passing through red lights - cool/uncool
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I don't do it.......but.......at the bottom of my street are t/l's on a crossroads. It has a cyclist zone ahead of the white line but has sensors in the road leading up to them. I was once sat there 6 minutes (official Garmin timing) as the lights went green for everyone but me. I waited for a car to come and trigger them, but none came so, as it was pretty quiet I very carefully pulled out and turned right, I was quite nervous doing it as I was turning right onto a main road, but if I hadn't I've no idea how long I may have been sat there.
Surely this instance has more to do with the lights sensors being badly designed because they only pick up motor vehicles.0 -
Red light jumping is something I detest but there's one set on a bus / cycle lane on my commute home where the induction loops seem to have been set without enough sensitivity. The road is very lightly trafficked and adjoining traffic is just a car park entrance and exit with very little movement at the time I ride it. However, the settings on the lights seems to be that my lane only gets a green when triggered and due to the loops settings that requires a bus to turn up so after numerous times sitting there for minutes with no vehicles in sight I've taken to checking it is clear and riding through. It's still wrong and if I get stopped and booked I'll have no complaints but the alternative is waiting ages for a bus or riding on the footway and using a pedestrian crossing. What is really annoying is that by converting the pedestrian crossing to a Toucan crossing and making a very wide section of footway into a cycleway not only would the problem be resolved but it would also provide a traffic free 200m long route avoiding two signal junctions and knocking about 100m off the route. If they had some forethought when making the changes a few years back the cost would have been negligible. Other than this one instance though I never go through a red even if there's no traffic. I saw one bloke recently sail through a red light without hesitation at an extremely busy junction in the middle of Cardiff and he seemed oblivious to the car that jammed their brakes on to avoid him (he did seem to be stoned though!). Another rider this morning seemed to think it's OK to go through on red providing you are scooting your bike rather than pedalling.0
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Rolf F wrote:I don't think it is illegal for pedestrians to cross on reds (though maybe someone can confirm or otherwise)
You're correct, it isn't. They are there to assist pedestrians in crossing when they would otherwise struggle to make it safely across. It's another reason to not jump red lights when 'just turning left' there may well be pedestrians with a green signal who understandably are expecting to be able to walk across without fear. Every time I ride to work I see inconsiderate cyclists jump red lights and then weave through pedestrians crossing on a green man. In some instances I've even seen cyclists abuse the pedestrians as though it were their fault.0 -
W12 lad wrote:I'm an intelligent... ish human being. I'm also, what some people would describe as a red light jumper but I don't like being compared to the idiots who seem to do it without thinking of others.
These are the thought process' that I go through automatically within split seconds when approaching lights.
If they are pedestrian lights with no pedestrians it's a no brainer to go through.
Pedestrian lights with pedestrians, always stop. Then if pedestrian has crossed and no more are coming, I go through whether red or green.
Traffic lights are somewhat different...
Assuming a red light for me.
Any pedestrians, always stop.
Otherwise, just watch and be aware of what the traffic is doing and the light sequence. Unless I'm 100% certain that it's safe to go and I won't hinder or cause distress to another road user (including potential red light jumpers!), I will stop. Otherwise, I will go through.
If this exact behaviour upsets someone, I think that's sad. It's similar to drivers being upset when I'm filtering through traffic on my motorcycle.
Great post. If you aren't going to affect anybody else by doing it then its definitely cool.0 -
BigMat wrote:W12 lad wrote:I'm an intelligent... ish human being. I'm also, what some people would describe as a red light jumper but I don't like being compared to the idiots who seem to do it without thinking of others.
These are the thought process' that I go through automatically within split seconds when approaching lights.
If they are pedestrian lights with no pedestrians it's a no brainer to go through.
Pedestrian lights with pedestrians, always stop. Then if pedestrian has crossed and no more are coming, I go through whether red or green.
Traffic lights are somewhat different...
Assuming a red light for me.
Any pedestrians, always stop.
Otherwise, just watch and be aware of what the traffic is doing and the light sequence. Unless I'm 100% certain that it's safe to go and I won't hinder or cause distress to another road user (including potential red light jumpers!), I will stop. Otherwise, I will go through.
If this exact behaviour upsets someone, I think that's sad. It's similar to drivers being upset when I'm filtering through traffic on my motorcycle.
Great post. If you aren't going to affect anybody else by doing it then its definitely cool.
its the same as when you're speediing in a car, or pulling out without looking, or even jumping a red light in a car. its definitely cool...
yes.0 -
CookeeeMonster wrote:BigMat wrote:W12 lad wrote:I'm an intelligent... ish human being. I'm also, what some people would describe as a red light jumper but I don't like being compared to the idiots who seem to do it without thinking of others.
These are the thought process' that I go through automatically within split seconds when approaching lights.
If they are pedestrian lights with no pedestrians it's a no brainer to go through.
Pedestrian lights with pedestrians, always stop. Then if pedestrian has crossed and no more are coming, I go through whether red or green.
