RLJ - London commuters especially

dondare

Toontra is exactly right. This is not my opinion, there has been actual research done on RLJing by motorists and it generally takes place within 3 seconds of the lights changing.

An average motorist, (or rather a behavioural average of all motorists,) will go through red lights 6% of the time. (In London, 10%.)
An average cyclist will go through reds 50% of the time.

Jon G

An idiot on a Brompton ran into me from the rear yesterday because I had stopped at a red light and he had been assuming I would'nt.

Jon

iainment

Jon G wrote:

An idiot on a Brompton ran into me from the rear yesterday because I had stopped at a red light and he had been assuming I would'nt.

Jon

Did you give him a telling?

prj45

Jon G wrote:

An idiot on a Brompton ran into me from the rear yesterday because I had stopped at a red light and he had been assuming I would'nt.

Jon

Happend to me on Oxford Street once, I stopped for the light, guy went all over the back of me and flew sideways onto a cab.

He actually did ask: -

"What did you stop for?".

I left him to have a nice chat to the cab driver who looked quite angry.

Twat.

Monty888

I'd never RLJ during the day, but at night, riding home from work after midnight on a Thursday or Friday, after the pubs have chucked all the drunks out onto the street, I'm damned if I'm going to stop to get my head kicked in. In those circumstances, if you're moving, you're safe. Being stationary and clipped to a chunk of metal makes you an easy target.

BentMikey

dondare wrote:

Toontra is exactly right. This is not my opinion, there has been actual research done on RLJing by motorists and it generally takes place within 3 seconds of the lights changing.

An average motorist, (or rather a behavioural average of all motorists,) will go through red lights 6% of the time. (In London, 10%.)
An average cyclist will go through reds 50% of the time.

If I'm not mistaken, that RAC study you're referring to found that 1 in 5 bus drivers and 1 in 10 cars went through a red light in London. That was AFTER 3 seconds after the lights had changed, because they didn't think it was worth measuring before that. To measure at this point seems to be rather allowing some slippage in standards compared with the law on red and amber lights.

dondare

There was a report in the New Scientist a few years back. I no longer have it, the figures are from memory.
In Third World countries motorists go through red 60% of the time; they behave like cyclists, in fact.

Clever Pun

dondare wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

dondare wrote:

Only green means go; and only when it's safe to do so.

that's not exactly true but an admirable sentiment nonetheless

Which part isn't true?

I'm pretty sure you can go through amber lights legally given certain circumstances i.e no peds or you're unable to stop safely in time...

toontra... given the very low % of car rlj'ers you have to say it's unpredictable behavior.. well that's how I read it anyways[/nitpicking]

whome

It still true that only Green mean go. Amber means stop if you can do so safely.
However most people now see Amber and think - I reckon I can get though before it turns Red. Which isn't quite right.

"AMBER means ‘Stop’ at the stop line. You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident"

dondare

Now, what we all need to remember is that when the red light shows amber, that's still red + amber but not green so don't go yet.
Flashing amber is something quite different.

whome

RED means ‘Stop’. Wait behind the stop line on the carriageway

RED AND AMBER also means ‘Stop’. Do not pass through or start until GREEN shows

GREEN means you may go on if the way is clear. Take special care if you intend to turn left or right and give way to pedestrians who are crossing

AMBER means ‘Stop’ at the stop line. You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident

phil s

This thread, like all the others that preceded it, is so dull

BentMikey

phil s wrote:

This thread, like all the others that preceded it, is so dull

That makes me think you're a red light jumper. :P

whome

is that different to a red light cardigan?

phil s

BentMikey wrote:

phil s wrote:

This thread, like all the others that preceded it, is so dull

That makes me think you're a red light jumper. :P

No, I cannot abide RLJing.

Jon G

Jon G wrote:

An idiot on a Brompton ran into me from the rear yesterday because I had stopped at a red light and he had been assuming I would'nt.

Jon

And now another one - a nondescript hybrid in Kensington High St. this time.

Jon

secretsam

Jon G wrote:

An idiot on a Brompton ran into me from the rear yesterday because I had stopped at a red light and he had been assuming I would'nt.

Jon

Is there any other sort of Brompton rider?

iainment

Jon G wrote:

Jon G wrote:

An idiot on a Brompton ran into me from the rear yesterday because I had stopped at a red light and he had been assuming I would'nt.

Jon

And now another one - a nondescript hybrid in Kensington High St. this time.

Jon

perhaps it's your riding to blame.

:roll: