Part 3421 of "Red means stop, [censored]". Although the evidence presented in this article is anecdotal, of the 32 vehicles busting the reds, *2* were indeed, cyclists. The other 30 were, *cough*, motorised vehicles.
Funny that.
******
Police see red because city drivers don't
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/police-see-red-because-city-drivers-dont/2006/12/08/1165081153150.html
Stephen Moynihan. December 9, 2006
Image: Passing parade: taxis, trucks, sedans … you name it and they are all carrying drivers more than willing to ignore red lights on Melbourne's roads.
Waves of traffic spill down the hill of St Kilda Road towards Inkerman Street. It has just hit 6pm, in the midst of Melbourne's evening peak.
City workers are rushing to get home while truck drivers make their final deliveries of the day. It is a 60 km/h zone but cars are whizzing past.
Every minute or so, the lights on the outbound lanes of St Kilda Road change from green to amber. Most drivers slow down to brake, but at almost every change there are one or two that put their foot to the floor, accelerating through the busy intersection as the lights turn red.
The scene is repeated countless times at hundreds of intersections across Melbourne. Every day, motorists make the same calculation, weighing up the odds of a fatal accident or lasting injuries against the chance to cut their travel time by a few seconds.
Crash statistics reveal that more than 25 per cent of fatalities and 54 per cent of serious injuries occur at intersections. Road safety experts say that while the road toll has fallen and general driving behaviour has improved, drivers' actions at intersections have not.
During an hour on Wednesday night, The Age observed 32 vehicles running the red light at the St Kilda Road/Inkerman Street junction. Most were cars, but one was an LPG tanker, which shot through the intersection despite having adequate time to stop.
Two cyclists pedalled on and ignored the red light. Even an ambulance without its siren blaring failed to stop. As did a taxi.
Every time the lights changed, an average of at least two vehicles ran through the red light. The St Kilda intersection is not fitted with a red light camera to snare speeding drivers.
In August, police switched on 22 speed/red light cameras across Melbourne. The sites were chosen from VicRoads' top 100 most dangerous intersections. Since then, 41,000 infringement notices have been issued for running red lights.
Superintendent Shane Patton of the Traffic Camera Office says it is amazing how many drivers are unaware of the dangers of the practice.
"Going through red lights significantly increases the risk of injury or death," he says. So serious is the concern that almost all pleas from drivers who contest their fines are knocked back. "We don't entertain any pleas except for serious medical cases," Superintendent Patton says.
People who charge through a red light and get caught lose three demerit points and are fined $200. But as well as risking death, there are other hidden costs. Almost 50 people every day are seriously injured on Victoria's roads.
As the Christmas holiday period begins, police are still hopeful Victoria can record its lowest road toll ever. In 2004, 330 people died on the state's roads. The figure for this year now stands at 315. Police believe that is 315 lives that need not have been wasted.
While the message is being largely accepted by motorists heading over long distances, those rushing to the local shopping centre must also be aware of the dangerous combination of speed and holiday stress.
Superintendent Patton again urges caution on the roads. "Clearly the message is to slow down on the roads. We all want to see our families."