20mph residential speed limit (replacing 30mph)

[Nasher]

Maybe people only see what they want to see...

"...as many as one in four (24 per cent) of motorists admit to having driven through a red light in the past 12 months — equivalent to 9.3 million motorists.."

"...traffic cameras are catching around 184 drivers every day...."

"...However, these figures are just the tip of the iceberg, as they only reflect those offences documented by 33 Police forces, plus only the minority of red lights have a camera. ..."

I've maybe once in 20 years of driving seen someone blast through a red light between traffic on a junction. I see multiple cyclists do it every time I go out. I'd say it's at least 90% of them.

The problem is cyclists think of themselves more as pedestrians and think rules don't apply.

Cycling out across zebra crossings is another illegal thing they do which is rarely picked up.

 

[Rroff]

Have to say I, fortunately, rarely see cars going through reds, a few drivers will push through a couple of seconds after they've gone red. Off the top of my head I can only remember 3 instance in the last 5 years, of many 10s of thousands of miles of driving, of blatant red light jumping by cars, but probably around 100 instances of cyclists doing it.

EDIT: Make that 4 instance - forgot there was a guy last week who came through the lights behind me, with a good few seconds gap, and I only just got through before the red.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

I very rarely see cars going through red lights. Especially ones which have been red for a while and there is oncoming traffic on the junction. Most cyclists do it, even on cross-roads which is pretty risky.

You what?
Every time I'm out in my car motorists will always be going through red lights.
Last year I was standing outside the chemists waiting for the wife with a bloke by me.
I started to count the cars going through on red while talking to this bloke about it and easily got to 20.
About 5 minutes later a cyclist came down, stopped, looked very carefully so he won't get hurt and went through and this bloke went ballistic
I said "What about all the cars we've just seen?" and his reply was he wasn't bothered by them.

The difference is motorists look left and right and can see traffic lights still on red so take a chance on their own red where cyclists will slowly venture through when they've been on red a while.

 

[Nasher]

And then get hit by a lorry and cry about road safety.

 

[Demon]

Have to say I, fortunately, rarely see cars going through reds, a few drivers will push through a couple of seconds after they've gone red. Off the top of my head I can only remember 3 instance in the last 5 years, of many 10s of thousands of miles of driving, of blatant red light jumping by cars, but probably around 100 instances of cyclists doing it.

EDIT: Make that 4 instance - forgot there was a guy last week who came through the lights behind me, with a good few seconds gap, and I only just got through before the red.

Yep, the key distinction is I see cars occasionally going through on red within a second or so of it changing (especially roadworks) but I can't remember the last time I saw a car myself go through a red when it was mid sequence.. Where as I've seen scores of cyclists just ignore the red lights and proceed 'with caution' or sometimes not with caution..

IME it seems a large swathe of cyclists are atrociously impatient and belligerent, its fairly shocking how bad other cyclists are when I commute to work on the newly opened cycleway sections and worse, if I walk to work instead, the number of cyclists buzzing me at speed on shared sections and worse, in marked pedestrian lanes is not great..

 

[SexyGreyFox]

And then get hit by a lorry and cry about road safety.

but they normally look left and right and then move when 'they think' it's safe.
Just remember a cyclist going through red is putting their life in danger if they don't look properly.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

ep, the key distinction is I see cars occasionally going through on red within a second or so of it changing (especially roadworks) but I can't remember the last time I saw a car myself go through a red when it was mid sequence

I did make that distinction two posts above yours but the cyclists I've seen going mid flow stop and carefully look or else they could kill themselves.

 

[koolpc]

Cyclists are a law unto themselves.

 

[Nasher]

but they normally look left and right and then move when 'they think' it's safe.
Just remember a cyclist going through red is putting their life in danger if they don't look properly.

Years ago there was a cyclist hit and almost killed at a junction right outside the office. Police said he went straight through, wearing headphones, didn't look. The car that hit him was being driven by his wife.

 

[OspreyO]

I've maybe once in 20 years of driving seen someone blast through a red light between traffic on a junction. I see multiple cyclists do it every time I go out. I'd say it's at least 90% of them.

The problem is cyclists think of themselves more as pedestrians and think rules don't apply.

Cycling out across zebra crossings is another illegal thing they do which is rarely picked up.

...there are none so blind as those who will not see...

They didn't invent traffic light cameras for no reason.

amber gambler twins 1977

amber gambler twins 1977, public safty advert from 1977

youtu.be

 

[Nasher]

...there are none so blind as those who will not see...

