I see one of the thing the Times is Campaigning for is extra safety equipment on Lorries so they can more easily see cyclists at traffic lights.
I'm all for this but would a better solution not to be to mount another traffic light showing a picture of a bike and have this one go off say 30 seconds before the main green light.
This would give cyclists a bit of a head start from lights. No need to roll it out on every set of traffic light around the country but in cities would be a good idea.
Also its not just lorries that are the problem often you will be filtering down the stationary traffic and the lights will change just as your reaching about to reach front.
I suppose this would be less supported by the Newspapers reader ship than making haulage companies pay.
and what would stop other road users going on the green bike signal, NOTHING.
and what would stop other road users going on the green bike signal, NOTHING.
the traffic police that you see everywhere stopping people jumping red lights etc.
oh. 😮
Wonder if they considered foreign LGVs? I know we used to give out Fresnel lenses to help with blind spots.
Not sure extra lights are the way to go, just another point of contention.
thomthumb - Memberand what would stop other road users going on the green bike signal, NOTHING.
the traffic police that you see everywhere stopping people jumping red lights etc.
oh.
and where are all these invisible traffic police,
I'm all for this but would a better solution not to be to mount another traffic light showing a picture of a bike and have this one go off say 30 seconds before the main green light.
"Early Start initiative". That has also been suggested and a trial is being done at Bow Roundabout in London.
Jane Ellison (Tory MP) raised it in yesterday's debate in Westminster Hall.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3329483.ece
traffic light showing a picture of a bike and have this one go off say 30 seconds before the main green light.
In cities, I think this could work very well. If you can also get motorists/motorbikes to keep ASL's clear.
30 seconds may be too much - it's quite a long time if you sit and count it. 15 seconds perhaps.
often you will be filtering down the stationary traffic and the lights will change just as your reaching about to reach front
Hence why it's not always a good idea to filter past large vehicles.
Just because you can, and there's an ASL, doesn't mean it's a good idea.
and what would stop other road users going on the green bike signal, NOTHING.
Red light cameras?
oh. 😮
this bit ^ was supposed to indicate sarcasm! 😉
There is a junction in Leeds like this and I think it works really well. It's a big junction (Sheepscar) and coming from the direction I approach it the road I'm on is four lanes, splitting into two directions (with the right hand of the two then splitting again).
There's also a toucan crossing which I always used to use but after watching other cyclists go on the early green I realised that it does give ample time to get yourself far enough ahead to be in the right lane (even if you're coming from the cycle lane on the left hand side of the road to start with - because that's the best place to be able to see the green cycle light rather than the main traffic lights) and visible to the drivers behind you.
Its a good idea and as people tend to obey the rules of the road it would work. With extra mirrors the driver has to be 1) check them and I just don't think that will always happen and 2) the cyclist will have to be a position to be seen.
It will not help those cyclist who after a lorry has come to halt they slot in on the left and get stuck. It will not help those cyclist who have lorries pull up to the right of them or those who have a lorry overtake and come to a halt as the cyclist is coming to a halt. All three of these situations happen alot and those bad road practices have to stop. cyclist have to wait in a traffic queue and other automotive traffic have to respect the order of traffic even if a cyclist is on the left hand part of lane. Just sit behind them till they have cleared the lights, it's not hard.
This light solution would work.
Hence why it's not always a good idea to filter past large vehicles.Just because you can, and there's an ASL, doesn't mean it's a good idea.
Im not even on about large vehicles I never filter down the side of them.
But even with smaller vehicles the lights can change as your filtering and they can start to drive away with out seeing you.
10 seconds would be plenty of time, surely? 30 seconds on a busy junction would be excessive.
Ok I just said 30 second off the top of my head