that one cyclist who gives them all a bad name. Perhaps I might even be the one cyclist who actually improves an onlooker’s opinion of cyclists as a whole? And maybe I have also influenced a small group of others to change their behaviour.

Won't matter how any of us act, we responsible riders will never be seen being so - yet the riders genuinely riding at night in black with no lights on running reds speeding and nearly mortally wounding nobody are very much visible, and ultimately the basis for much of the hate spewed.

If every single cyclist in the land behaved impeccably, there would just be something else concocted.