Traffic lights are somewhat different...
Assuming a red light for me.
Any pedestrians, always stop.
Otherwise, just watch and be aware of what the traffic is doing and the light sequence. Unless I'm 100% certain that it's safe to go and I won't hinder or cause distress to another road user (including potential red light jumpers!), I will stop. Otherwise, I will go through.
If this exact behaviour upsets someone, I think that's sad. It's similar to drivers being upset when I'm filtering through traffic on my motorcycle.
Great post. If you aren't going to affect anybody else by doing it then its definitely cool.
its the same as when you're speediing in a car, or pulling out without looking, or even jumping a red light in a car. its definitely cool...
yes.
If you could do all that without affecting anybody else or getting stopped by the police, I wouldn't personally have a problem with it. Why would I?0 -
Because you never know when something unexpected is going to happen and you do end up affecting someone else without meaning to?0
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Pross wrote:Because you never know when something unexpected is going to happen and you do end up affecting someone else without meaning to?
+10000 -
CookeeeMonster wrote:Pross wrote:Because you never know when something unexpected is going to happen and you do end up affecting someone else without meaning to?
+1000
You do though, don't you? Otherwise how do you cope at t-junctions? Roundabouts? Stop and give ways? The only difference the red light makes is that it would be categorically your fault if something went wrong, but to say that you "never" know when something unexpected is going to happen is a bit much. I agree, err on the side of caution, but some of these stories about people waiting around for 10 minutes at temproary lights on an empty road at 4 in the morning just make them sound like imbeciles.0 -
We bow to your mighty wisdom oh great one ...0
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I agree.BigMat wrote:CookeeeMonster wrote:Pross wrote:Because you never know when something unexpected is going to happen and you do end up affecting someone else without meaning to?
+1000
You do though, don't you? Otherwise how do you cope at t-junctions? Roundabouts? Stop and give ways? The only difference the red light makes is that it would be categorically your fault if something went wrong, but to say that you "never" know when something unexpected is going to happen is a bit much. I agree, err on the side of caution, but some of these stories about people waiting around for 10 minutes at temproary lights on an empty road at 4 in the morning just make them sound like imbeciles.
So many people on here sound like models for Victor Hugo's Inspector Javert0 -
The analogy of waiting 10 minutes at 4am for temporary traffic lights to change is absurd ... I don't think anyone has said that. I did take a chance on some deserted rural lights a few months ago. They weren't, I nearly got wiped out and the result was I was punched off my bike by an irate motorist. It kind of colours my judgement...
I drive defensively, walk defensively, cycle defensively. I can think of numerous occasions where doing things properly, obeying the rules of the road and using basic common sense has kept me alive, I've got to age 62 and intend to have a few more before I go. Red lights are there for a reason, I choose to obey them and no amount of mealy mouthed moral relativism will convince me otherwise. As i said in a post above, if you dont want to do that, go to your local cop shop and get your exemption certificate. My last word on this issue0 -
With you on this. It annoys me whenever I see a cyclist doing otherwise.Mikey23 wrote:The analogy of waiting 10 minutes at 4am for temporary traffic lights to change is absurd ... I don't think anyone has said that. I did take a chance on some deserted rural lights a few months ago. They weren't, I nearly got wiped out and the result was I was punched off my bike by an irate motorist. It kind of colours my judgement...
I drive defensively, walk defensively, cycle defensively. I can think of numerous occasions where doing things properly, obeying the rules of the road and using basic common sense has kept me alive, I've got to age 62 and intend to have a few more before I go. Red lights are there for a reason, I choose to obey them and no amount of mealy mouthed moral relativism will convince me otherwise. As i said in a post above, if you dont want to do that, go to your local cop shop and get your exemption certificate. My last word on this issue0 -
I mostly obey them.
The exception is where I have put myself in danger by obeying them. For example I have to do a right turn across 2 lanes of dual carriageway - I go through the red which is set way back (sort of) and position myself at the edge of the dual carriageway. If I don't do this - very often I don't clear both sets of dual carriageway - before the lights in the opposing traffic are green - ie the traffic I am trying to cross has started again. (its by Belbroughton if anyone knows it)
The other is closer to home, right on an incline - Again the lights change very quickly - I either do a hill start in traffic or jump onto a slip road. I do mostly stop at this one - but if I am right on top of it I slip through.
I am happy to stop at both - but the design (especially the first one) leads me to believe I am safer going through it.0 -
Unless you're wedged down the side of a massive lorry and are at risk of being squashed or something, very uncool. Why bother?? If there's no danger to you then you should just follow the rules like everyone else on the road.0
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So wrong !!0
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Mikey23 - Sooo old! What do the say about old, bold pilots, cyclists etc. Agree with everything you say.0
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Ta! I think it might be an age thing. Us oldies were brought up in a black and white world whereas younger folks are brought up to think that everything is negotiable ... That really was my last word!0
