Cyclists apopletic about law being applied to them

[jpaul]

yes - zero tolerance for linking Express articles -
a more balanced view
https://road.cc/content/news/questions-asked-after-latest-red-light-jumping-crackdown-290177
https://road.cc/content/news/police-catch-18-red-light-jumping-cyclists-90-minutes-289991

was surprised fines are that low £50 , ... maybe I missed mention of driving license points penalty being applied too.

 

[Brazo]

Have we had the "they don't pay road tax" followed by the "its called vehicle excise duty" phase of the argument yet

A rose by any other name regardless of what the trend to call road tax is it’s still road tax

I’m a cyclist and a road tax payer and cyclists who run red lights annoy me as do motorcyclists who flip lanes constantly without looking and think they are ‘filtering’.

Bad behaviour is bad behaviour and I suspect cyclists wouldn’t do it if they had a reg plate.

 

[UTmaniac]

Bad behaviour is bad behaviour and I suspect cyclists wouldn’t do it if they had a reg plate.

Yeah, that works really effectively with motor vehicles, doesn't it?

 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

If you’re really serious about laying money out on a bet that more cars went through one particular set of traffic lights in 90 minutes than cyclists did, then you sound like the kind of person who would be interested in buying the bridge across the Thames in London that I have for sale.

Someone appears to have stolen the contents of your doughnut, here, have some on me...

 

[McGray]

These threads are tiresome.

Not sure why the media in this country are determined to turn road users against each other. Idiots fall for it every time though.

 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

These threads are tiresome.

Not sure why the media in this country are determined to turn road users against each other. Idiots fall for it every time though.

Because it generates clicks and an influx of spittle flecked morons in the comments sections ranting on, it's good for the advertising.
This place is no different, you see the same morons time and again when cyclists, dogs etc are mentioned.

 

[GreatAuk]

These threads are tiresome.

Not sure why the media in this country are determined to turn road users against each other. Idiots fall for it every time though.

I don't know, it sounds like it's brought people together to me! Most people have come together to criticise the red light jumpers, whatever form their personal road use takes.

 

[XeNoN89]

In London it seems almost 50/50 if a cyclist will bother to stop at reds or not. Should all get fined.

 

[413x]

As someone who cycles and drives I say this is a good thing.
I don't run red lights. Sure its tempting but another car is less likely to see a cyclist than a car so it's particularly dangerous in many junctions.

I'd like to see a crackdown on no lighting too. As a driver around here there are lots of cyclists with black bikes, black clothes and no lights and it's horrible driving around when this happens most journeys to the shop.

But please.. Won't someone think of the scooters!

 

[thenewoc]

Deploy the stingers, puncture their tyres, impound the bikes.

 

[Duke]

a more balanced view

https://road.cc

 

[Nutty_Death]

Is anyone actually questioning whether they are breaking the rules by jumping lights and that any road user doing so such be fined / cautioned?

The issue is whether it's appropriate for the police to target a specific subset of road users and to then actively publicise the results of that subset which then generates more divides between road users.

 

[diamount]

The holier than thou attitude of motorists gets nauseating at times. Who's in the 2 ton death machine? It's not me.

 

[ianh]

The issue is whether it's appropriate for the police to target a specific subset of road users and to then actively publicise the results of that subset which then generates more divides between road users.

The issue is that so many cyclists break the law by cycling through red lights and think it's fine to do so and now the Police are advertising the fact that it isn't to remind cyclists that it's breaking the law.

We have multiple "motor vehicle" campaigns which do the same thing (drink driving & speeding being the biggest) and no-one complains about those so I wonder why a campaign to remind cyclists about the law/safety is so controversial.

 

[GreatAuk]

Is anyone actually questioning whether they are breaking the rules by jumping lights and that any road user doing so such be fined / cautioned?

The issue is whether it's appropriate for the police to target a specific subset of road users and to then actively publicise the results of that subset which then generates more divides between road users.

My perception was that it was more about the police wanting to look like they were doing something, and remind cyclists of the law. It's a very obvious issue on the roads, so they're trying to reassure people they're doing something about it (even though that little operation is just a token really) and potentially make cyclists that do it think twice next time.

I don't think activities like that really cause divides - if anything they help reaffirm that cyclists do actually have to follow the rules too, and they might occasionally face some consequences for not doing so.

What really causes resentment is when it seems like a certain group makes a habit of breaking the rules and faces no consequences for it. I'm not saying all cyclists do it (I'm a cyclist myself and I don't) or that all motorists are perfect (they aren't), but you have to admit that cyclists ignoring red lights is a very visible and common bit of rule breaking.

 

[Uther]

The issue is that so many cyclists break the law by cycling through red lights and think it's fine to do so and now the Police are advertising the fact that it isn't to remind cyclists that it's breaking the law.

We have multiple "motor vehicle" campaigns which do the same thing (drink driving & speeding being the biggest) and no-one complains about those so I wonder why a campaign to remind cyclists about the law/safety is so controversial.

Exactly this.

 

[thenewoc]

The holier than thou attitude of motorists gets nauseating at times. Who's in the 2 ton death machine? It's not me.

It doesn't mean the red light doesn't equally apply to you though!

 

[thenewoc]

The real trouble with this is that unless they also bring in a law requiring cyclists to dismount before joining the pavement they will just swap road for pavement at lights.

 

[GreatAuk]

The real trouble with this is that unless they also bring in a law requiring cyclists to dismount before joining the pavement they will just swap road for pavement at lights.

I used to do this years and years ago and think I was being very clever . However riding on the pavement is illegal too, so not really a loophole if the aim of going round the traffic lights is to avoid breaking the rules.

 

[panthro]

City of London Police are hot on red light jumpers, especially cyclists. I watch out my window in Cannon Street at how many people get caught by the police and some get into huge hand waving arguments.