Sometimes you just can't stop at the red light

[gaz]

Keltbray would have had his brake covered and be ready to stop if Gaz did - with a move left an option for Gaz if he had doubts about that.

You know that for sure he had his brake covered and would be able to stop in time even I had chosen to stop? Even if he had a full load?

I'm certainly not going to attempt to find that out when he is less than 1 second behind me.

 

[BentMikey]

The fear of being tailended is real and very common in car drivers too but the actual occurence is pretty rare. It's not a major feature of cyclist /HGV accidents most of which involve left turns or kerb creeping.

Amazed that you *KNOW* the lorry driver was covering his brakes and would have stopped. Most of us on here seem to think you're probably imagining that, yes?

Being rear ended isn't nearly as rare as you're making out, I'm afraid. Lots of people have posted on the forums about being rear-ended by motor vehicles of all sorts of types

 

[ianrauk]

Amazed that you *KNOW* the lorry driver was covering his brakes and would have stopped. Most of us on here seem to think you're probably imagining that, yes?

Being rear ended isn't nearly as rare as you're making out, I'm afraid. Lots of people have posted on the forums about being rear-ended by motor vehicles of all sorts of types

Indeed... in London especially with the amount of traffic.
I would have done exactly the same as @gaz if I was in the same position as he was.
A good few tons bearing down on you like that. You don't need to look to see how far behind it is, you would feel it. And gaz being the experienced cycle commuter that he is would have known enough to be sure that jumping the red light was the only option.

 

[mickle]

Nah. Could have stopped - should have stopped. There's no justification for going through red lights , and I didn't see any in that video. As Mr P said, if you think that a vehicle is travelling too close you should slow down.

 

[mickle]

Mr P also said that this was when he was 'driving', I don't think you drive a bike and I would not want to put myself in a position where I am in danger if I stop.

The law is quite clear on this when approaching a set of lights if you think you cannot stop safely.

Driving/cycling/whatever the same priciple applies.

The law obviously isn't clear enough for you - the law does permit going through a red light in some circumstances, but this isn't one of them.

 

[Recycle]

The law obviously isn't clear enough for you - the law does permit going through a red light in some circumstances, but this isn't one of them.

I would love to see a judge convict on the strength of that video evidence. Even if that law doesn't cover those circumstances you cannot deny a right to self defence, or in this instance, self preservation.

 

[Bromptonaut]

The law obviously isn't clear enough for you - the law does permit going through a red light in some circumstances, but this isn't one of them.

There is a defence for failing to stop at amber including that it would be unsafe to do so. Red is an absolute offence save when acting under direction of a police officer in uniform or perhaps in case of an evident failure. GAz's risk here, apart from the Keltbray, was somebody jumping the red/amber in the next phase and copping a t-bone

Some drivers push amber because they're worried about being rear ended. In reality if they slow down so will everybody else and same applies on a bike provided you've got another strategy - like in this case moving in.

 

[hoski]

Driving/cycling/whatever the same priciple applies.

The law obviously isn't clear enough for you - the law does permit going through a red light in some circumstances, but this isn't one of them.

I'm pretty sure the 'law' on this isn't actually that clear anyway...

 

[campbellab]

Keltbray would have had his brake covered and be ready to stop if Gaz did - with a move left an option for Gaz if he had doubts about that.

My experience is that some drivers actually speed up when presented with an amber rather than cover their brakes! And I have certainly gone through an amber and thought 'I maybe should have stopped' to check behind and see 3 cars following through!

 

[EthelF]

Keltbray would have had his brake covered and be ready to stop if Gaz did.

Of course he would. That'll be why he stopped even though Gaz didn't!
I think Gaz did absolutely the right thing here. He didn't have time or space to pull up safely, while I also understand why he didn't "anticipate" the lights by slowing down when holding primary with a Keltbray breathing down his neck!

 

[mickle]

Nah.

 

[growingvegetables]

Been there, done that - and would do it again. There's a couple of junctions in Leeds centre where I always keep an eye for national express and megabus behind me - because several of them put their foot down to bust the amber/red coming.

Aye - and I'm kinda comfortable with the idea of being able to sit at a keyboard a wee bit later talking about it.

 

[Lance Jack]

I am a Cat C LGV driver. Looking at the video, and remember it maybe different from the cab, I would look at it this way. I am in a 17t lorry, I approach green traffic lights and I was taught that you prepare for them to go red. In this case, they do go amber/red. I have a cycle in front of me so you allow a bit more space. There is a person waiting to cross and there are two buses on my offside, they may have passengers stepping from them or people cutting between them. The length of my vehicle means if I cross the traffic light one second after is has gone red the rear of my vehicle would be two seconds after it has gone red. To me, and I don't want to look like some keyboard warrior, it was poor driving and if I was on a cycle with that lorry behind me I wouldn't of stopped either.
First post, be gentle with me.

 

[ianrauk]

I am a Cat C LGV driver. Looking at the video, and remember it maybe different from the cab, I would look at it this way. I am in a 17t lorry, I approach green traffic lights and I was taught that you prepare for them to go red. In this case, they do go amber/red. I have a cycle in front of me so you allow a bit more space. There is a person waiting to cross and there are two buses on my offside, they may have passengers stepping from them or people cutting between them. The length of my vehicle means if I cross the traffic light one second after is has gone red the rear of my vehicle would be two seconds after it has gone red. To me, and I don't want to look like some keyboard warrior, it was poor driving and if I was on a cycle with that lorry behind me I wouldn't of stopped either.
First post, be gentle with me.

You got it spot on as far as I am concerned.
It's nice to have a point of view from a lorry drivers perspective.
Welcome to the forum.

 

[BentMikey]

Of course he would. That'll be why he stopped even though Gaz didn't!
I think Gaz did absolutely the right thing here. He didn't have time or space to pull up safely, while I also understand why he didn't "anticipate" the lights by slowing down when holding primary with a Keltbray breathing down his neck!

Did you watch the video, or is the bold sarcasm? The Keltbray lorry went straight through there.