Jumping lights

[Andreas_187]

I ride a motorbike and a bicycle nearly every day and as such I'm generally at the front of the queue when sitting at the robots. I have noticed the gradual increase in motorists jumping red lights at nearly every intersection I stop at... and not just by a second or two, they're getting really flagrant.

By the same token I rode around the peninsula this weekend and saw road bikes doing the same thing. All through Sea Point and then through Fish Hoek, Kalk Bay etc. I stopped at a light and a guy on a black Spez and his friends on a tandem came flying through... and then they stopped for breakfast 1km later? WTF

It seems we're are own worst enemy, shouting at cars but doing the same.

Relax guys, don't worry about your Strava average speed

[Me rida my bicycle]

I skip the light if say the road T's in from the right and there's a big enough yellow line so I'm not in anybodies way. But I almost never cycle on the road.

What I don't get is if there is a big yellow/cycle lane why do some guy's still cycle in the road?

[Vetplant]

There is a compulsion to also jump a light when your riding partner does it.

 

I just plainly refuse to do it, my riding partner can wait until I catch up.

 

I have commuted to work a bunch of times and I also ride on the road regularly for excercise. In none of the situations at intersections have there been any good enough reason to skip a traffic light.

 

My time is not more important than my life or more important than my community against whom I would be transgressing if I skip the lights.

 

Chill guys.

[DJR]

The ONLY time I ride over a red traffic light is the odd occasion where it is a triggered light. If you stop and wait you will stay forever because a bike will not set it off and then it will not change until a large metal object like a car crosses the sensor. There are a few of them in the Constantia area. Then I treat it like a stop sign. Stop, look, cross. 

[dave303e]

Comment I once heard from an Aussie:

"You can spot a Saffa new to Aus a mile away- always speeding, happy to go through on orange and happy to drive home after a few beers at a braai"

 

I moved to within 5km of work recently, best decision of my life, total outlook changed with a 8min commute, very rarely grumpy about drivers and tense or anything. We don't realize the effect traffic has on our mood in general and how much a waste of time it is. Traffic will always be there but GIS and the science of where can put you, your business and your employees in a far better place in terms on commute.

[mazambaan]

I live in a relatively green (dare I say slightly upmarket) suburb and am constantly surprised, irritated and scared in equal measure at how blatant red light jumpers are. Taxis tend to start before the green actually glows and suburban housewives etc (taxis of course) cruise through long after red is shining bright. The perfect storm.

[Grease_Monkey]

Comment I once heard from an Aussie:

"You can spot a Saffa new to Aus a mile away- always speeding, happy to go through on orange and happy to drive home after a few beers at a braai"

 

I moved to within 5km of work recently, best decision of my life, total outlook changed with a 8min commute, very rarely grumpy about drivers and tense or anything. We don't realize the effect traffic has on our mood in general and how much a waste of time it is. Traffic will always be there but GIS and the science of where can put you, your business and your employees in a far better place in terms on commute.

Lived in Aus for 2 years - my experience there is that people simply do no speed, do not drive aggresively, do not drive in emergency lanes, do not jump lights, and don't even think about driving after a few drinks - it's astonishing how well their roads work. But then I think that has quite a bit to do with how hard it is to get your drivers and how easy it is to lose it (points system).

 

Also used to commute an hour to and from work every day for about a year - then got a job 4km from home. My mood instantly lifted, I drove better and less aggresively. Pretty much exactly your experience. Traffic can really screw with you - and you don't even realise how badly...

 

Here in the Cape (Somerset West) I also see motorists running reds often - especially in the evenings. The road I stay on is an 80 zone - but heaven forbid you travel anything less than 120 in the right lane - you will get death stares, hooters, and driven on top of. It's ridiculous - if traffic officers just sat on that road and trapped and fined they would make a killing! But I guess that's the other problem - in ZA there is no consequence to any action, you don't get fined, and even if you do - you can just ignore it and eventually the problem goes away.

 

As for cyclists, been running red lights for as long as I can remember, and will continue to do so. It's not right, but nothing new, and I doubt it will change any time soon...

