This morning I dared to stop at a red light. For this antisocial pedantic adhesion to the Highway Code, I nearly got flattened and did get abuse for obviously not behaving like a sterotype. The culprit was a City of Edinburgh council truck who managed to negotiate the junction safely about 20 seconds after amber-->red
I think he expected me to continue. The old red light libel used to be a boring topic for trolling, now I see it as a threat to my safety.
Glad I was not coming the other way in any vehicle at the time.
While 20 seconds is longer than usual. It's common for cagers to go through red lights several seconds after red. If I was riding in the primary position with a cager close behind I would consider not stopping at an amber as I believe you are quite correct that it is a risk to safety. Iain
While 20 seconds is longer than usual. It's common for cagers to go through red lights several seconds after red. If I was riding in the primary position with a cager close behind I would consider not stopping at an amber as I believe you are quite correct that it is a risk to safety.
A good trick is to slow-up approaching lights, which often 'forces' them to overtake you - safer than having them clobbering you from behind. IIRC the HC suggests that you slow down for all lights and junctions anyway, green light or not, whereas common behavour is to accelerate to get across before the light changes.
A good trick is to slow-up approaching lights, which often 'forces' them to overtake you - safer than having them clobbering you from behind. IIRC the HC suggests that you slow down for all lights and junctions anyway, green light or not, whereas common behavour is to accelerate to get across before the light changes.
I would not want someone overtaking me *just* before a junction, as the road is often narrowed by traffic islands, and if the lights did go red and they stopped suddenly (it has been known) you would not want to be right behind them!
A good trick is to slow-up approaching lights, which often 'forces' them to overtake you - safer than having them clobbering you from behind. IIRC the HC suggests that you slow down for all lights and junctions anyway, green light or not, whereas common behavour is to accelerate to get across before the light changes.
I would not want someone overtaking me *just* before a junction, as the road is often narrowed by traffic islands, and if the lights did go red and they stopped suddenly (it has been known) you would not want to be right behind them!
I know what sothach means though; I will sometimes slow slighty to ensure that a wazzock passes me before we both enter a dangerous bit of road. Similarly, I have been known to run an amber light when being "tailgated"[1] by a comparable wazzock in too much of a hurry.
Whether these actions are actually correct in either legal or safety terms I do not know, but at the time they seemed the best response to the situations.
Regards,
[1] What would be the comparble bicycling term? "Mudguarded" perhaps or even "racked"?
Similarly, I have been known to run an amber light when being "tailgated"[1] by a comparable wazzock in too much of a hurry.
[1] What would be the comparble bicycling term? "Mudguarded" perhaps or even "racked"?
Inverted motor-pacing? If it was a bike behind you the rider would be a wheel-sucker so perhaps a vehicle too close behind could be called a wheel-rubber. -- Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"
I received a profuse apology from a pedestrian who stepped out in front of me this morning. He got off a bus while it was stuck in traffic, but well out towards the middle of the road and I was filtering up the left. "I knew that would happen" he said. Luckily so did I.
Similarly, I have been known to run an amber light when being "tailgated"[1] by a comparable wazzock in too much of a hurry.
[1] What would be the comparble bicycling term? "Mudguarded" perhaps or [even "racked"?
Inverted motor-pacing? If it was a bike behind you the rider would be a wheel-sucker so perhaps a vehicle too close behind could be called a wheel-rubber.
Or a frotteur, perhaps?
-- [email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/ ;; This email may contain confidential or otherwise privileged ;; information, though, quite frankly, if you're not the intended ;; recipient and you've got nothing better to do than read other ;; folks' emails then I'm glad to have brightened up your sad little ;; life a tiny bit.
This morning I dared to stop at a red light. For this antisocial pedantic adhesion to the Highway Code, I nearly got flattened and did get abuse for obviously not behaving like a sterotype. The culprit was a City of Edinburgh council truck who managed to negotiate the junction safely about 20 seconds after amber-->red
I think he expected me to continue. The old red light libel used to be a boring topic for trolling, now I see it as a threat to my safety.
As a motorcyclists (as well as a cyclist) I am all too aware of the dangers of red light jumpers, as the motorbike is often the first vehicle away from the lights, and with greater acceleration than the cagers. So, I tend when driving, or motorcycling, to be more observant of the amber phase than the average Leicester clot-headed driver. Thus, I have been very nearly rear-ended more than once. The last time was (if you know it) coming up to the Leicester Tigers ground along Walnut Street where I received a torrent of verbal from a driver who seemed to have an issue with my having stopped at a red light and impeded his vital progress.
Similarly, I have been known to run an amber light when being "tailgated"[1] by a comparable wazzock in too much of a hurry.
[1] What would be the comparble bicycling term? "Mudguarded" perhaps or [even "racked"?
Inverted motor-pacing? If it was a bike behind you the rider would be a wheel-sucker so perhaps a vehicle too close behind could be called a wheel-rubber.
Or a frotteur, perhaps?
LOL Oui, je comprends :-) -- Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"
Similarly, I have been known to run an amber light when being "tailgated"[1] by a comparable wazzock in too much of a hurry.
Whether these actions are actually correct in either legal or safety terms I do not know, but at the time they seemed the best response to the situations.
According to the Highway Code the amber traffic light means:
"You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident"
If you reasonably believe that stopping for the amber has a significant risk of your being rear-ended then from that wording ISTM you are quite correct to continue through the amber. It's almost universal among motorists not to stop for an amber light if they think they can dash through before the red, so it's perfectly reasonable IMV to assume they're unlikely to stop.
