Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Fined for jumping a red light
So I can hear many people being pleased about this, but I can promise you fining people for jumping red lights doesnt work
its the 2nd time I have been fined and this time it cost me £50 on a very rainy monday by a very grumpy young PC- not happy- all cars staitonary- and no pedestrians
But will it stop me ( or other serial red light jumpers like me)- well its a BIG FAT NO-
Its just now I will have to make sure there are no police cars in the vicinity- So infact instead of making the roads safer, instead of me previously doing a thorough check of the road of any cars, pedestrians, other cyclists., I now have to check for police which means Im possibly less than 100% focused on everything else
So to put this in context
I am a middle age woman who has been cycling in london on a daily basis for the last 30years. I have been knocked off quite a few times( absolutely none of them my fault)
2 of my accidents in my early years of cycling where when i was leaving traffic lights- so I learnt like many other cyclists, traffic lights are dangerous places to stop- So provided its totally clear, get on your way. The more cyclists on the road, the worst junctions seem with the cluster of cyclists trying to find room with cars behind getting impatient and trying to squeeze through dangerously narrow gaps
So you are never going to convince me or many other cyclists its safer to stop at red lights- although i might be a bit richer
So any PC PlODS out there dont waste your time especially on a rainy day - go and catch real crims
So i know many wont agree wth this, but unfortunately a few cyclists give us all a bad name- such as cyclists
who jump lights in a dangerous way( when there are cars around
cyclists who go on pavments and weave around pedestians- scarring them
cyclists who dont stop at pedestrian crossings when people are crossing-terrible!!!!!!!!!!
But something needs to be done with all these recent deaths, and I would be really interested in what the circumstances were- i would guarantee it wasnt due to jumping a light-unless of course the person had been drinking etc
Most bad accidents/fatalities happen by people obeying the law- so the law needs to be changed
And when are pedestrians going to be fined for jay walking across roads and knocking cyclists off
I got sent flying only 2 months ago by a pedestrian running out in front of me on green lanes, close to the ale emporium- the 3rd time a pedestrian has knocked me off over the years
Right Rant finished
And anyone/cyclist wants to make our roads safer, see the petition below
Replies are closed for this discussion.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Charlotte on
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I come from Denmark where cycling is very very popular and even young kids often cycle to school. Cyclists, Pedestrians, Cars, etc. are all seen as equal road users which means that even pedestrians get fined for jumping red lights. Everyone is equal in the traffic and there is a clear duty and expectation to look out for each other. Nobody is above the law. Denmark is lucky that the roads are wider and there are segregated or at least clearly marked cycle lanes which can be difficult here due to our overcrowded narrow roads, but that just makes it more important to show some manners and accept that nobody is above the law.
Personally I find that you do have to position yourself, as a cyclist, quite agressively in the middle of the lane and have as much eye contact as possible with drivers. Hopefully new road users will learn to be more considerate of everyone they share the road with.
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We can't not have buses, lorries and HGVs, but you are right we need to stop some of the drivers acting as complete bullies on the road. Two HGVs, one after the other, left me with hardly any room between them and the parked cars on Hornsey Park Road. Given the speed they were at on such a narrow road I would have been dead if they had to get out of the way of an oncoming car. Just goes back to my point on manners and consideration by all. Bikes should be on the lookout for danger like anyone else, but if sensors and/or mirrors could help the large vehicles then that would be great. Maybe it needs to come from the insurance companies i.e. to increase insurance premiums for those who don't take these precautions....
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Permalink Reply by Gerry Platt on
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Best described as bullies!
It is better to take the lane thus controlling the traffic behind you. This also gives you more space to your left to retreat into if they try a close overtake.
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Permalink Reply by Malcolm on
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Er, it's not 10-20 cyclists killed each day, so your argument is ... weak.
You also seem to have a misunderstanding of the physics of light. It travels in straight lines, and thus having 360 degree surveillance from a large vehicle is rather impractical.
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Permalink Reply by Birdy_Too on
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Slightly off topic but, I have a pretty shit helmet camera (still does a job) which I try and record on most journeys, just in case like. I want to get a better one, any recommendations?
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Search here, cams have been discussed:
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Permalink Reply by pamish on
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One thread re helmetcams, hard to search for. Fairly recent. As they say, they will go on getting cheaper + better - Moore's law.
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Why CDF is supporting one cyclist's challenge of a FPN:
http://www.cyclistsdefencefund.org.uk/cycling-organisations-show-su...
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At first this makes complete sense and I feel for the cyclist. But, I also think we would have a completely lawless society if we all believed that two wrongs make a right.
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It's not so much the act of breaking the law, it's the intention. The cyclist did not intend to break the law but had no choice.
Another example; when the light is red the only legal way for a cyclist to get to the front stop line is alongside the left of the traffic; there is a cycle lane. If the cyclist instead approaches from the right (the safer option)of the stationary traffic s/he has to cross the first stop line: this is illegal. I have discussed this with a policeman (who works full time to promote cycling safety), he recommends the latter option & says that no cyclist will be prosecuted for doing it. The police are working to get this law changed.
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