Safe Speed Forums

I'm asking if it's acceptable for me to jump a red light on my pushbike if I feel it's safe to do so.

Socially: It is not acceptable.
Traffic lights are there to enable the safe transition of traffic flow from one or more directions, to one or more other directions (etc) (or not)
On the other hand, please try it out.
Your continued silence thereafter will be taken as a signal that jumping lights on cycles is not a good idea.
In any case, installation and subsequent setting and maintenance of traffic lights is a lucrative business.
The cost of each set of lights, for even a basic junction, has to exceed £50K.

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The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

And they are failing in their putative purpose if they prevent traffic movement when it is safe for such movement to take place.

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

Here we go again.

Perhaps a better comparison would be to introduce an element of degree?

If it's acceptable for a motorist to drive a few mph over a speed limit, is it acceptable for a cyclist to zoom through a light that's just changed, or is about to?

If it's acceptable for a cyclist to completely ignore a red light, is it acceptable for a motorist to do the same to a speed limit?

Or are we back to "two wheels good, four wheels bad" again?

We even came across a red light cam on one of these somewhere down south last month..


Last Monday - we hear A580 was closed. 90 year old collided with rear of a car which slammed on the anchors.. causing a three vehicle crunch in total.

The lead car which catalsyed it all? We understand from our source who was caught up in all this mayhem? They think the lead car's driver saw the lights change.. on approach.. saw the doubled up speed and red light cam.. hit brakes. hit POTHOLE .. skidded .. right into the speed cam pole. Car behind hit the rear and the car behind him then collided with them.


I think this to be a problem - more widespread than reported in the press

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No. I think we are getting to the much more vexed question of when it is permissible to ignore the law. My own answer to that is - when it can do no harm.

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

I agree totally with you on that one.

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

I note you have the cyclist zooming through a red light.

Most cyclists I see jumping red lights treat the junction as a junction with no lights, they roll forward, look around and if it's clear they go.

Or they ride thorugh a pedestrian crossing that's on red with nobody on it ( or somebody on it but on the other side).

Acceptable?

Quite, but at the same time you can't complain if you get caught by the bibs when you break the law, in whatever form it takes IMO.

So, a 30mph road where people regulary travel 35-40 down it because they feel it's safe to do so.

Fix installed so the average speed is lowered, RTIs go down; plently of evidence to show that lower average speeds result in less incidents.

So, were the people breaking the law doing 35 to 40 culpable in the higher incident rates? Surely they were part of the system that led to the higher rate so must accept some of the blame?

Your statment is correct, but you are reminded that's it's not just traffic that use junctions with traffic lights.

In so far that I'd say that some junction probalbly have traffic lights not for the cars (if you get what I mean), but for the peds. I.e. with no lights cars would be OK, but peds would be left at the side of the road.

Travelling at 30mph in an urban environment in a car has potential for harm, travelling at 35 more so (given the same driving skill), so you're already in a postion to cause great harm.

If you're doing something that's already dangerous surely making it more dangerous by exceeding a legal boundary should not be acceptable?

Quote this evidence then because as far as I'm aware , higher average speeds mean LESS accidents. (motorways, rural roads) and don't say less peds because it is still LESS accidents.

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

Why is a legal boundary neccessarily a safe boundary...how do the two neccesssarily tie up?

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

How do you know that the junction will remain clear for the time it takes you to cross it?
What if someone else decides they can go because it is clear?

What speed is OK to ride through the ped crossing?
What if someone that was out of sight when you decided to keep going runs across? For that matter it could be a cyclist using the crossing.

What makes a person riding a cycle be allowed to use their judgement when the same person driving a car is not?

Is it OK for a motorcyclist to do the same?

I am not attacking cyclists, I want to know what you think.

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Driving fast is for a particular time and place, I can do it I just only do it occasionally because I am a gentleman.
- James May

dcbwhaley did state that if safe, presence of pedestrians would preclude this so what is the contradiction?

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Driving fast is for a particular time and place, I can do it I just only do it occasionally because I am a gentleman.
- James May

Absolutley, if you have looked and assessed that there is no reason to stop, then you should go. You are on a bike with no registration plate for tracking you down. Why should you stop for no good reason?

A lot of the traffic light phasing these days has little to do with safety and more to do with slowing down traffic (yes traffic includes bikes) thus I'd say a little disobedience is actually required to stop that abuse.

On the same type of road graball, we can't be comparing motorways to urban streets I'm afraid, as much as you'd like to.

They are not allowed to use their judgment, crossing a stop line when the light is on red is illegal, as is going faster than 30mph in a 30mph limit in a motorised vehicle.

If on red .. but the pedestrian ist on the other side ot you - then you STOP! Because you do not know if they are going to run across the road - especially if with kids.

Or would you ride across the zebra "just because the other person only starting to cross on the other side


Sound like just another selfish spotty London oik in lycra to me here.

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Fine me for Safe Speed
(& other good causes..)

Greatest love & Greatest Achievements Require Greatest Risk
But if you lose the driving plan - don't lose the COAST lesson.
Me?
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Which applies to a cyclist just as it apply to the motorist It also apply to cyclists in a 20 mph zone.,.. You keep saying you "cannot be done for speeding" ... but you can be done for "furious pedalling" as one 20 year recently found out

You cannot argue against speed if you are saying a cyclist ist entitled to run a red light. We play it safe.... we do not exactly ride the bikes .. more a side saddle "skip" But back home - we'd be fined for walking on a red man or riding on red cycle...

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Nicht ganz im Lot!
Ich setze mich immer wieder in die Nesseln! Der Mad Doc ist mein Mann! Und ich benutzte seinen PC!

UND OUR SMILEYS? Smile ... und the the world smiles with you.
Smiley guy seen when you read
Fine me for Safe Speed
(& other good causes..)

Greatest love & Greatest Achievements Require Greatest Risk
But if you lose the driving plan - don't lose the COAST lesson.
Me?
Je ne regrette rien!