Respect Is Like Sex…
… If you have to ask for it, you’re probably not going to get it!
Actually jumping red lights (and I don’t mean just crossing the line when your light is still red for a fraction of a second, and you can see that the lights the other way are red and the traffic has stopped) - is it ever justifiable?
And if you think it is, for "safety’s sake", please explain the exact context and the risk you think you’re avoiding!
The junction where he nearly had a collison with a car, a complete no no of course… However, if the lights had have been red at the that cross roads, and the green man had been on for pedestrians, I would have no issue in proceeding on my bike at a sensible pace, while of course giving pedestrians the prioirity.
Also, the pedestrian crossing where there were no pedestrians crossing, I would do myself. I don’t believe bikes should follow the sames rules as cars, since clearly, bikes are not cars.
“I don’t believe bikes should follow the sames rules as cars, since clearly, bikes are not cars.”
..and motorists are a, by far, bigger lobbying, and better represented, group than cyclists and will have their way. If that leads to segregation I’ll say thank you to the red light jumpers, but in the meantime I do not see that they help advance the cause of cyclists.
The obvious step is for motorists to ignore red lights if their commonsense tells them it is ok. After all, it is less dangerous act in the steel safety cocoon of the car, and cycles are clearly not as safe as cars.
The prosecution for a motorist for doing such a thing is serious. As a cyclist, I will continue to bend the rules when I deem safe to do so, unless serious prosecution for such rule bending is brought in.
This is a good point, but I’m not sure about the logic. If I drive while on the phone (3 points - a mere slap on the wrist), I’m as incapable and inattentive as if I’d been drinking (almost certain to get a driving ban).
Does that mean you’d happily drive while on the phone? Actually, knowing you as I do, I’m fairly certain that you don’t! But it may be why so many other drivers consider it to be no big thing - a mere bending of the rules. Hmmmm…
It is not “bending the rules” those are weasel words, it is breaking the law.
If the law is wrong campaign to change it but I doubt you will find many to go along with you.
On my way to & from work every day, the cyclists who DON’T cross the pedestrian crossings on green man are in the minority. So I think you may be wrong on that one dexey…
And Mr OnSea…. Driving whilst on the phone is dangerous. Cycling cautiously through a green man (giving priority to pedestrians) is not.
It’s just that it’s the law, it’s that it loses us respect and weakens our argument for equal place on the road - it gives ammunition to Mr IPayMyRoadTax. But it’s not just that… Safe? This time, maybe, but will you always get it right? If the law said we were allowed discetion, people would expect it, but when we go through on red, it’s not what other road users should be obliged to anticipate. And when other people can’t anticipate you, that’s when people get killed.
There was a young guy, in the last year, who jumped a red light on his bike and met Mrs Motorist who was driving while using her mobile. Two wrongs meant his death and she was jailed. Lots of people drive and use the phone and few of them are involved in accidents.
I don’t do solidarity with cyclists because too many of them do nothing to encourage the respect of other road users. There is almost a touch of anarchy about some cyclists actions and that has never worked. Those cyclists who don’t cross at the wrong time maybe a minority but they are in the right. I can’t see me ever complaining about a red light jumper getting killed I just hope they don’t go under my motor.
Hi Jon Stopford - I don’t actually care if a motorist doesn’t respect me for going through a green man. I respect myself for making what I feel is a sane decision in an insane system.
dexey - If a motorist hits a bike going through a green man, then I suppose the motorist would also hit a pedestrian whilst going through the same green man. Are you going to tell the pedestrian not to cross on a green man also ?