Your Nicked – Cyclists jump a Red light!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-surrey-68007889

Definitely newsworthy.

I wonder why The Guardian hasn’t updated it’s front page, I can’t see it anywhere on there.

Fair enough, caught bang to rights.

I may be in a minority here – but I have little sympathy with people who ride bikes jumping red rights.

I may be in a minority here – but I have little sympathy with people who ride bikes jumping red rights.

Nor me but not sure why a few people getting a £50 fine is newsworthy or why the Police needed to post in on Social Media.

not sure why a few people getting a £50 fine is newsworthy or why the Police needed to post in on Social Media

Some Drivers need to see that justice is being done (fairly) and that ‘them pesky cyclists’ aren’t getting away with bad behaviour.

It’s nice to see something being enforced by the police.

Now how about enforcing around the parking on double lines (red locally to me in Edinburgh means park here please apparently), blocking drives and pavement parking, driving about with iced up windows around schools, close passes and abuse towards kids cycling to school etc…

Good, boils my p1ss when I see people do this, also cars

why the Police needed to post in on Social Media

They do similar for driving offences if it’ll get a few likes

your nicked what?

Police post all sorts on social media, usually from unmarked cars or lorries watching people on their phones, jumping red lights, lane hogging, no tax….. you name it. https://twitter.com/SurreyRS

Mainly to point out they can’t be everywhere, but they might be, so don’t break the rules assuming you aren’t being seen.

All for it. As a cyclist other cyclists RLJ’ing, whatever, frustrates the hell out of me because it ‘justifies’ motorists claims that we’re all at it. And we aren’t.

I cycle daily in London and see this at literally every single red light, it’s the vast majority of riders. Earlier this week I saw pedestrians with a green man forced to stay on the pavement as bikes ploughed through. There are a bunch of videos on YouTube about 6 – 10 years old of police stopping rlj’s, but one major problem is all the stopped cyclist has to do is give a false name and address, so I guess just the honest minority were receiving fines. Seems the police have given up in C London at least.

Good, that seems a total disregard for the red light, so absolutely get them fined. I say the same about motor vehicles doing the same…

Wonder if that was a Drop Ride they were on…(although still no excuse for it).

Riding like that causes all of us problems, that wasn’t just a little sneaky one it was blatant.

4 seconds in…

Flippin roadies.  really not a fan of those guys

Do they know they are the reason everyone hates cyclists?

never go full roadie.

“it’s the vast majority of riders”

No it’s not.

I guess I’m alone in thinking there are more pressing problems than people on bikes RLJing.

Like people in cars RLJing.  Plus the multitude of other reasons people in cars end up killing their occupants, killing the occupants of other cars, killing people on bikes, and killing people on foot.

I also think people getting your/you’re wrong is a more pressing issue.

Traffic lights only really exist because car drivers can’t be trusted to make good choices.

When there’s only cyclists involved, you don’t need lights, traffic flows more freely, and you have less precious space being handed over for transport rather than something actually useful (e.g. housing).

Red lights should really be a “give way” for cyclists, IMO.

I nearly ran a cyclist over last night.  I was first car at a red light indicating a left turn.  He was in the cycle lane next to me which has its own “cyclist” set of traffic lights.  

As my light when green, he jumped his red light into the path of my car turning left.  

i know the junction well and use the cycle lane myself as it’s as the end of my road, it’s impossible to “ not see” the red amber and green lit “cycle symbols” at eye level.  Cock. 

I guess I’m alone in thinking there are more pressing problems than people on bikes RLJing

If the cops behind them film it, they’re probs duty bound to do something about it, or get into trouble themselves. If this was just one cyclist stealing straight on as the lights change…I’d agree with you, but 4 grown adults? like that, just riding through as if it doesn’t apply to them, on what’s clearly a leisure ride, I’d nick them as well; just for being pricks.

not sure why a few people getting a £50 fine is newsworthy or why the Police needed to post in on Social Media

Kill the chicken, scare the monkey.

OMG, it’s worse that I thought. Did they show that bit on the video too??

I nearly ran a cyclist over last night.  I was first car at a red light indicating a left turn.  He was in the cycle lane next to me which has its own “cyclist” set of traffic lights.

As my light when green, he jumped his red light into the path of my car turning left.

Yeah, that sounds like a shit infrastructure problem.  I thought those lights were only supposed to give priority to people on bikes at junctions, not to give priority to cars?  ie, the cyclist traffic light can be green while the main one is red but the main one can’t be green while the cyclist one is red?

Sounds like it was designed to create the situation you found yourself in.

But, being the person in charge of 1.5 tones of metal, it’s to be expected that you have a greater level of responsibility for those around about you.

Looking at the highway code, it’s unclear:

73Junctions. Some junctions, particularly those with traffic lights, have special cycle facilities, including small cycle traffic lights at eye-level height, which may allow you to move or cross separately from or ahead of other traffic. Use these facilities where they make your journey safer and easier.

https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/rules-for-cyclists-road-junctions.html

So, if I don’t want to use the special cyclist lights I don’t have to?

Like I said, sounds like shit infrastructure.  Of which there is a lot.

On my commute I take one of 2 options – ride through the (empty) shopping precinct (ILLEGAL!), or take the bus only route, where the light is always red… I invariably ride through the red light. Should I hand myself in to the fuzz?

Yep, you can’t even claim to have checked everything was safe before ignoring the lights if you’ve missed the panda car behind you 🤣.

The argument that bikes just don’t need traffic lights is I think correct, they’re only useful for stopping car drivers who would rather crash than slow down for a junction and give way. But only where there’s not a more vulnerable road user. Don’t forget pedestrians stereotypically hate cyclists just as much as we stereotypically hate drivers.

