Stop Lines at Traffic Lights

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Pseudo

Active Member
When a traffic light is red, you stop at the solid stop line.

At this location:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4...riW_BRlINhpg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1?hl=en

the stop line is broken for cyclists. The traffic lights are a pedestrian crossing, but the presence of the broken line implies that cyclists can ignore the traffic signals (or maybe treat them as a give way sign). So, where do cyclists stand legally if the pass the signals at red?

And here's another location:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5...Q_6EURfrbLaQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1?hl=en

cyclists have their own infrastructure, with their own signal head, but no stop line. So, do we have to obey the traffic signal, and if we do, where are we supposed to stop?
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
What are these stop lines and red lights people keep mentioning on here? Never see 'em where we cycle:

June%202015%20Dales_zpsomcv5qbe.jpg
 

winjim

Smash the cistern
In the first case, the line is broken to enable cyclists to mount the dropped kerb of the toucan crossing onto the pavement on the left which is shared use. In the second case, legally I don't know, but if it looked like I was about to hit a pedestrian, I'd probably think about stopping.

It's just more stupid overcomplicated supposedly helpful but actually really confusing infrastructure.
 
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winjim

Smash the cistern
Red means stop for cyclists as well as cars regardless of the paint on the road. Seems simple enough to me
I think maybe given a good lawyer and a sympathetic magistrate you might be able to argue the point.
 

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
I think maybe given a good lawyer and a sympathetic magistrate you might be able to argue the point.
Yes I think that would be the case. I must admit when they took about 3 weeks to reinstate the stop lines after resurfacing I did wonder if there was an accident whether the council would have been held liable. And I did see more cars fail to stop at the red light without the line there. If people can get off parking fines due to incorrect line markings then the same might be true of red lights without the Stop Line.

I wonder what the legislation is for temporary traffic lights as they don't have stop lines?
 

shouldbeinbed

Rollin' along
Location
Manchester way
markings then the same might be true of red lights without the Stop Line.

I wonder what the legislation is for temporary traffic lights as they don't have stop lines?

IANAL but IDHCS

I think the difference between a missing parking line with no quite so blatantly visible additional instruction(*) and a missing line from work ongoing or recently completed, directly in front of working traffic lights would be a stretch even for Nick Freeman to defend.

(*l Unless of course you park slap bang under a no/parking/restriction sign.

I would sugest that for temporary traffic lights, it is unreasonable to expect a line to be painted and the colour of the light determines what you do. Also the temporary lights I encounter all have that helpful red board that says when red light shows, wait here pretty much where a white line would be.
 

deptfordmarmoset

Full time tea drinker
Location
Armonmy Way
I believe that for the second one the road has a stop line for vehicular traffic further back and the cycle lane feeds off just before that line. So stop if you're on the road, proceed according to the usual peds have priority principle if using the cycle lane.
 

winjim

Smash the cistern
I believe that for the second one the road has a stop line for vehicular traffic further back and the cycle lane feeds off just before that line. So stop if you're on the road, proceed according to the usual peds have priority principle if using the cycle lane.
What if the light's red? Where do you stop?
 

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Dan B

Disengaged member
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/3113/regulation/43/made
(3) Where no stop line has been provided in conjunction with light signals or the stop line is not visible, references in relation to those signals to the “stop line” are—

(a)in a case where the sign shown in diagram 7011, 7011.1 or 7027 is placed in conjunction with the light signals, to be treated as references to that sign; and

(b)in any other case, to be treated as references to the post or other structure on which the primary signals are mounted.

So, if no line, stop before the sign: if no sign, stop before the signal itself. Seems pretty clear
 
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