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Traffic lights.jpgPolice to crack down on red light jumping cyclists in Stoke
Staffordshire Police have said they are planning to crack down on cyclists who jump red lights in the city. A number of junctions will be monitored by officers who say those who ignore the rules of the road are putting their lives in danger.
The Stoke Sentinel reports that Staffordshire Police typically give a verbal warning to cyclists caught transgressing, although there is also the possibility of a £50 fine.
Should cyclists be allowed to run red lights?
Junctions to be monitored include Lime Kiln lights on the outskirts of the city centre; Victoria Street and Shelton New Road in Hartshill; and Leek Road and Station Road in Stoke.
PC Terry Dunn said: "Although I have received a complaint regarding cyclists going through red lights in Victoria Street I have seen it elsewhere as well. Some will go on the pavement to avoid the red light whereas others will just go straight through. They are putting their own lives at risk and could cause a collision."
Local charity cyclist, Laura Porter, said that jumping red lights ‘wasn’t worth the risk’.
"I ride my bike in the same way I drive – by obeying the laws of the road. It's important cyclists remember that they are not protected by metal casing when they are in a car, which makes it harder to believe some of things I have seen them do. Going through red lights is just not worth the risk as they could get themselves killed or leave themselves with life-changing injuries."
Only one West Midlands cyclist a year charged with red light jumping
Yvonne Gilligan, Sustrans’s regional director for the West Midlands, said: "People on bikes, like all road users, should of course obey traffic laws and we are keen to work with the police to help promote good behaviour for all vehicles."
Cycling campaigners in London recently advocated the implementation of the ‘Idaho Law’ which allows cyclists to treat red lights as stop signs and proceed if the way is clear. Four of the main candidates to become the next mayor of London are reportedly considering doing so.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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When this was done recently in Edinburgh, at the end of a fortnight, motor vehicle fines outnumbered cyclists 4 to 1 for jumping the lights. It's visible. It irks people. But it's not as widespread as car drivers make out, and it's less practiced than by car drivers themselves.
and thats before you consider that only the first car that reaches a junction has the opportunity to jump the lights, while every cyclist could do it if inclined, because only bikes can filter past law abiding cars adn cyclists.
'It's not black/white at all'
it really is. Until the law is changed, it certainly is. I agree that the law needs changing in many ways regarding bikes - but until that point there really is no argument.
Depends how you define RLJ.
Compare it to a pedestrian running out on red without looking vs a pedestrian standing there on an empty street, looking both ways and crossing on red. Option (1) is clearly very stupid while (2) is simply being sensible and pragmatic about the situation.
Yet both would be termed RLJ.
Back to bikes, I would never just charge straight through a junction. But there are instances (determined by factors such as traffic and road layout) where rolling up to the red light, checking it's safe and clear to go and then proceeding is actually the safer option for me and the more convenient one for any motorists behind me becasue it gets me out of the way. Or sometimes you might get to the front of a queue of traffic to find the ASL blocked by cars in which case you have to move even further forward - that's still technically RLJ as you've crossed the line even though you're waiting just beyond it.
It's not black/white at all and I do wish people would stop trying to "control" bikes in the same way that they "control" 2 tonne blocks of metal capable of speeds well in excess of the speed limit. Bikes shouldn't be treated the same way as cars as they don't present anywhere near the same degree of danger. See this article for instance:
http://road.cc/content/news/160118-san-francisco-cyclists-protest-obeyin...
: "Although I have received a complaint regarding cyclists going through red lights"
Clelary the crucial thing - some real person (i.e. driver) moaned. So instead of tackling real dangers, such as texting motons, unlicensed cretins in cages and lorries with blind spots half the size of Stoke, lets blame the victims. Again.
Although the original complaint was really "I saw a bike go through a red light and it's not fair! (I wanted to, and couldn't)"
Much of our UK infra is not designed for safe cycling. A community constable somewhere in Stoke really doesn't know much about the box junctions on my commute. Life's too short to dwell on him any further.
I still cannot beleive some of the comments. FFS its a red light and it means stop, not "go on give it a go if you think nothing is coming". So what would you say if a car or lorry did it ?????
The number of people on here who condone dangerous driving and bad driving by motorists but complain bitterly if the police dont do anything to help yet some are willing to jump a red light to gain a couple of minutes.
A few seconds that will get you clear of a left turning lorry that you know can't see you? Or what about lights with sensors? Do we really have to be second class citizens who must be accompanied across junctions by motor vehicles.
Or at yhd roadworks where there is not enough room for cars to pass and you know if you start when the lights change you will have irate fan tailgating you until you get through.
Yes as a general rule stop. But rigidly following rules which put you in danger is foolish.
"A few seconds that will get you clear of a left turning lorry that you know can't see you? .....Yes as a general rule stop. But rigidly following rules which put you in danger is foolish"
I bet you run through red lights all the time, faux reasoning or not.
Why would you be in a danger from a left turning lorry? If your riding defensively you should be smack bang in the middle of your lane where he can see you. Or behind him, again in the middle of your lane. Or have you filtered up the inside?
