Comments on: Cycling through Red Lights.

By: Spencer

Spencer — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:07:23 +0000

I’m a moped user and cyclist on London’s streets and I constantly see cyclists breaking the law by going through red lights. They think they save themselves time, but they don’t realise what they can cause. Today it came to a head. I’m sat here writing this with a broken foot, smashed up knee, damaged scooter, and needing a knew crash helmet after a cyclist decided to go through a red light, I was coming across the junction that was now green, broke hard to avoid him and ended up skidding to the ground with my left leg trapped under my bike. As he is not insured like other road users, what chance do you think i have of claiming from him the £1000 of repairs needed to my scooter, replacement helmet and costs for having to take time off work?

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 11 May 2010 16:58:43 +0000

I have just pieced together my own article on the red light from my perspective on why and when I go through a red light. It is a complex beast to say the least, but until we get a better infrastructure each cyclist will need to have their own set of rules on the roads.

By: Psycho-list

Psycho-list — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:53:29 +0000

Well I have discovered that actually the police are unable to catch you if you are on a road bike (and I have a fixie). They’re bikes are too heavy and the cars can’t chase you down narrow streets.

It first happened in Blackfriars where the police decided that catching proper criminals wasn’t worth the bother and that 4 coppers on a road junction – purely for cyclists – was a good use of resources.

I rode through – admittedly I didn’t see them at first, but when I heard them shout I just thought – screw them.

Since then I have jumped a few red lights where coppers are lying in wait (but only ones where there is no traffic – I’m not suicidal).

The way I see it if they catch me it’s a fair cop, but until then I shall remain a ‘fugitive at large’ and I am quite happy to engage in police chases through London on my bike.

I wouldn’t have this attitude if the police had bothered to investigate the aggravated burgulary which happened in my house 7 years ago – they still haven’t caught the perps.

The ordinary man is becoming criminalised – it’s no coincidence all the ‘police traps’ are there for the moring commuters (who work and have money to pay the fines)

The state has declared WAR on the psycho-list and there WILL ONLY BE ONE VICTOR mwahhahahahahahahahah

By: Interview with Cycle Courier | Cycling UK

Interview with Cycle Courier | Cycling UK — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:17:30 +0000

[...] this means is that in practise, he rides through many red lights. He said if you stopped at all the red lights, you wouldn’t be able to earn anything. When you’re earning 300 Euros a week a 25% cut [...]

By: Women Cyclists May Risk Death by Obeying Red Lights | Cycling UK

Women Cyclists May Risk Death by Obeying Red Lights | Cycling UK — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:27:21 +0000

[...] Cycling through red lights [...]

By: Turning Left Through A Red Light | Cycling UK

Turning Left Through A Red Light | Cycling UK — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:42:12 +0000

[...] Thanks to the thoughtful comments from readers on my recent post – cycling through red lights. [...]

By: david williams

david williams — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 07:05:04 +0000

Look at it this way. Traffic lights were not installed for bikes, they were put their to aid motor vehicle congestion. As a consequence i do sometimes sneak through with this point on my mind!
However I never do this when wearing club colours. I dont want to upset the club.
The best thing to do though is get off and walk through. Technically it is still classed as cycling if you scoot through standing on one pedal. But if you get off and walk you can still save minutes on your journey.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 09:51:35 +0000

It’s worth mentioning that the police spent some time stopping and ticketing cyclists who jumped that very set of lights a couple of weeks ago. You’d have thought that people wouldn’t be sufficiently dim to sail straight through a red with a bunch of policemen standing right there talking to the riders they’d pulled over already, but apparently they are.

By: thePig

thePig — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:58:32 +0000

I am definitely a type 2. I like to generally obey the road rules when on my bike, but if there is absolutely no-one around it doesn’t feel right to just sit there because a light says you should.

Type 3&4 cyclists give all cyclists a bad name.

By: Dan H

Dan H — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:45:23 +0000

You don’t mention in your article those traffic lights that don’t detect cyclists, and will stay on red indefinitely unless a car comes to rescue you. I always treat such lights as faulty, and follow the Highway Code’s instruction to ignore the light and cross the junction slowly and carefully in that case.

Three times in the last week I have stopped for an amber light and been overtaken by cars that were queueing behind me. In all three cases I had plenty of time to pull up gently, and the following car was going no faster than I was. Once I stopped and was shocked to be passed by *two* cars, at close quarters. Being hit from behind while stopping at lights has now surpassed being overtaken while turning right as my most feared way of getting squished.