Stop At Red campaign

[Robster]

Ive heard RLJ'ers claim safety reasons many times but the actual RLJing Ive seen done doesnt seem to be any safer than legal methods of cycling...

I dont see how this cyclist RLJ'ing was any safer than my method of using the junction.

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOUHGSh52bQ


Thats the sort of RLJ'ing I see.

From that video I can see that what some of you are thinking of is different to what I was. What I think of as RLJing and what I assumed the said campaign is about, is cyclists jumping red lights on the road which I have seen a fair bit and is obviously a lot more dangerous than bypassing a junction by cycling on the pavement.

 

[magnatom]

I have never had to red light jump for my safety. There are plenty of techniques that enable you to be safe and remain within the law. Such arguments are red herrings.

 

[hackbike 6]

Admittedly I had to jump one at about 2am on the ride back from work.Didn't feel safe with a gang of pissheads behind me since the rules were changed for how long a pub can stay open for...but that was a special case.Nothing to do with any motorists.

 

[magnatom]

Admittedly I had to jump one at about 2am on the ride back from work.Didn't feel safe with a gang of pissheads behind me since the rules were changed for how long a pub can stay open for...but that was a special case.Nothing to do with any motorists.

This type of thing is an extreme case and I can fully understand why some might chose to do this. However, as I am sure you are aware, this is not the type of RLJing that TI was referring to.

 

[hackbike 6]

Yeah but it would look like RLJing to motorists and peds and me.

 

[spandex]

It was set up by Andy Srimton at Cycle Heaven in York http://www.cycle-heaven.co.uk/ a long time ago

 

[magnatom]

Yeah but it would look like RLJing to motorists and peds and me.

It would, but I could also understand if someone was in a car and they saw a group approaching the car in an aggressive manner, decided to RLJ.

However, RLJing from a road safety perspective is almost always not required, except in the extreme circumstance of imminent rear ending by a car. I have never had any incidents where I have feared I would be rear ended at lights. I think this is a very rare occurrence and no excuse for the type of RLJing I think TI is trying to justify.

 

[hackbike 6]

Aye but it comes down deeper than that.No one to enforce it that's why it is rife.Also I believe it is deeper than this.

Why the change from 20 years ago when I never saw anyone do it?

 

[magnatom]

Aye but it comes down deeper than that.No one to enforce it that's why it is rife.Also I believe it is deeper than this.

Why the change from 20 years ago when I never saw anyone do it?

I'd be surprised if there was a big difference in the proportion RLJing. However, one possible explanation, if there was, is that those who cycled 20 years ago were more die-hard cyclists. So few did it that those that did knew what they were doing and did it for the love of cycling. Now lots of new groups of people are taking up cycle commuting. These groups don't care so much for cycling or for the image of cyclists. They just want to get from A to B.

 

[andyfromotley]

eh?

I find other peoples cycling frustrating when they do this,god know what motorists think while they are stewing in their little boxes.

Why on earth should i care what motorists stewing in their little boxes think????

 

[cupoftea]

I think there are three type of rider when it comes to light (warning generalising) ;-)

1 Stop at lights regards
2 Stops at a safe point around lights, sometimes over the white line, sometimes behind it
3 Proceeds through the lights whenever they can

During the summer you get far more type 3, and during the winter as a percentage you get more type 2

I’m afraid Type 1’s are in a minority

 

[domtyler]

Why on earth should i care what motorists stewing in their little boxes think????

+1

 

[domtyler]

I think there are three type of rider when it comes to light (warning generalising) ;-)

1 Stop at lights regards
2 Stops at a safe point around lights, sometimes over the white line, sometimes behind it
3 Proceeds through the lights whenever they can

During the summer you get far more type 3, and during the winter as a percentage you get more type 2

I’m afraid Type 1’s are in a minority

Yeah that sounds pretty accurate to me.

Type 2 for me!

 

[Tharg2007]

I think there are three type of rider when it comes to light (warning generalising) ;-)

1 Stop at lights regards
2 Stops at a safe point around lights, sometimes over the white line, sometimes behind it
3 Proceeds through the lights whenever they can

During the summer you get far more type 3, and during the winter as a percentage you get more type 2

I’m afraid Type 1’s are in a minority

sometimes you have to go over the white line cos some twot has his car in the green box!! i hate that

 

[Jaded]

Aye but it comes down deeper than that.No one to enforce it that's why it is rife.Also I believe it is deeper than this.

Why the change from 20 years ago when I never saw anyone do it?

Why the change in attitude to speeding from 20 years ago when not many people did it and now almost everyone does.