[SwissVan]

You either do or you don’t

There is always an if, why and a but

And there are hypocrites

[ChrisF]

The ONLY time I ride over a red traffic light is the odd occasion where it is a triggered light. If you stop and wait you will stay forever because a bike will not set it off and then it will not change until a large metal object like a car crosses the sensor. There are a few of them in the Constantia area. Then I treat it like a stop sign. Stop, look, cross. 

 

I never "ride through" a red light or stop street.  BUT, nor do I pull away when the light turns green ....

 

EACH crossing is dealt with individually.

 

If the light turns green, I will wait to see if others skip the red light from the side ...

 

Then I make eye contact with the drivers next to me, checking if they are going turn "into" me if I go straight across.  I have waited some 10 to 15 seconds until it was safe to cross ...

 

 

IDEALLY - If there are no traffic from the side I like to pull away and cross while the side lights go orange .....

 

This morning I stopped at the red light, wanting to turn left (not crossing), I waited 21 seconds until all the side traffic had cleared, then went over the red light when it was safe to do so.

 

 

I gladly wait until it is safe - even when the light is green for me.  And if the light is red, and have STOPPED, and made sure it is 100% safe I do proceed.  

 

 

 

 

flamesuit on ...

[sawystertrance]

Glad to see this thread. Like the OP, I wear more than one hat - three actually  - MTB rider and motorcyclist and car driver.

 

Every single time I drive or ride my bike, be it Coast Road, Sea Point Promenade, even Chapman's Peak, there are groups of riders either riding two or three abreast, or in a bunch , or riding through red lights. I tried once to talk to them about it and was sworn at.

 

Yes, car drivers are inconsiderate and often unaware of bikes but a lot of cyclists need to re-examine their riding manners and start obeying the rules of the road, at least just to improve car-bike relations.

[Duane_Bosch]

I stop at red lights. Mostly to pick my tongue up off the ground. The look of disappointment on the motorists faces as their moral high ground crumbles is pretty satisfying too.

 

On Sunday a guy in a Movistar kit came hauling past us on Houghton in Camps Bay. Went straight through the stop street at Victoria only to pull up at the bootleggers 30m later.

[bikebloke]

oh dear its yet another cyclist who never sins and feels the need to bash other cyclists who do thread  

 

there are 4x4 forums for this

 

#justrideyourbike

[Shebeen]

This is nothing new, but that doesn't make it right.

 

What does seem to be a recent trend in kaapstad is people driving through a light with no space. The light goes red and they sit in the middle of the intersection, blocking it for everyone.

 

Boils my blood.

I see golden arrow buses doing it regularly too.

[DJR]

This is nothing new, but that doesn't make it right.

 

What does seem to be a recent trend in kaapstad is people driving through a light with no space. The light goes red and they sit in the middle of the intersection, blocking it for everyone.

 

Boils my blood.

I see golden arrow buses doing it regularly too.

You describe Main Road Southern Suburbs every afternoon from 5 to 6 pm. It doesn't get them home earlier, it just gridlocks it for everyone. Stupid habit.

 

Drivers going over red, is something I see every single morning on the way to work. One morning I counted 12 cars doing it at a single intersection in Newlands / Dean Street (3 or 4 is the average). I don't get upset about it anymore, but I promised myself that if ever I witness an accident caused by one of these idiots, I will go to the trouble to give an affidavit to the cops and I will find his insurer and send them a copy as well. Hurt him in the pocket when his claim gets refused and the other party sues him for damages. 

[Chris_]

I feel taxi's are getting worse and worse, but more so normal cars are getting worse too. Its just a general decay of respect on the road (probably could extrapolate on that too...).

 

Traffic now takes off when the opposite lights are amber, and yet drive through when our lights are clicking over to red. Its a recipe for disaster. I'm always surprised I don't see more accidents.

 

Cycling on the road in general is just tempting fate (sadly), no matter how aware you are on your bike.

[PhilipV]

The ONLY time I ride over a red traffic light is the odd occasion where it is a triggered light. If you stop and wait you will stay forever because a bike will not set it off and then it will not change until a large metal object like a car crosses the sensor. There are a few of them in the Constantia area. Then I treat it like a stop sign. Stop, look, cross.

You trigger it by leaning your bike down on the tar. Works on traffic lights and complex security gates, you just need to find the metal detector and length the bike on top of it. Worked with my carbon frame bike as well.