Jumping lights

[Patchelicious]

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

Mocking those who try to do good is not cool.

[NickGM]

I'll happily turn left at a red if the roads are quiet. Essentially I'll treat it as a yield; ie: I'll give way to traffic on my right. But again, I only do it if there is no traffic. In the US you are allowed to do this in a car, except obviously it's a right turn at a red for them. I know this is illegal here, but it's safe, and it gets me out of the way of some driver behind me who is now getting irate because he thinks I'm going to go straight and slow him down because I can't accelerate as fast when the light turns green........then it's worth doing. 

 

Then, if there is absolutely no traffic and I have a long clear view of all roads leading in to the intersection, then I'll slow down and (possibly) just breeze through. When it's 5am on a sunday morning and I haven't seen a car for 10 minutes, I'm not going to sit and wait for the light to change. This is south africa and you need to pick the lesser of 2 risks. 

[Vetseun]

I always stop at red lights. No matter if there are cars or not. I stop.

By not stopping, I would forfeit any rights to get upset then a motorists does something wrong. We cannot complain unless we are totally innocent. Easy as that.

[Chingy182]

I always stop at red lights. No matter if there are cars or not. I stop.

By not stopping, I would forfeit any rights to get upset then a motorists does something wrong. We cannot complain unless we are totally innocent. Easy as that.

A riding buddy of mine asked me while we were zipping through CT CBD traffic last week if I stop at stops and red lights... I was a bit taken aback by the innocence of the question.

 

Your answer pretty much sums up my exact response to the question.

I think I just added that we can't give motorists any more reason to have a hatred of cyclists on the roads

[DJR]

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.

It works on my aluminium mtb  , but the carbon road bike seems to be too near non-existent  . 

[Veebee]

I do it, on almost every ride.

 

I cycle alone most of time, leaving at 4:30am and I am not going to stop and a red light and be a sitting duck... whats worse, being jacked or jumping a light without affecting anyone.

Offcos when the roads are busier and cars are flowing through, I will not do this for my own safety.

 

So I guess there are times when its acceptable.

[porqui]

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?

 

I never skip the red light.

I do ride to the left of yellow line but law actually states that no vehicle may ride there.

Problem riding on the left of yellow line is that's where I pick up 90% of my punctures.

Downhill I won't ride within the yellow line unless it is Blackhill.

[DJR]

.............I cycle alone most of time, leaving at 4:30am and I am not going to stop and a red light and be a sitting duck... ...........

Each to his own, I guess.

 

But I should mention that your assumption that you are safer if you keep going, is not necessarily correct.

 

If approaching a dodgy intersection and you can see suspect people, you will be better off to turn around or take a divert, rather than to keep going over the red traffic light. You are just as likely to be bike jacked whether you move or stop.If there is a bike-jacker, he will be there whether you stop or not.The difference is that if you are going, you are more likely to be pushed off your bike and to crash. Even if you are not injured in the fall and you can still fight or flee, by the time you recover, you will be separated from your bike and the robber will be on his way using it as a getaway vehicle, or he will stand over you with a weapon demanding your phone and wallet. If stationary and you are attacked, you have a better chance to defend yourself by using the bike as a shield, to chuck it at the robber and to escape yourself. At the very least you will be uninjured and have more options to choose from. 

 

It is different from driving a car and we should not think that doing the same when riding is the right thing. In a car you have serious protection which you don't have on a bike and one should keep that in mind when deciding what to do.

 

 

You decide.

[sawystertrance]

As if to prove the point, as I walked round a corner on the pavement en route to work today, I was nearly taken out by some clown riding his MTB at speed. 

 

Followed shortly by some guy riding up against the traffic up Loop Street. 

 

Where is this all going to end?

[Wannabe]

I actually stopped cycling with a certain group from the Northern Suburbs, exactly because of this.

The last ride I did with them was from Tygervalley to Gordondbay and back( or that was the plan). They did not stop at a single Stop Street or Traffic Light, although I did. By the time we went past Zevenwagt Mall, they were so far ahead of me, I could not see them anymore. I just did a quick left up Polkadraai, did the Stellies loop, and decided to never ride with them again.

[Veebee]

Each to his own, I guess.

 

But I should mention that your assumption that you are safer if you keep going, is not necessarily correct.

 

If approaching a dodgy intersection and you can see suspect people, you will be better off to turn around or take a divert, rather than to keep going over the red traffic light. You are just as likely to be bike jacked whether you move or stop.If there is a bike-jacker, he will be there whether you stop or not.The difference is that if you are going, you are more likely to be pushed off your bike and to crash. Even if you are not injured in the fall and you can still fight or flee, by the time you recover, you will be separated from your bike and the robber will be on his way using it as a getaway vehicle, or he will stand over you with a weapon demanding your phone and wallet. If stationary and you are attacked, you have a better chance to defend yourself by using the bike as a shield, to chuck it at the robber and to escape yourself. At the very least you will be uninjured and have more options to choose from. 

 

It is different from driving a car and we should not think that doing the same when riding is the right thing. In a car you have serious protection which you don't have on a bike and one should keep that in mind when deciding what to do.

 

 

You decide.

 

too many different ways to look at it.

 

I'll continue doing what I do, as I feel "safer" that way.

[Meezo]

I always stop at red lights. No matter if there are cars or not. I stop.

By not stopping, I would forfeit any rights to get upset then a motorists does something wrong. We cannot complain unless we are totally innocent. Easy as that.

i was robbed, i stopped at robots at 5am in the morning...

 

since then, i do as it is safe to do, and as most stated above, if I have a clear view of the the roads leading into the intersection i proceed.

[fanievb]

I stop.

 

except the light at main rd & third street (heading east) nice big yellow line. if there are cars parked I stop
 

https://goo.gl/maps/PHMXG9mfPgu

[Headshot]

There is an argument that different traffic rules should apply to cyclists. I think there is a valid case to be made for that but I doubt it will ever become a reality. I think the only rule for motoring and cycling should be to drive defensively. The OP's initial observation on motorists jumping red is also my experience of late. 

[Sharkcatcher01]

I do it, on almost every ride.

 

I cycle alone most of time, leaving at 4:30am and I am not going to stop and a red light and be a sitting duck... whats worse, being jacked or jumping a light without affecting anyone.

Offcos when the roads are busier and cars are flowing through, I will not do this for my own safety.

 

So I guess there are times when its acceptable.

 

I'm in the same boat, leave the house just after 4am to commute to work, while I always stop at red lights, I will generally check to see whats around, and if nothing I will move along. 

 

I wouldn't do it in a way that would inconvenience anyone else, but i'm also not sitting around at that time. 

 

The commute home is a different story, there I will stop and wait at every light. 

[MrJacques]

Wish I had a dashcam... saw one of the metro police vehicles here in PE inching across a red traffic light until it was almost halfway across the road. Eish!