Why do cyclists run red lights?

[green1]

My theory is that the number of crap drivers will continue to rise

Yes it will until they realise you can't police roads with speed cameras and you need more traffic police.

 

[benb]

Yes it will until they realise you can't only police roads with speed cameras and you need more traffic police.

FTFY.

 

[Richard Mann]

Front page of the Brighton Argus yesterday was complaining about RLJing.

At a junction with no approach cycle lanes, and no ASL (1 lane becoming 2 on the approach to the lights), and an all-green pedestrian phase. So what happens? You filter through the queue, get to the lights just as they go red, then sit alongside a car while a few pedestrians cross. It would try the patience of a saint.

 

[green1]

Front page of the Brighton Argus yesterday was complaining about RLJing.

At a junction with no approach cycle lanes, and no ASL (1 lane becoming 2 on the approach to the lights), and an all-green pedestrian phase. So what happens? You filter through the queue, get to the lights just as they go red, then sit alongside a car while a few pedestrians cross. It would try the patience of a saint.

So if you were driving would you just plough on through as well? Your on a vehicle on the road, you should obey the lights. It really isn't rocket science.

 

[User6179]

I think the law should be changed so that I can help myself to bottles of single malt at Waitrose without the tedium of having to pay for them. Judging by the shoplifting problem they have there I guess a lot of other folk agree share my desire.

But until the law is changed I guess I'll have to carry on paying for my scotch like a civilised law-abiding citizen.

Ive yet to meet a scotch drinker that is civilised!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Ive yet to meet a scotch drinker that is civilised!

I'm fairly civilised, I think, before I drink the scotch.

 

[Renard]

I ran a red light today or at least an ambery pink one. I was driving a car. Now I'm not sure if I did it because of some cyclist part of my genetic makeup?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Nah Amber Gamblers should join Amber Gamblers Anonymous, a long established organisation.

 

[hoski]

Front page of the Brighton Argus yesterday was complaining about RLJing.

At a junction with no approach cycle lanes, and no ASL (1 lane becoming 2 on the approach to the lights), and an all-green pedestrian phase. So what happens? You filter through the queue, get to the lights just as they go red, then sit alongside a car while a few pedestrians cross. It would try the patience of a saint.

I'm guessing you're being sarcastic, right?

 

[Richard Mann]

I'm guessing you're being sarcastic, right?

An approach cycle lane and ASL (you know, like we have at virtually every junction in Oxford) would certainly put any non-saints in a better frame of mind. It's just a piece of poor infrastructure, and the misbehaviour of a few cyclists is just lazy who-can-we-have-a-go-at-this-time journalism.

There are problems: solve them. If you don't have a solution then try tolerance.

 

[Bromptonaut]

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.

I'm sorry but that figure is nonsense, perhaps derived from actual offences detected by cameras

I can stand at the Holborn end of Chancery Lane and see 10 motor vehicles rlj in as many minutes. Buses and taxis amongst worst offenders.

 

[Pale Rider]

Cyclists run red lights for the same reason a dog licks its wotsits.

Because it - and we - can.

 

[newfhouse]

Cyclists run red lights for the same reason a dog licks its wotsits.

Because it - and we - can.

I can't. I'm not as flexible as I used to be.

 

[Dan B]

OK, let's look at it the other way around then. Why do so many cyclists stop at red?

Speaking from personal experience only, because traffic is often coming the other way, and it's at a minimum Quite Rude to make them take evasive action when they have priority. And/or pedestrians, although I'm not sure that there's any applicable legal concept of 'priority' for peds, but scaring the sh#t out of then is still not very polite

 

[Dan B]

I can stand at the Holborn end of Chancery Lane and see 10 motor vehicles rlj in as many minutes. Buses and taxis amongst worst offenders.

If you count vehicles going through on amber (which I believe but would not swear is the same offence in law) I reckon you would see 10 motor vehicles rlj in *each* of those minutes