Illegal Actions Red Lights

There is a terminology problem with the question. Does "run" mean sail through the lights without pausing, or does it mean riding carefully through the red light after slowing or stopping to assess the wisdom of continuing? My answer is different for each question.

which ever way you are still goin thru a red light and it is still illegal.

Beauyboy

If the wheels are still touching the ground, then its a vechile, so pushing your bike accross the pedrestain crossing is still technically illegal. The solution is simply to pick up your bike and carry it.

However one would hope that the police are busy with drug dealers and mass murderers.

beauyboy said:

which ever way you are still goin thru a red light and it is still illegal.

Beauyboy

Your answer is irrelevant - please refer to posts on this htread: http://www.cyclingforums.com/t355291.html
- if you want to know why I say that.

I don't know if I am alone in this sentiment, but here goes. One of the biggest hassles that serious commuters have is that motorists do not take bikes seriously. Bikes that run red lights give all of us a bad name in the eyes of ignorant motorists. And lets face the fact that the greater majority of road users are ignorant.

Why else would we have as many tragic accidents as we do if road users were actually attentive, alert and educated? I see it everyday as a commuter. I see so many close calls between, cars, cars & trucks, buses & cars, the list just goes on.

Why am I rambling so? Because we expect that road users should respect us as environmentally pro-active, healthy individuals sharing their road space. How is running red lights, stop signs, amber lights & cutting in and out of traffic instilling respect. If we want respect we have to earn it. We have to obey the road rules and suffer the consequences if we don't. I think I am definitely a goodie two shoes, but hell I also want to live. It is no good if I have the fittest heart in the world if I am laying underneath a two tonne car. To wrap up, run red lights and run the risk of loosing any respect that the person in the car beside you had for you for getting off your backside and doing something worthwhile for the environment and yourself.

mjs4300 said:

I don't know if I am alone in this sentiment, but here goes. One of the biggest hassles that serious commuters have is that motorists do not take bikes seriously. Bikes that run red lights give all of us a bad name in the eyes of ignorant motorists. And lets face the fact that the greater majority of road users are ignorant.

Why else would we have as many tragic accidents as we do if road users were actually attentive, alert and educated? I see it everyday as a commuter. I see so many close calls between, cars, cars & trucks, buses & cars, the list just goes on.

Why am I rambling so? Because we expect that road users should respect us as environmentally pro-active, healthy individuals sharing their road space. How is running red lights, stop signs, amber lights & cutting in and out of traffic instilling respect. If we want respect we have to earn it. We have to obey the road rules and suffer the consequences if we don't. I think I am definitely a goodie two shoes, but hell I also want to live. It is no good if I have the fittest heart in the world if I am laying underneath a two tonne car. To wrap up, run red lights and run the risk of loosing any respect that the person in the car beside you had for you for getting off your backside and doing something worthwhile for the environment and yourself.

This has all been said already - read the other thread.

i dont think all cycle commuters do this because of the environment

most cyclists i know arent that fazed by the environment

but in saying that there are just as many that are environmentalists

but i don think we should be equating environmentalism with road safety most motorists would not care if you were or werent bieng safe and not colliding with them is all they care about.

Jeytown said:

i dont think all cycle commuters do this because of the environment

most cyclists i know arent that fazed by the environment

but in saying that there are just as many that are environmentalists

but i don think we should be equating environmentalism with road safety most motorists would not care if you were or werent bieng safe and not colliding with them is all they care about.

You are right - Joe Public isn't going to get on a bike to save the environment. He'll do it only when he sees it as fun, convenient, cheap, safe and healthy. While we continue the insanity of commuting 50-150km/day, the bike, and public transport, are never going to catch on for the majority.

artemidorus said:

This has all been said already - read the other thread.

Forgive me for expressing my opinion. I was so sure that I was free to express it here. Silly me!

I think it is safe to say that this poll has been a success with the amount of respondents (almost 100 votes). I am glad to see the majority do the right thing.

