Do you jump red lights?

[Henry Hawthorne]

As above really. I'm interested to see people's reactions as (presumably) we're all enthusiastic car drivers and cyclists. I've included two sometimes - for example, I would assume most would jump the lights at midnight when there's little traffic around, but this is obviously different from somebody jumping "sometimes" because they're in a rush. Hope that makes sense

Today I picked up my new fixed-wheel bike (pictures to come later!) and therefore I had a fun and interesting time zipping through Central London on a bike for the first time. What surprised me was the number of people on bikes jumping red lights... They just completely ignored them and pedalled across, skillfully avoiding all traffic and "reading the road".

As I got further into my journey, I'm afraid to say I began to jump some too, but generally I didn't as I wasn't local and didn't know the sequences of traffic light changes. However, if I did live there I fear that I would begin to jump them all too as I got to know the area better.

In all honesty, what is actually wrong with jumping red lights on a bike? You're risking your own life, so it's your own problem if you get hit. Cyclists will slow down and present less of a danger to kamikaze pedestrians as they're smaller, lighter and can avoid people more easily. Perhaps its even true to say that cyclists who jump lights are more "aware" - they think hard about what they're doing and so develop skills that "normal" cyclists do not have.

Obviously, on the other side of the coin, red lights are there for a reason and so every road user should obey the rules of the road. Cyclists are (on the whole) uninsured, so even if an accident occurs due to their error and your car is damaged, they have no liability. Lastly, cycling through lights makes life for pedestrians more dangerous, even if there is little chance of a collision.

So, what do you all think?

[Pints]

I won't run the risk of an accident or being flashed by one of those evil red light cameras.

[Henry Hawthorne]

Any reason why Swerni?

[arryb]

Interesting one this, I used to never jump them however, I have been more and more recently having found that it's sometimes easier for me to get out of the way of the cars before their lights go green than it is to sit until they go green and sometimes annoy them by keeping them behind me. But having said that, I don't live in a busy city and if it is busy then I won't jump the lights, only when there aren't any pedestrians around waiting to cross and not much traffic about.

[mouseymousey]

On my commute there is a set of lights at which I turn left. When my light is red there are only pedestrians that could be in my way, no on-coming traffic. If I can see that there are no pedestrians crossing then I'll go through the light very slowly.

I will also sit beyond the stop line at other junctions to help get ahead of the traffic, this is also technically jumping a red light.

I tried to vote for the 'sometimes (late at night etc.)' option but my vote seems to have disappeared!

[Parrot of Doom]

I'll nip through a quiet pedestrian crossing, but generally I never ignore a red light at a junction.

[Gooby]

Singletrack isnt well known for its traffic rules...

[Kermit power]

I do from time to time, but only when there's nothing around. Basically I set myself a rule of thumb which is that if I'd be happy crossing the road as a pedestrian, I'd be happy doing so on a bike.

[Tampon]

Kermit power said:

I do from time to time, but only when there's nothing around. Basically I set myself a rule of thumb which is that if I'd be happy crossing the road as a pedestrian, I'd be happy doing so on a bike.

About the same here ( good summary ), I cycled through acton, hammersmith, down fulham to wandsworth bridge, there were two traffic lights where I would always stop, occasionally cross, one it made no difference and two others that were 50/50. Anything major and it was treat it like a car or get off the bike and walk it across.

[Hard-Drive]

Only ever if it's a road I know (and I don't live in a city!) and there's nothing whatsoever about. And only then if I'm turning left if that makes sense. I'd never cross the traffic flow (even if there is'nt any)

[b2hbm]

Never. It's the best way I can think of to p1$$ off a motorist and get cyclists a bad name. Although there might not be anyone in sight when you start off, there's nothing to say you won't meet someone speeding through and then you'll find your reactions & fitness aren't as good as you thought.

Jumping lights is one of those things that works fine until the day it doesn't. A no-brainer, just like the ones that do it.

[Richair]

Never, ever in a car however on occasion I will on my bike; only when I'm being uneccesarily delayed by the signal or it's safe to do so.

Normally thought I will cycle onto the footway and around the signal to avoid it though; so I'm probably then breaking 2 laws

[Muzzlehatch]

Henry Hawthorne said:

In all honesty, what is actually wrong with jumping red lights on a bike? You're risking your own life, so it's your own problem if you get hit.

With respect, that is exactly the inconsiderate attitude that people hate about cyclists.

It's not just your own problem if you get hit. If you are injured or killed, the driver of that vehicle will have the burden of your selfish brief existence on their mind for the rest of their life.

Have some respect and share the road according to the agreed rules, and everyone will get along just fine.

[AlecG]

I do, not all the time, but if its just going red for pedestrians and there is a way for me to safely get through the pedestrians (ie its not busy) I'll do it. I always slow down for red lights, and assess the situation before going for it or stopping...

[Nick_F]

Never. Green means 'proceed if it's safe to do so', not red.

[Roman]

Never

How can you expect other road users to treat you with respect when you flout the rules?

[Henry Hawthorne]

Muzzlehatch said:

Henry Hawthorne said:

In all honesty, what is actually wrong with jumping red lights on a bike? You're risking your own life, so it's your own problem if you get hit.

With respect, that is exactly the inconsiderate attitude that people hate about cyclists.

It's not just your own problem if you get hit. If you are injured or killed, the driver of that vehicle will have the burden of your selfish brief existence on their mind for the rest of their life.

Have some respect and share the road according to the agreed rules, and everyone will get along just fine.

Well if you'd read the rest of my post then you would have seen I look at both sides of the arguments, but okay.

[Muzzlehatch]

Henry Hawthorne said:

Muzzlehatch said:

Henry Hawthorne said:

In all honesty, what is actually wrong with jumping red lights on a bike? You're risking your own life, so it's your own problem if you get hit.

With respect, that is exactly the inconsiderate attitude that people hate about cyclists.

It's not just your own problem if you get hit. If you are injured or killed, the driver of that vehicle will have the burden of your selfish brief existence on their mind for the rest of their life.

Have some respect and share the road according to the agreed rules, and everyone will get along just fine.

Well if you'd read the rest of my post then you would have seen I look at both sides of the arguments, but okay.

Sorry, that was not intentionally aimed at you. When writing "you" and "your", I didn't mean you personally, but the general "you".

[BOR]

I rarely cross on red purely out of self preservation. If I'm on the road, rather than cycle path, I'll accelerate away on amber, to get safely out of the way of the cars behind me.

But even crossing on green isn't necessarily safe. Yesterday a group of us waited as the crossing traffic halted on red, and after our light turned green and we pedalled off, a car sailed through the red, just in front of us........

[Fetchez la vache]

Having lived in the us where you can turn right on a red I have a little leaway on those who go through red lights to turn left (though not much, and I dont), but to sail straight through red lights crossing the flow of traffic is simply inexcusable in my books - especially when there ARE other vehicles who have the right of way..

OK, some here have obviously not had accidents in doing so, but those 'close misses' that some of you seem to be proud of would have seriously
a) pissed others off, showing no consideration
b) cars breaking sharply to miss tts on bikes can cause all manner of hell in a car full of kids that some of you obiously never think about
c) gets yet more people to be less considerate to the average cyclist
d) You obviously take pleasure in ruining someone elses day. How big of you.

Crossing the road isn't supposed to be a war with the cagers. Treat others with the respect that you would wish others to treat you.

and no, I dont believe I've just written that either...