Whilst I do agree with your points, a lot of cyclists have been run down by lorises whilst they were in primary. The problem is that the blind spots on lorries mean that they really shouldn't be allowed out without a man with a flag.
No I don't, mostly don't need to. except on those lights which will not change because they don't detect a cycle, I have no interest in waiting 10 minutes for a car to turn up. I have seen more cars jump red lights than bikes (including me) in the last month. Obvious;ly the police need to crack down on drivers as they all jump red lights.
Yes, a red light means stop and a 30mph speed limit means a maximum speed of 30mph. However, people have a way of not following a lot of these rules which is not ideal. To my mind, it is more forgiveable to not obey some of these rules when it would endanger yourself to follow them and not endanger other people when breaking those rules. When a car/lorry goes through a red light (which happens a lot of the time - I see cars do this at least once a day) it endangers other road users due to the higher speed and momentum of a tonne of metal. When I choose to go through a red light on my bike, I'm not endangering other people as it's very much in my interest to not collide with anything.
There's a world of difference between driving a car and riding a bike. There's a reason why a license and test is required to drive a car whereas children are encouraged to learn to ride a bike. Bikes are just not particularly dangerous to other people whereas people die every day from cars. (By the way, you used "condone" whereas I believe you meant "condemn").
You're not comparing like for like. The kinetic energy invested in a moving cyclist is not the same as for moving motorised vehicles.
In Paris they've allowed cyclists to treat a signed intersection on it's merits and the world never ended.
You're making an assumption that those defending the practice jump lights, do it. That's not necessarily true. I don't jump lights and I can prove it because I record my journeys. That doesn't mean I think there's no safety merits in jumping lights.
Lol, just come back on and read some remarks. "i dont jump lights and i can prove it because i record my journeys" yeah right and my dad is bigger than yours
Also just to clear it up for you i was referring to the offence of "RLJ" is the same regardless of the mode of transport, yes the outcome could be a lot worse but you assumed thats what i was talking about and clearly wanted to be critical.
If they make that statement they must support it with evidence.
Let's separate the legal from the safely aspect from the cyclists actions. Jumping lights is illegal, but there's no evidence that it's any less safe than crossing on green.
The police are of course entitled to crack down on the basis of law, but their priorities should be questioned. Speeding, and using a hand held device behind the wheel are more prevalent and dangerous by a significant margin.
Unfortunately not so sir. The police have always been able to act on a mere whiff of evidence and quite rightly so. The copper in question has observed, analysed and reached his conclusion, which is exactly what he is paid to do. Of course he won't always be right, but who amongst us never wrong?
And of course the copper's prejudice against cyclists and in favour of motorists will never enter into it.
What an unbelievably stupid comment. So running a red light when "2 tonnes of metal" to quote some users is coming towards you is just as safe as crossing on a green light.
I'm surprised, if you cycle like you think / quote, that you haven't been seriously injured by now.
Bit of a daft comment from you actually. I imagine that people who RLJ don't just close their eyes and keep on going. They probably assess whether they think they can get across safely and then go. On that basis it's not a foregone conclusion that it's more dangerous. It also cuts out the problem of left hooks, especially from lorries.
I tend to treat red lights as "stop" signs and go through them when I think it's safe to do so (on my bike) and so far haven't had an incident because of it. If you've got good visibility then it can be safer to go across a junction when there's no vehicles going the same way as you, but just going through without looking/thinking is not recommended. It helps if you know the junction and can anticipate the light timings correctly.
Anyone who enters a junction with 2 tonnes of metal is coming towards them is nuts. The state of the lights makes no difference to that.
If you have evidence that jumping lights is more dangerous then present it. Note, anecdotal evidence is not evidence, and a collection of anecdotes does not make data, for all sorts of well documented reasons.
http://ralphsmyth.me.uk/citycyclists/policeclampdown.html
"I ride my bike in the same way I drive" ... WTAF!
Laura Port what a dreadful thought. Given that motorists every time they turn the key in the ignition contribute to the premature death of 40,000 plus people a year and how about the 5 people a day that are killed by motorists, in a good year. oh and the 60 serious injuries a day too.
Let hope your the only person that cycles the same way you drive other wise there would be even more carnage out on the road.
Honestly.... What a bellend!
You know, I'm not sure that calling a female a "bellend " is the most appropriate insult, assuming that you really must insult anyone.
You're assuming she's a bad driver.
Although I live in Bristol (and thus not particularly relevant to Stoke), I see more cars than bikes jumping red lights.
But that's different because they couldn't stop in time, or their journey was really important, or red lights are part of the war in the motorist, or something...
RLJs are twits. Fuck 'em.
I live on Victoria St and have given up moaning at other cyclists who jump the lights. It's notorious for vehicle crashes. Just hope that they apply this to the number of motorised vehicles that jump them. As for Lime Kiln lights, they scare the bejaesus out of me using them properly. Anyone jumping them is a Darwinian example waiting to happen.
Let's hope the trusty bobbies waiting at the junctions also nick car drivers using phones/smart devices. That should keep them busy, can't see them having any spare time to worry about the odd RLJ...