Beauyboy

PS i thinktime for next one.

mjs4300 said:

I don't know if I am alone in this sentiment, but here goes. One of the biggest hassles that serious commuters have is that motorists do not take bikes seriously. Bikes that run red lights give all of us a bad name in the eyes of ignorant motorists. And lets face the fact that the greater majority of road users are ignorant.

Why else would we have as many tragic accidents as we do if road users were actually attentive, alert and educated? I see it everyday as a commuter. I see so many close calls between, cars, cars & trucks, buses & cars, the list just goes on.

Why am I rambling so? Because we expect that road users should respect us as environmentally pro-active, healthy individuals sharing their road space. How is running red lights, stop signs, amber lights & cutting in and out of traffic instilling respect. If we want respect we have to earn it. We have to obey the road rules and suffer the consequences if we don't. I think I am definitely a goodie two shoes, but hell I also want to live. It is no good if I have the fittest heart in the world if I am laying underneath a two tonne car. To wrap up, run red lights and run the risk of loosing any respect that the person in the car beside you had for you for getting off your backside and doing something worthwhile for the environment and yourself.

Here's my 2c: probably already been said, but here goes.

The concept of a 'homogeneous' group (motorists) considering another 'homogeneous' group differently because of the actions of one or a few is flawed: the groups aren't homogeneous (just catch the roadies v commuters discussions; antipathy towards 4WDs). Respect on the road would be nice, but so would a million bucks.

Your better off, and safer, by dealing with what is. Expect some cars to do stupid and inconsiderate things. Expect some cyclists to do the same. Leave your ego at home, because your ego is no use to you dead.

I don't run read lights; why? I might get caught? No, I've never seen anyone pulled over. It pisses drivers off? Maybe, but so does making them pass you. The real reason: because if I run them I am doing something unexpected. Fine if everyone else is behaving as expected, but if someone else is doing something stupid then I am several times more likely to get hit.

I also check for cars coming when I go through on the green: I have seen too many cars running reds around the place to assume that 'motorists' have respect for a light.

I won't run through a red light but I do sometimes go across a pedestrian crossing when it is still red, when the traffic light for the cars to stop at this crossing is red, I have pressed the crossing button and the damn thing won't change to green until the next sequence of traffic light changes. This example is at a shared path, and if I was on the road parallel to the shared path the traffic light is indicating green so I would have right of way if I was on the road, yet using the shared path the crossing light seems out of sequence.

James

No I dont but thats probably because there isn't many lights near where I live

okay heres something .................................

ill admit im confused about some intersections could i get some help as to my actions i freely admit im doing the wrong thing but i have no idea what else to do ?

one

intersection of Great North Road and Lyons Road, Five Dock
turning right from Great North Road on to Lyons Road
multi - lane road

when i am in the far left approaching the traffic lights i merge into the right turn lane like i would if i was in a car.

do i stay behind the cars in the lane or do i make my way up to the front.

if i go up to the front where do i place myself?

Lochmaree Pde and Concord Road

another crazy place??

Rhodes Estate

okay im leaving the rhodes estate and making my up the pedestian ramp onto homebush bay drive and it enters on to a Harrison road a local road controlled by lights i get to the lights but once again im at the intersection where am i placed to to right ?

brewer street turning right into ian pde

has aybody found this interection confusing .................

once again im admitting that i have trouble with my actions but if ther was a better way i wnat to know about it ?

I just made a new poll that wuld proably answer any question about lights.

Beauyboy

i voted no and I've stuck to that so far... I commute and leave at 6 sometimes.... or just on a really early morning ride... I've waited through 2 red left turn lights, if no cars come, i'll ride through an intersection w/ the green and make a right turn through the corner store and come out facing the way i needed to turn and then go when it's green... if it doesn't turn green, that's what the crosswalk buttons are for... course there are those few lights that you don't have to stop for when the bike lane does not have a stop line cause no car will be turning into you... those are SO much fun in the mornings when all the cars are lined up waiting for the eternity of a red light and you just wizz on by and they don't catch up till 2 lights later! oh the joy of making drivers jealous