campbellab
Senior Member
- Location
- Swindon
My reaction when the lights go amber is to put my foot over the brake. Others' reactions are to floor the accelerator. 
RLJing cars
- Thread starter coshgirl
- Start date
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summerdays
Cycling in the sun
- Location
- Bristol
I think it is standard practice by some motorists and there doesn't seem to be anything to discourage it. I once spoke to traffic management about a particular set of lights and they just wittered on about how they couldn't make the the gap between the phases any longer and that it wasn't up to them which lights were monitored by camera's. Whereas I wanted someone official to monitor it and see that it was a problem at that set of lights.
tiswas-steve
Über Member
- Location
- Forest Hill S.E. london
Every other day I see a vehicle jump the red light on Brixton road outside Marks n Spencers at the junction with Atlantic road........... Only a matter of time before there's a nasty accident there.
Arch
Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
Yup, I see it a lot. There are two junctions in York where I know it's not wise to set off promptly on green, because there is quite likely to be something coming having jumped a red. In one case, it's alternate traffic on a single lane bit through the city walls (Walmgate, for locals, heading out of town, often one or two cars are coming through as my lights go green), and in one case a T-junction where traffic comes from the left as I cross the top of the T, and I can (esp in the dark) actually see that their light is red as they cross, not amber (top of Gillygate, Bootham).
Apart from it being the law, I get more and more pleasure out of stopping at amber in case it annoys someone behind me who would have jumped. In our electric vehicle or on the Maximuses it's perfectly safe to do this (we're going slow and people don't tend to tailgate thanks to the big bag of rubbish hanging on the back), and also it's in our own interests - at the speed we go many large junction phases aren't long enough to let us through on amber and clear the junction before the opposing traffic starts up. We often approach a green chanting 'change, please change' so that we can stop at the head of the queue rather than find ourselves halfway over when the others start up....
Apart from it being the law, I get more and more pleasure out of stopping at amber in case it annoys someone behind me who would have jumped. In our electric vehicle or on the Maximuses it's perfectly safe to do this (we're going slow and people don't tend to tailgate thanks to the big bag of rubbish hanging on the back), and also it's in our own interests - at the speed we go many large junction phases aren't long enough to let us through on amber and clear the junction before the opposing traffic starts up. We often approach a green chanting 'change, please change' so that we can stop at the head of the queue rather than find ourselves halfway over when the others start up....
John the Monkey
Frivolous Cyclist
- Location
- Crewe
Green means "Go if it is safe to proceed". It doesn't mean "plough through the junction regardless of what's ahead."Not that the cyclists are in the right, or course, but it bears restating.
Here in Manchester & Crewe, some busses even the score by jumping the lights themselves. Along with the cars, it's also very common to see them indulging in the popular practice of blocking pedestrian crossings in slow/stationary traffic, having rolled over the stop line on amber or red. At one junction in Manchester, I've seen a bus driver get the hump with a car driver not letting him out of a stop, and chase the errant driver through a red light. Luckily for me, I don't expect sense from other people on the road any more, and I wouldn't trust the drivers of certain bus companies as far as I could throw them, bus and all - all of which meant I didn't end up in the middle of the bus/car altercation - a less experienced cyclist or pedestrian could well have done.
I bet that started out as irony but, half way through, it all started to come out. Admit it, straight after typing that you had a quick sneak at the ABD website.
PBancroft
Senior Member
- Location
- Winchester
I bet that started out as irony but, half way through, it all started to come out. Admit it, straight after typing that you had a quick sneak at the ABD website.
Irony, tchoh. Don't touch the bleedin' thing.
subaqua
What’s the point
- Location
- Leytonstone
oh this wasn't a lone cyclist arriving at the red light just as it changed, this was a good 30 seconds after the lights had changed, and whoosh 3 went through . i would guess that this has happened to the driver at this junction before ,as he was looking .
would this green means proceed if safe , be the direct opposite of "you MUST stop at the line when the signal is red ? "
John the Monkey
Frivolous Cyclist
- Location
- Crewe
A driver LOOKING? Observing the road and driving appropriately? Not exercising his right to crush those who dare disobey traffic law?
Maybe he should get a badge, or something. We'll do medals for the ones that bother to obey the posted speed limits consistently, shall we?
Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying, isn't it?would this green means proceed if safe , be the direct opposite of "you MUST stop at the line when the signal is red ? "
Gah.
Funtboy
Well-Known Member
- Location
- London via Jarrow
Rampant in South East London...
subaqua
What’s the point
- Location
- Leytonstone
I was highlighting the must. which means just that, its not optional.
I saw a good argument this morning though 2 car drivers at it as one had waited at the first line at an ASL as the road ahead wasn't clear to proceed without blocking the junction. the one behind didn't like it and was quite vocal about it. Had i had time i would have watched the conclusion.
buit its pointless trying to get people to understand that basic concept that all drivers are not homicidal maniacs
DrSquirrel
Guest
[QUOTE 1292036"]
I'm also seeing more idiots stationary at the second set of lights at a crossroads when they're on red.
[/quote]
I've seen that too!
Although I am guilty as I once turned right into a very small road and saw the red light and stopped for a nano second before I realised how stupid I was being!
Also people beyond the line turning right across a cross road that has to wait for oncoming, and doesn't continue on when the lights are red (but have already passed the line)... this problem mainly comes from people from the right charging through the green assuming they have right of way.
I'm also seeing more idiots stationary at the second set of lights at a crossroads when they're on red.
[/quote]
I've seen that too!
Although I am guilty as I once turned right into a very small road and saw the red light and stopped for a nano second before I realised how stupid I was being!
Also people beyond the line turning right across a cross road that has to wait for oncoming, and doesn't continue on when the lights are red (but have already passed the line)... this problem mainly comes from people from the right charging through the green assuming they have right of way.
John the Monkey
Frivolous Cyclist
- Location
- Crewe
No argument from me, I don't RLJ, driving, or cycling.
Ha! I've been hooted for not proceeding around a roundabout (vehicle to my right wasn't indicating to leave, but as I suspected, continued around the RAB ahead of me - I'd clocked his road position & figured that it was going to happen).
Things may well be different for me, out here in the provinces, but many are laughably inattentive, even when they aren't distracting themselves by texting, or yakking on the 'phone. They're also dangerously impatient, and either unwilling or unable to read the road ahead (evidenced by pointless acceleration and dangerous overtaking to the next set of (red) lights/queue of traffic).
I've felt at risk from fellow cyclists precisely once during my years of commuting, an idiot on a rather nice English roadster who nearly t-boned me while jumping a red at a cross roads. I'd say the record for drivers would stand at once or twice a month, at least, with two managing to knock me off due to their innattention and impatience. (Not waiting for me to leave a roundabout, pulling in too soon after overtaking me whilst I was overtaking an illegally parked courier van).
I've ridden in London twice - I can't remember a cyclist causing me to worry - although a black cab did ignore a clear signal I gave that I was moving left, and attempt to fill the road space I was heading for at the same time as me - like quantum, but with more road rash.
Homicidal maniacs no, I think very few act out of malice. Dangerously inattentive and impatient? I'd stand by that, based on my experience. As ever, ymmv.