Stopping at red lights

Is there a problem with some cyclists not observing red lights? 15 minutes at Broadway Market on 25th May 2012.

• Category

  News & Politics

[Eric D]

Since cyclists are using an under-used pedestrian phase, perhaps there should be a green-for-cyclists phase ? I believe that's being tried at Bow Roundabout - how's it going ?

The biggest problem is cars turning left through a lane of cyclists. Cars need an indicator-repeater visible for cyclists alongside.

The junction needs widening, with footwalk corners more rounded-off : even cars struggle to stay in lane.

Interesting use of the wrong side of the road !

Vans racing on amber are also scary.

[Eric D]

If your point was that some cyclists don't stop for red lights then that is obviously true to an extent. The real question is 'Is it a problem?'. I would say that most abuse a pedestrian phase - no problem for motorists - good for them as out of their way. Peds cross away from the junction - illegal in many countries.

Sometimes cyclists progress slowly - giving way to pedestrians.

The only time a cyclist comes close to pedestrians, he can be heard to shout "Hey - I had a green light! 14:00

[Brenda Puech]

The first thing that strikes one about this video is how wonderful it is to see so many people going to work by bike! How churlish to gripe at the few cyclists who safely go through the pedestrian green. In fact there is very little pedestrian movement crossing Goldsmith Row-most of it is crossing Whiston Road.

I go through this junction every day and the worst offenders are the drivers coming out of Broadway Market turning right against cyclists going north.

[LondonCycling]

Bad driving is strongly linked with cyclist casualties, whereas 'cyclists disobeying lights' is linked to less than 2% of crashes. Sadly, dangerous and often illegal driving is so endemic that Boff, and often the police, fail to recognise it.

The video also shows two lorries illegally driving through a 7.5-ton weight limit: one is an 18-ton lorry, the other 26-ton. In recent years three cyclists have been killed near here by HGVs taking short cuts on recognised cycle routes.

[LondonCycling]

While it's disappointing this video shows two or three examples of dangerous cycling, where pedestrians are put at risk, there are many more examples of cyclists put at risk through careless driving, at risk of very serious injury or death.

For example, a car overtakes at speed, possibly rushing through the lights on amber; three cars and a milk float overtake cyclists then turn left across their path; and a white van rushes up behind a cyclist following within a few inches of their back wheel.

[TheRokuro]

As someone who only cycles (in central London) it's my experience that that no more than 1 in 10 cyclists actually stops for red lights when there is no cross-traffic, and some will go through even if there is. It annoys me but not as much as the laughably tribalistic and hypocritical justifications that RLJs come up with rationalise it for themselves.

[iaindcosta]

From this film it is obvious that the cyclists going through the red light are safer than the ones waiting for the green. They are looking where they are going and giving way to pedestrians. The ones who wait until all the vans and other motor vehicles start are putting themselves in danger. I speak as a cyclist and motorist. I suggest you get complain about danger to others- caused almost exclusively by poor driving, not the humble cyclist-

[t0mdestry]

What is your concern here, Mr Boff, law-breaking or safety? By far the most dangerous incidents in this video are caused by left turning cars. Most motorists ignore the Advance Stop Zones, too, and many get far too close to cyclists setting off when the lights turn green. I'd be very tempted to jump these lights to avoid this. I think it would be the safer option. In order to avoid breaking the law, I could get off and push my bike across the junction. Is that what you would recommend?

[ron611087]

I don't condone the RLJ'ing but it would more interesting if you setup your cam to face an electronic speed warning device to compare percentage motorists who speed against percentage cyclists who RLJ. Just like cyclists who RLJ, those motorists who speed don't believe they are doing anything wrong. Speeding however has a far greater impact on KSI stats than cyclist RLJing.