RLJing

[User]

 

[skudupnorth]

I see loads on my commute every week,i wish there were more Police to nail them because they would cause more damage than a cyclists running reds (which also pi$$es me off because i have nearly hit one of those clowns aswell ! )

 

[TheDoctor]

When I worked in Hatfield, the roundabout by the A1 was controlled by traffic lights. Every change, every set of lights (5 of them) about half a dozen cars would cross at red. That's hundreds every hour, 24 hours a day.
No cyclist would RLJ. I didn't dare cycle round there, I'd have been dead in under a week.

 

[stowie]

At a junction close to where I live, cars jump the amber and the red all the time. It delays the cars turning right in the junction, who then cross whilst the pedestrian phase is going. Thus the real losers in this are the pedestrians trying to cross the road - especially those that cannot cross quickly.

I think the fact that cyclist RLJ tends to happen when the lights have been red a while seems to annoy motorists, who then don't equate the jumping of the lights after a green has turned to amber and red as the same thing.

 

[summerdays]

At a junction close to where I live, cars jump the amber and the red all the time. It delays the cars turning right in the junction, who then cross whilst the pedestrian phase is going. Thus the real losers in this are the pedestrians trying to cross the road - especially those that cannot cross quickly.

I know several junctions like this - I often set off as they are still cutting across my path - but expecting it - sometimes my setting off stops them, other times I just have to let them clear the junction for me to continue. What I want to know is why the police aren't there catching them raking in the money. I mean as this is several cars every single light sequence it would take no time at all to be able to gather a nice bit of revenue for the government. And it might even make a few of the RLJ'ing cars stop doing it.

I think the fact that cyclist RLJ tends to happen when the lights have been red a while seems to annoy motorists, who then don't equate the jumping of the lights after a green has turned to amber and red as the same thing.

You are probably right, cyclists are more likely to go at the end of a red. However I wanted to take a photo the other day of the 12+ of us waiting in an ASL and not one person had jumped the red light.

 

[beanzontoast]

RLJ-ing by cars is so commonplace as to be unremarkable. Until cameras are installed on every set of lights and fines issued widely, it will continue.

 

[hackbike 666]

Not bikes!

I challenge you all next week to watch cars at junctions. It's amazing if you do at how many jump the reds.

A couple of times people at work have commented on cyclists RLJing, and I've suggested that they watch the cars. One of them came back a few days later to say that I'd got a point.

Not that two wrongs make a right, of course.

That doesn't worry me too much,what worries me is the constant use of mobile phones.

 

[ELL]

I saw a great example of this the other day. There are road works on my daily commute so they have set of temporary traffic lights. As i was approaching I was just before the when red light shows stop here sign and the lights turned amber. was 50/50 in a way if i carried on I had time to stop as i was only doing about 18mph but could of also gone a was sort of committed to going through. I decided I would wait so slowed down and stopped couple of seconds later a car goes past me and a few seconds after that a bus. I thought to my self if i had of gone through the lights there would of been no way they could of got to the other end beofre the lights changed for on coming traffic but they then both got caught at the next set of lights in a que so i just scooted past both of them and didnt see them again

 

[Tynan]

cars tend to do it late, using the lag between lights

cyclists tend to blow through them in cold blood at any time

not the same thing

 

[ed_o_brain]

The problem with motorists running amber and newly red lights are the people left in the middle of the junction waiting to turn right. I feel very vulnerable as a cyclist waiting in the middle of a signal controlled box junction.

Also, I've seen quite a few drivers blowing lights just the same way cyclists do. Rusholme is a prime spot for this.

 

[srw]

cars tend to do it late, using the lag between lights

cyclists tend to blow through them in cold blood at any time

not the same thing

Absolutely agree. Legally there's no difference, but there's an appreciable difference on the poor saps trying to use pedestrian crossings, who rather expect that once everyone's bothered to stop, they'll stay stopped.

 

[hackbike 666]

cars tend to do it late, using the lag between lights

cyclists tend to blow through them in cold blood at any time

not the same thing

Agreed.

 

[thomas]

Agreed.

I do agree...it could be argued that what some cyclists do is safer, as it could suggest they look before jumping it...where as someone just shooting through on the amber probably hasn't checked that it is actually clear and just assumes it is.

There are times when I couldn't care if anyone RLJed though (like at 1 in the morning if the road is empty).

 

[srw]

I do agree...it could be argued that what some cyclists do is safer, as it could suggest they look before jumping it...where as someone just shooting through on the amber probably hasn't checked that it is actually clear and just assumes it is.

It could be argued, but it wouldn't be a very good argument...

There are times when I couldn't care if anyone RLJed though (like at 1 in the morning if the road is empty).

I have some sympathy with this view - except that 1am on an empty road is exactly when a drunk pedestrian is likely to try wandering across without looking.

 

[marinyork]

People round here comment on cyclists RLJing. They do it because people in the media bang on about London constantly and assume everywhere else is the same. Once they are aware of this behaviour they look out for this very uncommon behaviour and start exaggerating. It is unlikely that many of the people complaining have seen that much cyclist RLJing if even at all. The third most common complaint about cyclists ignoring no entry signs/wrong way down one way street/no right turn is particularly amusing as that one is routinely broken by motorists on a great many locations in this city.