RLJ's in Bristol

[summerdays]

This morning they were out in force in Bristol about 15 police I reckon on the junction (Mickle I hope you didn't jump the lights).

The full article as reported in the Bristol Evening Post:
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/home...l-cyclists/article-536785-detail/article.html

What they don't say is that round the corner they were breaking the law. I came down one of the roads which one way away from the junction with a cycle contraflow. There parked in the Cycle lane (marked with a solid white line) was parked the TV van (there to film the event) blocking the 1 meter lane completely!!!

I haven't read all the comments.... they normally get fairly combative defending the two opposite corners.

They apparently took their names and if caught again will be punished

 

[wafflycat]

I have no problem with plod nicking RLJ cyclists. I just wish they'd do it with all RLJs - including motorists...mind you, I'd be wanting to photograph plod parked up in the psyclelane and send it to the local press.

 

[summerdays]

It was the TV crew rather than police, but I did wish that I had stopped, taken a photo then stopped at the junction to ask the police to deal with it. I don't have a problem with them doing the RLJ'ers either - though you would have to be daft to have sailed through the junction with the amount of glowing yellow on the side of the road.

 

[summerdays]

My friend saw a man stopped by the side of the road talking to the police having his details taken, and then he later overtook her at a later set of lights and went through those ones too.

 

[GrahamG]

"Zetland Junction has seen 25 accidents involving cyclists over the past two years"

That is a lot - however I do wish they would state the cause of the majority of those accidents as it could be that RLJ is only a factor in a small portion. In fact on re-reading it, I'm sure that it's probably not a major factor otherwise they'd state that it was a road safety issue.

 

[mickle]

Yeah, I saw two polis stopping cyclists who had RLjed the lights by the Prince of Wales on my way in but wasn't aware that it was a city-wide operation.

On my way home saw three cars sail through a red light which the polis car waiting in traffic totally ignored.

However much we and the general population are annoyed by 'cyclists' jumping lights it's obvious that they pose little danger to anyone but themselves. It might make good headlines in the local rag but they'll achieve nothing until they target the idiot drivers who are actually causing the danger.

On my short trip from the shop to the start of the cycle path I encountered six cars which were being driven so poorly in my vicinity that I had to take evasive action.
The three cars which came through the lights well after mine had turned to green, a taxi which began an overtaking manouvre, came alongside and then started to squeeze me over, a guy (on a mobile) who overtook me but then slammed the brakes on right in front of me and the tosser who felt that six inches was enough room to leave between his bumper and my back wheel. Then between the bike path and home, less than half a mile, a builders van overtook me on a corner and had to force an oncoming car to emergency stop to prevent a collision.

 

[HF2300]

However much we and the general population are annoyed by 'cyclists' jumping lights it's obvious that they pose little danger to anyone but themselves.

Agree with your comments about idiot drivers, but I can't agree with this. We've seen a thread here about (if I remember right) a Cyclechat member getting hit by an RLJing cyclist, and what about the numerous reports of RLJing cyclists hitting or nearly hitting pedestrians.

If I was in a car and killed or seriously injured an RLJer, I'm not sure knowing I was in the right would make me feel a whole lot better either.

 

[mickle]

Agree with your comments about idiot drivers, but I can't agree with this. We've seen a thread here about (if I remember right) a Cyclechat member getting hit by an RLJing cyclist, and what about the numerous reports of RLJing cyclists hitting or nearly hitting pedestrians.

If I was in a car and killed or seriously injured an RLJer, I'm not sure knowing I was in the right would make me feel a whole lot better either.

The danger posed by cyclists breaking the law is a tiny fraction of the danger posed by cars. Off the top of my head 3000 people per annum killed in collisions involving cars compared to 1 per annum killed in collisions involving cycles. I stand by the statement that RLJing cyclists pose little danger to anyone but themselves.

 

[mr_cellophane]

If I was in a car and killed or seriously injured an RLJer, I'm not sure knowing I was in the right would make me feel a whole lot better either.

Knowing you were in the right wouldn't knock the dent out of your car either.

 

[mickle]

Am I typing in a vacuum?

I am not an apologist for cycling RLJers. The point which I am trying to make is that the danger posed by illegal cyclists is tiny compared to that posed by illegal motorists and that their much publicised clamping down on illegal cyclists will achieve SFA in terms of road safety. They should be targeting bad drivers since they are the real source of danger.

 

[mickle]

Knowing you were in the right wouldn't knock the dent out of your car either.

Which will cause the most damage to your precious car?

1) An RLJing cyclist.
2) An RLJing motorist.

Take your time.

 

[LLB]

I used to live behind the Beeb building in Tyndalls park road so know the area well.

As a ped, I get well pee'd off with people riding on the pavements like that, as a driver, I wonder how the damage would be paid if I ran one of these idiots over and they damaged my car.

Regarding RLJing car drivers, sat on a set of lights by JJBs in Chelt last night, lights go green on my way and 4 idiot car drivers came across from Waitrose

 

[LLB]

The danger posed by cyclists breaking the law is a tiny fraction of the danger posed by cars. Off the top of my head 3000 people per annum killed in collisions involving cars compared to 1 per annum killed in collisions involving cycles. I stand by the statement that RLJing cyclists pose little danger to anyone but themselves.

The problem is that such little respect shown on a cycle for traffic lights is likely to translate into little respect for traffic lights in larger vehicles.

They are red for a reason irrespective of what you are using because an innocent road user will likely be likely through the other way.

 

[User482]

Am I typing in a vacuum?

I am not an apologist for cycling RLJers. The point which I am trying to make is that the danger posed by illegal cyclists is tiny compared to that posed by illegal motorists and that their much publicised clamping down on illegal cyclists will achieve SFA in terms of road safety. They should be targeting bad drivers since they are the real source of danger.

I agree entirely. Cycling RLJers are an irritant for sure, but a minor danger compared with poor driving.

 

[wafflycat]

Another one here.. I *loathe* RLJ-ing cyclists. There is no excuse. So I have no problem with plod stopping RLJ cyclists other than they should be stopping *all* RLJ-ers, with emphasis on the ones causing the biggest danger to others as police resources are limited. Those limited resources should be targetted primarily at the road users causing the biggest danger to others. The biggest danger to others is not cyclists, it's motorists. It isn't cyclists killing over 3000 people a year on the roads and injuring tens of thousands more. That's those of us using motor transport causing the biggest danger. So it's those of us in charge of motor vehicles that should be targetted in such plod swoops. As a motorist, I have no problem with that at all.