I nearly ran a cyclist over last night. I was first car at a red light indicating a left turn. He was in the cycle lane next to me which has its own “cyclist” set of traffic lights.

As my light when green, he jumped his red light into the path of my car turning left.

There’s two sets near me that the cycle/bus lane just doesn’t work (in one direction it only senses busses, in the other even busses used the “road”).

So the only* option is to either wait forever for a gap, or preemptively jump the car lights from the bike lane and get into the junction before they set off.

*Or get off and push, or subject yourself to the “why aren’t you in the cycle lane” assholes.

Red lights should really be a “give way” for cyclists, IMO.

Agree but as we know the roads are designed for car divers so we as cyclist have to do the same as they do.

Yeah, that sounds like a shit infrastructure problem.  I thought those lights were only supposed to give priority to people on bikes at junctions, not to give priority to cars?  ie, the cyclist traffic light can be green while the main one is red but the main one can’t be green while the cyclist one is red?

Theres one on my commute in to London, it’s designed for when the cyclists / cycle path  are going straight across a busy left turn only lane for cars. It’s not so much for priority but keeping the two traffic streams sepearted. When the bike’s light is green the cars are on red and vice versa.

“it’s the vast majority of riders

No it’s not.

Yes it is. I’ll pop my camera on and upload it when the days are a bit lighter if you want. Do you ride in the City? At literally every red light, I’m often the only rider that stops. A couple of junctions get a few stoppers but they’re the exception.I’ll count stoppers vs non stoppers at each light on the way home tonight

Nor me but not sure why a few people getting a £50 fine is newsworthy or why the Police needed to post in on Social Media.

Because it is nice to provide fuel to the furious Daily Mail readers every now and again.

That they put themselves in danger is actually a blatant lie. There were no vehicles putting them in any danger or they would’ve stopped. Unless it was a 4 man suicide pact, I suppose.

I’m usually one to ardently obey red lights, but there’s one on my commute which doesn’t recognise waiting bicycles at all.  The pressure sensor isn’t sensitive enough to pick up a bicycle and there’s not currently enough car traffic (road closure) to have another vehicle trigger it.   I got beeped at for jumping it despite the fact that the beeping car had already passed through the junction and I’d been waiting several minutes.  Sometime the infrastructure doesn’t help.

Pretty much a non-story, cyclists caught and fined, if anything it’s probably good for cycling to see this, stops the ‘they just do what they want’ stuff.

Reality is, this happens hundreds of times a day in the UK, same as drivers speeding or going through red lights, just a handful are caught due to not seeing a police car behind them videoing!

“it’s the vast majority of riders”

No it’s not.

Ooooh yes it is!

Around here, anyway. I cycle, drive and/or walk every day locally and see quite a few cyclists of all sorts. It’s unbelievably rare to see anyone stop at a red light! Even when they do stop, it’s usually 6′ the other side of the line with a foot on the kerb instead of waiting in the empty cycle zone. One for the disproportionate anger thread 😡

Wasn’t there some discussion a few years ago about making red lights mean “give way” for cyclists? At least when turning left or something? Or was that in Australia? Anyway, yes, good idea IMO.

I’d nick them as well; just for being pricks.

That should absolutely be an offence. Vote for nickc!

yup, send em daaaarrrnnn

I used to cycle in London a lot. Daily commute for a number of years, in all weather.

I wouldn’t have said the vast majority, but a significant number, sure.

The thing is though, it’s not just cyclists who jump the lights; I saw cars, vans, motorbikes, all of the taxis and private hire cars jump lights on a regular basis, but no-one seems to make out that that’s a problem. The focus on cyclists is just bias.

but there’s one on my commute which doesn’t recognise waiting bicycles at all.

Dismount, walk across the red light, remount. If there’s anyone around, of course.

Unlucky roadies getting caught, as in it’s very common in cities to see that, but to have an unmarked police car behind is unfortunate. I’m not condoning it (I wait), but I’d be interested to see the rest of the incidents they fined motorists for that day; there’s no equivalence in terms of a cyclist running a red to a vehicle running them, incidentally. Only saw the one arctic this morning ignoring the lights, but they pay road tax, innit.

So are the bbc going to report on every traffic offence posted to social media from now on ?

Even when they do stop, it’s usually 6′ the other side of the line with a foot on the kerb instead of waiting in the empty cycle zone.

There’s never an empty cycle zone. There’s always a motorist in them. Even when I’ve gotten to the lights first and I’m stopped in it, a motorist thinks they can fit in too. I’ve had motorcyclists and car drivers nudge me out of it by crashing into my back wheel.

There’s never an empty cycle zone. There’s always a motorist in them. Even when I’ve gotten to the lights first and I’m stopped in it, a motorist thinks they can fit in too. I’ve had motorcyclists and car drivers nudge me out of it by crashing into my back wheel.

Everyone agrees that motorists also jump lights and do plenty of other stuff they shouldn’t, and that it’s more dangerous and much more of an issue than cyclists doing it.

Yes the police and media should focus more on that, however this thread’s about cyclists and I think those saying “oh but cars do it more” are kinda missing the point.

Anyway, back to my personal experience, most drivers are actually not bad about leaving the zone clear around here. Try as I might to avoid confirmation bias, it always seems to be the same drivers who use it:

Trade vans

Taxis

Buses

BMWs

Motorbikes

The amount of times I am stopped in the zone (on a bike…) and another rider sails past and stops just after the line is ridiculous. I mean, what on earth is the point! Either stop at the line or go ahead through you stupid grrr graaar grumble…..