Cyclists and road laws. Red lights, etc. (merged)

[skilpad]

Nope,when the light is green and safe to do so, one shall proceed.

[petatodd]

A Red Traffic light is of course just like a Stop sign. At a red light you "Shall Stop" but once having stopped and if the road is clear you may proceed.

Stop> some mistake surely? Doesn't it mean slow down a little? Then go.

[Ryanpmb]

Have the 'Red Light' threads replaced the 'Which 29r should I buy' threads?...

 

Pretty soon 29rs will be jumping red lights - then what!!!

[Ryanpmb]

A Red Traffic light is of course just like a Stop sign. At a red light you "Shall Stop" but once having stopped and if the road is clear you may proceed.

Pretty sure if that was the case, then a Stop sign would be erected instead of a traffic light?...

[skilpad]

Use Traffic lights as a training tool,burst of energy when leaving them and putting your foot (cleated shoe)back into the pedal. Remember when in training you are not racing and by stopping at a traffic light will have not tarnish your PB at he finish.

[The Guy in Pink]

Pretty sure if that was the case, then a Stop sign would be erected instead of a traffic light?...

I stop sign is a red light on continiously. Traffic lights control one lane a at a time.

The act for each reads " Shall Stop" After stopping you may proceed.

[Schwynn]

And you want to tell me some of these people are driving cars!!! Not knowing the basic rules of the road.....

[Bianchi]

I'm relatively new to cycling, so please excuse my ignorance.

 

I see numerous posts where people rant against cyclists jumping red lights, but I'd like to know whether this is actually illegal and what the penalty is for a transgression?

 

I've scanned through the National Road Traffic Act of 1996, and from my cursory reading it would seem that bicycles are not considered to be vehicles, and that the laws applicable to vehicles thus cannot apply to bicycles. (A "motor vehicle" is specifically defined as being inclusive of "a vehicle having pedals and an engine", meaning a vehicle having only pedals would fall outside the definition of a vehicle. And no smart comments about your legs being the engine, please )

 

Is there another Act specifically dealing with bicycles? If so, could someone please point me towards said Act? Perhaps I'm just missing the relevant section in the Act or misreading it.

 

Bicycles are subject to the same rules of the road, with obvious exceptions such as which you'd find when you compare the physical attributes of a car to a bicycle.

[Kanga]

Oi gewalt

[nolipoli]

 

I stop sign is a red light on continiously. Traffic lights control one lane a at a time.

The act for each reads " Shall Stop" After stopping you may proceed.

 

Please tell me you are just playing around! If not, tell me where you drive so I can avoid.

[Ryanpmb]

 

 

Please tell me you are just playing around! If not, tell me where you drive so I can avoid.

What he said.

[Starvin' Marvin]

Rule no 1: its Illegal

Rulle no 2: it illegal

 

Rule no 1 It ls illegal

 

Effect no 1 it is stupid not to stop

Effect no 2 It is deadly no to stop

Effect no 3 Did i mention it's stupid not to stop?

Edited January 11, 2013 by Starvin' Marvin

[Marq001]

hear hear

 

Didn't jump one red light this morning in 150 minutes on the road, a fair chunk of it in the rain (clearly no passion there) and only had 7 cars hoot at me, 6 in a friendly "hey I'm here behind you" short beep friendly sort of way, all got a little hand wave acknowledging, and one plonker in his bakkie who gave it a good 5 second blast followed by a hand with the bird out of his window who got even a bigger friendly wave (I have found that pisses them off even more than replying with the bird). My crime in his eyes? Being on the road. He repeated his hooting at others all the way out of site.

 

But overall, a nice passion filled ride around the peninsula on a coldish and very wet morning. Oh, and before I forget, lot's of hellos or good mornings to and from the other dopers making money from riding their bikes this morning. In the rain. Not having any fun at all.

 

And today I put my lumo green helmet on just for fun.

 

I think we should do a seriously lumo group ride one of these days! so bright that a motorist will see us from a mile away.... Just for fun!

[sluiper]

OK, thanks for all the replies so far, but so far no one has been able to point me to the actual legislation making it illegal for a bicycle to jump a red light.

 

Saying something's illegal unfortunately doesn't make it so.

 

I'm not denying it's stupid and dangerous, I'd just like to know where the law is that makes it illegal.

 

The Act is available here if anyone's interested: http://www.info.gov.za/view/DownloadFileAction?id=70930

[ChUkKy]

OK, thanks for all the replies so far, but so far no one has been able to point me to the actual legislation making it illegal for a bicycle to jump a red light.

 

 

WTF?? dude are you serious, does common sense not apply??

 

Im not bothered if you jump a red light while its green for me, the only thing that will bother me slightly is pulling your tangled body out of my roofracks.

 

Clearly common sense isnt all that common, dunno why its called that.

 

Happy cycling kamikaze cyclist

[Falco]

I'm relatively new to cycling, so please excuse my ignorance.

 

Your post should have stopped there.

 

It is a struggle to stay alive on a bike while obeying the rules of the road, now you want to look for loopholes that will make you feel better about breaking the law?

 

Unbelievable.