Why do cyclists run red lights?

[dawesome]

“Of pedestrians injured in London in a collision caused by red light jumping, only 4% involve cyclists, whereas 71% occur when a car driver jumps a red light and 13% when a motorcyclist does.

http://beta.ctc.org.uk/press-releas...umping-stats-for-cyclists-misleading-says-ctc

Not only do drivers jump reds more than cyclists they also hurt a lot more people doing so.

 

[StuartG]

One behaviour is just as illegal as the other.

Ahem, be careful. Illegal is by definition breaking the law. It is just as illegal to be a serial murderer as not paying your council tax.

The interesting bit comes with deciding (a) do you prosecute/PCN and (b) if you prosecute and win - what sanction is imposed. What I don't like about PCNs is that they are a flat rate punishment. Hence they do need a bit of discretion in their application. The enforcement officer always has an option of giving a stern warning or taking a long time to decide creating useful discomfort to the offender. Just as for dangerous driving the sentence is related to the severity of the consequences and the blatancy of the infringement and not simply the offence itself.

In the old days if a car went over a HALT sign without stopping it was a 10/- fine. If you were a cyclist it was 2/6d

 

[Richard Mann]

I apologise to my guardian angel when the light goes amber at the bottom of New Road (non-conflicting move), and I could have safely stopped. I'm not sure that they give-a-damn, though.

 

[Dan B]

Ahem, be careful. Illegal is by definition breaking the law. It is just as illegal to be a serial murderer as not paying your council tax.

Indeed, that was pretty much my point. You can't say rlj on a bike is as bad as in a car just because both are illegal.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

http://beta.ctc.org.uk/press-releas...umping-stats-for-cyclists-misleading-says-ctc

Not only do drivers jump reds more than cyclists they also hurt a lot more people doing so.

http://beta.ctc.org.uk/press-releas...umping-stats-for-cyclists-misleading-says-ctc

Not only do drivers jump reds more than cyclists they also hurt a lot more people doing so.

Filed under No Shoot Sherlock. Which 2 of the 3 modes of transport are narrow and agile enough to swerve a collision that a 4 wheeled lane width chunk of metal can't. Not excusing it in any form but 2 wheels have a disproportionately huge chance of a getting away with a near miss when in the wrong vs a car.

 

[benb]

Also, it's a bit rich to be lectured on RLJ by motorists, who are generally habitual speeders.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I'll try and dig it out when I get to work. It was an analysis of signal cameras done a few years ago.

There was a wonderful example a few years ago, when the London Evening Standard was in one of its 'let's bash cyclists' phases. It had run a series of articles about awful cyclists who jumped red lights. A reporter got the chance to go out with the BiB when they were doing a 'crackdown'.

The result? The BiB's haul was 3 cyclists... and 143 motorists. The London Evening Standard suddenly started talking about the menace of drivers running red lights and the 'ambler gamblers'.

I'll try and dig it out when I get to work. It was an analysis of signal cameras done a few years ago.

There was a wonderful example a few years ago, when the London Evening Standard was in one of its 'let's bash cyclists' phases. It had run a series of articles about awful cyclists who jumped red lights. A reporter got the chance to go out with the BiB when they were doing a 'crackdown'.

The result? The BiB's haul was 3 cyclists... and 143 motorists. The London Evening Standard suddenly started talking about the menace of drivers running red lights and the 'ambler gamblers'.

143/3 = 47. 66 1 bike to <50 cars. In Central Manchester and surrounds I see far more than 50 cars : 1 bike, so IMO that proportion still shows pro rata more bikes than cars RLJing.


To those in the thread saying that they daily get gridlocked and stopped for full phases of green by RLJ cars. Not saying I disbelieve you but its never once happened to me in 30 years cycling / 20 years with a driving licence always living in busy large urban conurbations. How about a quick video on the mobile since you're stationary anyway to show it happening a few times.
Or are you making out those that go through on green but can't clear the junction into RLJ's?

 

[redcard]

143/3 = 47. 66 1 bike to <50 cars. In Central Manchester and surrounds I see far more than 50 cars : 1 bike, so IMO that proportion still shows pro rata more bikes than cars RLJing.


To those in the thread saying that they daily get gridlocked and stopped for full phases of green by RLJ cars. Not saying I disbelieve you but its never once happened to me in 30 years cycling / 20 years with a driving licence always living in busy large urban conurbations. How about a quick video on the mobile since you're stationary anyway to show it happening a few times.
Or are you making out those that go through on green but can't clear the junction into RLJ's?

Figures quoted earlier show that in London there is one rlj car every 6 minutes.

That's in the whole of London. 10 rlj in an hour.

The gridlocked green light phase is obviously complete nonsense!

 

[ozzage]

Any objective person can only laugh at claims that cars RLJ as often as bikes, or even anywhere NEAR as often. Do you guys HONESTLY believe that? I mean come on... we're all out there on the roads... we see the reality even if we like to deny it...

I'm sick of people justifying RLJing because it's "safe". It would be safe in a car too a lot of the time, if you crept forward slowly, looked around, made sure nobody was coming and then moved across. Including for pedestrian crossings. Would that be OK too? Why bother having laws or even lights at all? Just have clear rules on right of way and everybody will be fine they just need to check if it's safe first...

 

[defy-one]

Depends on the lights IMO
Busy major junctions - always stop
Small crossroads in London - nothing coming both ways - i'm gone. Sorry if that upsets some of you :-)

 

[Dan B]

I'm sick of people justifying RLJing because it's "safe". It would be safe in a car too a lot of the time, if you crept forward slowly, looked around, made sure nobody was coming and then moved across. Including for pedestrian crossings. Would that be OK too?

I'd be fine with that if you did it without getting in anyone's way or intimidating them. In something as wide and heavy and potentially fast as the average car I think the opportunities for doing so would be rather more limited than on a bike, but if they apply, go for it


sent from my outboard brain

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

It is not uncommon to find threads on any cycling forum condeming poor driving standards. I would consider anyone to make such comments without first abiding by the laws which govern our roads to be hypocrits.. We all want the roads to be safer and the standards of those who use it to increase, I would have hoped that most cyclists would like to set an example.

 

[TheDoctor]

Oh FFS. Not this red herring again.
Some people run red lights. They might be on bikes, they might be in cars.
Can we stop banging on about it? It's getting kinda dull now...

 

[CycleDrew]

Nothing worse than being the person waiting at the lights and having someone roll right by, only to be overtaken shortly afterwards. Once is bad enough but when it happens at every set of lights on the embankment it drives you potters.

 

[Dan B]

Nothing worse than being the person waiting at the lights and having someone roll right by, only to be overtaken shortly afterwards.

Either you don't mean that literally, or you have a lack of imagination unparalleled in the modern age.

sent from my outboard brain