Red light jumping - a confession

[campbellab]

I once dawdled through a pelican crossing after the one pedestrian had passed and I had checked there was no-one else passing. I got some verbal abuse from a driver shouting out of his passenger window whilst he was navigating the roundabout afterwards! What was more dangerous?

Anyway it got me thinking about the types of crossing that can be used. If it was a zebra crossing that situation would have been fine. However, if they put zebra crossings there (outside of a school) then the traffic could be very stop start around school time as pedestrians can cross whenever they want. Whereas with a pelican there is a build up of pedestrians before crossing allowing traffic to flow better.

The pelican lights around this road don't flash yellow at all, follows normal traffic light colours. However if they turned to flashing yellow then you are allowing drivers to use their own judgement as to whether it is safe to proceed. I'd prefer much more like this

 

[HLaB]

I must admit, I've started regularly rlj at a supermarket junction. The supermarket get priority (green) most of the time rather than the main road even when the supermarket is shut. The majority of time later in the evening there's no one around and I go through on red, if there is someone round to trigger the lights I wait that few minutes.

 

[hackbike 666]

It's been fun this week. :-S

 

[Arch]

can you kill or seriously injure someone if hit at low speed with a bike? I think there needs to be more common sense in discussions like this!

An elderly person with osteoporosis could easily break a hip if knocked down. As could a child with brittle bones - both of these conditons will be invisible to you. What about a pregnant lady, is it ok to knock her over? Anyone could fall and hit their head hard with serious repercussions. I wouldn't fancy anyone riding into me at any speed, knowing how easy it is to take a chunk out of yourself with a pedal or handlebar.

Actually, it shouldn't matter whether you can seriously injure someone. A pedestrian has the right to cross the road without risk of cuts and grazes, or even just fear. Elderly and infirm people especially can find even a near miss very frightening - which is why pavement cycling is a no-no too and even on shared paths, you should keep your speed down take care.

 

[TheDoctor]

Yes maybe i have gotten off on the wrong foot here. Although i still believe somewhat this forum should change for me rather than me change to suit it. But maybe i will try your way.

No. That's not how it works. If you don't feel able to be friendly (and the tone of your posts suggests that you don't) then maybe this isn't really for you.

 

[hackbike 666]

I agree with arch.I have much more respect for pedestrians since being told off on here.

 

[joch]

An elderly person with osteoporosis could easily break a hip if knocked down. As could a child with brittle bones - both of these conditons will be invisible to you. What about a pregnant lady, is it ok to knock her over? Anyone could fall and hit their head hard with serious repercussions. I wouldn't fancy anyone riding into me at any speed, knowing how easy it is to take a chunk out of yourself with a pedal or handlebar.

Actually, it shouldn't matter whether you can seriously injure someone. A pedestrian has the right to cross the road without risk of cuts and grazes, or even just fear. Elderly and infirm people especially can find even a near miss very frightening - which is why pavement cycling is a no-no too and even on shared paths, you should keep your speed down take care.

just to clarify things, there are different kinds of rljing. first are idiots that don't even slow down at a crossing making peds stop as not to get run over. these cyclist can cause harm to other road users. the other type are people that will wait until peds have left the junction and will set off at walking pace to give themselves a bit of time to get the cleats into the pedal or just to be able to get slightly ahead of the mayham that a changing traffic light in rush hour traffic causes. i practise the latter type frequently, often observed by police and have never been stopped or told off.

 

[hackbike 666]

Yeah everybody else does as well although i never seem to see it.

 

[Jake]

Resul of jumping a red light:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8180112.stm

 

[hackbike 666]

I saw a car do it this morning on my commute in.Loads of cars at the lights just at the next junction past carpenters road stratford going towards Bow.I believe it was a genuine mistake and not an rlj.She was nattering to a friend so she was distracted.lucky no cars were coming the other way.

 

[Jim_Noir]

I drove to work this morning. Sitting at a red lightto turn left, had been there say 2 mins. Along come a car, driver is on the phone and eating some McDs guff, and belts through the red light and swings left! Think they had passed theri test from the Gene Hunt school of driving.

 

[scouserinlondon]

I very occasionally RLJ, on the A3 southbound there's a T junction where traffic joins the road from the right, I've occasionally jumped there but it's silly behaviour TBH.

I think about 90% of London cyclists do it though.

 

[purplepolly]

I believe it was a genuine mistake and not an rlj.She was nattering to a friend so she was distracted.lucky no cars were coming the other way.

That ain't a mistake, that's driving without due care and attention.

 

[thomas]

That ain't a mistake, that's driving without due care and attention.

+1....Hackbike, you've complained about cyclists jumping reds when they've checked and had a look around....but when a car does it, because they've not had a look around and paid attention, it's okay.

Double standard

 

[hackbike 666]

That's called a mistake.When I see cyclists do it it's usually intentional,blatant and sometimes damn right bloody stupid.

Read what I said I think it was a mistake.Not an intentional RLJ.

Call it a distraction if you want because we all can get distracted.