They didn't invent traffic light cameras for no reason.

amber gambler twins 1977

amber gambler twins 1977, public safty advert from 1977

youtu.be

Traffic light cameras get people inching over the line, or going through a second too late. Which happens. I just don't see cars going through when traffic from an opposing direction is already on the junction, which is when it's really dangerous. Cyclists do this constantly.

 

[OspreyO]

Years ago there was a cyclist hit and almost killed at a junction right outside the office. Police said he went straight through, wearing headphones, didn't look. The car that hit him was being driven by his wife.

Did the wife not look either. Green light doesn't mean you don't look.

"...From 2012-20, one of the 32 pedestrians who were killed by someone who jumped a red light was hit by a cycle (in 2020).

Seventeen out the 385 serious pedestrian casualties hit by someone jumping a red light were hit by a cycle rider (4%). The rest were hit by other vehicles...."

 

[OspreyO]

I've maybe once in 20 years of driving seen someone blast through a red light between traffic on a junction. I see multiple cyclists do it every time I go out. I'd say it's at least 90% of them.

The problem is cyclists think of themselves more as pedestrians and think rules don't apply.

Cycling out across zebra crossings is another illegal thing they do which is rarely picked up.

I'd worry about your observational skills tbh...

Idiot Drivers UK - Drivers Caught Going Through Red Lights

Red light offences caught on camera. The penalty for this offence ranges from 3 penalty points plus £100 to £1000 fine. More serious offenders may go to cour...

youtu.be

 

[OspreyO]

Maybe stop crying about cyclists when there's any attempt to improve road safety.

 

[JonRGV250]

£50 fine is outrageous.
A full public flogging and then putting on some sort of offender register for crimes to Lycra would be more appropriate..

https://twitter.com/x/status/1747919345869570344

 

[Nasher]

Police forced to defend their actions... Why?

Because the fine is so low?

 

[Demon]

I did make that distinction two posts above yours but the cyclists I've seen going mid flow stop and carefully look or else they could kill themselves.

Thanks for pointing that out, I did skim read a bit but missed it.

I don't subscribe to the 'as long as I think its safe I can ignore a red light' mentality.. that's great until you make a mistake.. or else why don't we all do it? how many times I'm at a red light in the car and can see it's perfectly safe to proceed if I wanted and yet I'd get 6 points and a fine.

Maybe stop crying about cyclists when there's any attempt to improve road safety.

A lot of schemes purport to be all about safety and yet seem to make things less safe..

Do you want to guess how many cyclists are ignoring the red lights on their dedicated crossings on our lovely new cycleway? probably 90%+..

I've witnessed a lot of near misses watching cyclists dodge between moving cars because they don't want to wait at the crossing for their turn..

I've also witnessed first hand many cyclists buzzing pedestrians on the new shared sections..

Prior to the new cycleway, most cyclists waited at junctions on red because they are too long/busy to proceed easily otherwise, now we have a bit of a free for all going on..

I find that the those who scream 'safety' are usually impatient entitled adults who are incredibly selfish people, we have one in work, used to moan about cars not liking his 'filtering' and then slowing them down as he rides in the middle of the road and have a go at any 'impatient' driver that would overtake, is now on the cycleway ploughing through pedestrians and moans they are in his way and slowing him down.. the irony is pitiful.

 

[Nasher]

Thanks for pointing that out, I did skim read a bit but missed it.

I don't subscribe to the 'as long as I think its safe I can ignore a red light' mentality.. that's great until you make a mistake.. or else why don't we all do it? how many times I'm at a red light in the car and can see it's perfectly safe to proceed if I wanted and yet I'd get 6 points and a fine.


A lot of schemes purport to be all about safety and yet seem to make things less safe..

Yep like that hugely expensive "Dutch style" roundabout they installed in Cambridge. Stats show there have been way more accidents than the old one.

Caused largely by cyclists going round it the wrong way.

 

[Sho]

Ban them all. Enough said.

 

[OspreyO]

Yep like that hugely expensive "Dutch style" roundabout they installed in Cambridge. Stats show there have been way more accidents than the old one.

Caused largely by cyclists going round it the wrong way.

That's because more people are using it....

"...the number of cyclists using the roundabout has increased by almost 50 per cent and pedestrian use is also up by 30 per cent..."

As for "way" more...

...The accidents involved eight cyclists and two pedestrians being struck by a car, according to figures obtained by the BBC.

That's six more than the four minor accidents recorded in the three years before the Cambridge layout was wheeled out....

Try harder with the FUD.