[Closed] Is it ever acceptable to run a red light

Legally, yes if it is unsafe to stop.

Yep, it’s illegal, but I probably can say not a working day goes by where I don’t jump a red light on my commute. I make a judgement based on a variety of factors, and will also wait at red lights as well. In all the years I’ve been doing this I have not noticed any change in the attitude of cars drivers relating to cyclists, and tend to feel the STW hand wringers belief that RLJ’ing will make all car drivers hate cyclists and subsequently kill us is somewhat of a forum myth.

I jumped a red light (just by a couple of seconds to get a start) and got chased and shouted at my some loony in a Passat. He was clearly so concerned for road safety issues that he felt weaving about in the road and leaning out of his window was justified.

Go figure?

Is it ever acceptable to run a red light

I normally run two - a flashing one on my pack and a steady one on the post....

seosamh77 - about 15 years back at the pedestrian crossing outside the Kelvin Hall. about 9.30 in the morning on my way to work, not a pedestrian in sight, polis were 3 cars back, flashed me over expected a warning not a £20 fixed penalty! 🙁 .. vowed next time not to stop.. lazy bastards would never chase you on foot 😉

jumped the only two redlights in my village earlier today, gotta get my moneys worth 😀

you could get off the bike and just walk past it, the highway code defines a person pushing a bicycle as a pedestrian.
i think most drivers reckon we are assholes anyway, so dont care if i piss them off, only bothered about the rozzers really.
wouldnt do it if people were crossing though.
5am, only thing on the road? wouldnt even slow down.

Only when the roads are empty, say like at 5 in the morning. It's up to the individual though. I'm not going to get haughty about people doing it under sensible conditions.

The only time I ever go through a red light is when it is turning to red from amber and I've got someone tailgating me on the bike - it is safer for me to continue in those circumstances as my stopping distance is probably less than that of the car that runs into the back of me.

Any other time I don't, I'm a road user irrespective of whether I drive or cycle, and the same rules apply at the same time.

Out of interest, how many of the confirmed RLJers on here are also car owners?

Used to jump but but stick to the code now.
Only a couple of lights on my commute as I avoid the main roads where possible but there are two in the city centre(Glasgow).
I enjoy riding to the front of a queue of cars stopped at a red light then dismounting pushing my bike over the pavement then getting back onto the road and setting off as they gawp on. Perfectly legal and I bet it really pisses the motorists off. Do the same at two No Entry signs as well.And I would never accept an on the spot fine off the Police for riding on the pavement. They tried it once but caved in and I am even more prepared with my defence now.

never seen the need to jump red lights...you can get into the habit of jumping light and put yourself in a stupid situation where someone might get hurt (either yourself or a pedestrian)

if anything does happen (an accident - for example you run over a pedestrian you did not see) and it turns out you jumped a red light you have no defence...

you save so little time jumping light, its not worth the grief

If I am in rush, I get off my bike, and walk it through the lights, and remount the bike on the other side, perfectly legal and no time wasted...

jumping lights? makes pedestrians and motorists think all cyclists are c*nts when they see cyclists regularly jumping lights

walking through lights seems insane to me, if it's safe to walk through lights it's safe to cycle through them.

Yes but it's legal to walk or cross at red lights but not ride or drive through them and quite often you are walking with the green man for pedestrians so it can actually be safer.Improves your cyclocross technique too 😉

my stopping distance is probably less than that of the car that runs into the back of me.

never seen the need to jump red lights

Aracer - not true about the braking distances - I roughly measured this last year and beat the highway code distances easily from 30 mph - 1.75 semislicks and discs

I do it (on my bike) so long as I can see it's clear.

Aracer - not true about the braking distances - I roughly measured this last year and beat the highway code distances easily from 30 mph - 1.75 semislicks and discs

Was it with you this was debated? I think to say the braking distance would be similar to a car would not be unreasonable - and I certainly am wary of stopping hard at lights if there is a car close behind as a car will often follow a bike far too close.

...you do realise TJ that HC stopping distances are based on 2/3g deceleration - a figure any normal car can easily beat. Not only that, but IIRC you measurements were pretty inaccurate, so I'm dubious you really were achieving what you claim (to manage 2/3g you'd need to get your CoG below the saddle on a properly setup bicycle).

aracer Yes I know that modern cars beat the highway code amounts - and I am certain I did on a bike but my measurements was very approximate.

Believe it or not - I know that I can do it no problem. Its easy.

but my measurements was very approximate.

Believe it or not - I know that I can do it no problem. Its easy.

Councils should show more responsibility with their traffic lights. So many traffic lights are just unnecessary, or setup stupidly.

Councils seem to prefer lights to roundabouts, even though the latter would work better in lots of cases.

I go past some lights on my way home that seem always to be on red when I get to them. I started out waiting patiently but so many other people jump them it seems pointless. Car drivers just seem used to it.

And then there are some other lights that think I'm a bus, so they switch to green for me, and stop all the cars! I always feel a weird mixture of glee and guilt going through that one.

I often jump temporary traffic lights for road works etc, only if its safe to do so and you can see the opposite set of lights.

i make a judgement and act upon it. same as riding on pavements (a whole new can of worms!!) i have no desire to be killed whilst riding my bike and am well aware of the risks of rlj'ing. if i'm sure its safe, i'll go. if i'm not, i wont. simple. and like someone else said, when drivers start obeying the law and being more considerate to cyclist, ill stop doing it. it doesnt matter how considerate a cyclist im being, a large proportion of drivers dont (seem to)care about my safety. i know 2 wrongs dont make a right, but thats my opinion.

"never seen the need to jump red lights...you can get into the habit of jumping light and put yourself in a stupid situation where someone might get hurt (either yourself or a pedestrian)

if anything does happen (an accident - for example you run over a pedestrian you did not see) and it turns out you jumped a red light you have no defence...

you save so little time jumping light, its not worth the grief"

Good grief. Since when did habit mean we didn't check both ways at give ways and stop signs before proceeding. Jumping a red light is just one more junction to be treated like a stop/give way. How is habit going to mean less care?

As for hitting a ped. You are going to be in trouble any time you hit a ped. Red light or not. Though I wouldn't jump any light there was peds crossing at.

As for not saving time. I beg to differ. Each light can be up to 2 minutes depending on the junction. Add that up on a long commute. Anyway regardless of time waiting each time a red light or anything else forces a complete halt it is like adding 100m on to your journey.