I don't get why did he(cyclist) risked running the red light?

gurramok

This fella darted across me this early this morning from the left. The motorist to my right travelling in same direction also banged on the horn.

Can anyone explain why he would risk serious injury for the sake of a couple of seconds? I'm both a cyclist and motorist and i've never darted across a junction even in the daytime! It ain't worth it.
PS: yes, for the pedantics the bus lane was not in operation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNwPPw5QJOo

**Timbuk2**

He most likely misjudged your speed (and the speed of the adjacent car), given the fact that it was nighttime (which makes it harder to judge speeds) and the fact you were accelerating from a standstill.

He still should have been more careful, obviously, that could have ended worse so thankfully it didn't.

coolbeans

He's a dope.

Mycroft H

As a cyclist and a driver I will say that he was just a idiot.

I have no pity for what happens to red light jumpers.

Ninap

As a cyclist and a driver I always jump red lights when on my bike...
It's not any more hazardous than any other aspect of cycling in city traffic.
But you do need to keep alert and not take stupid risks, unlike this chap

coolbeans

Knowing boardsie's penchant for generalising I'd just like to point out that the previous poster is not representative of all cyclists on here. I find it's better to obey the rules unless they put you in danger and sitting at a red doesn't doesn't put you in danger. Cycle lanes on the other hand, well that's a story for another day...

Ninap

coolbeans wrote: »

Knowing boardsie's penchant for generalising I'd just like to point out that the previous poster is not representative of all cyclists on here. I find it's better to obey the rules unless they put you in danger and sitting at a red doesn't doesn't put you in danger. Cycle lanes on the other hand, well that's a story for another day...

Obeying the rules does put you in danger if, for example, you wait for the green light to go straight on while a truck is waiting to turn left and can't see you...

coolbeans

Ninap wrote: »

Obeying the rules does put you in danger if, for example, you wait for the green light to go straight on while a truck is waiting to turn left and can't see you...

Balderdash, proper positioning takes care of that scenario. Stop trying to justify yourself and improve your skills on the bike.

Ninap

coolbeans wrote: »

Balderdash, proper positioning takes care of that scenario. Stop trying to justify yourself and improve your skills on the bike.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2010/nov/18/hgv-city-ban-to-protect-cyclists

""Trucks with high cabs are designed for motorway driving and should not be allowed inside city limits," said Dr Andrei Morgan from LSHTM's department of epidemiology and public health, who led the research. "Cyclists can do as much as they like in terms of making themselves visible: they can wear neon and cover themselves in lights, but truck drivers can't see them because they are too high up, the angles are wrong. Advanced stop lines are helpful but they don't solve the issue."

The research found that 53% of cyclists killed by trucks were crushed by trucks turning left across them, illustrating the danger of cycling up the left-hand side of a heavy vehicle. European studies have found the same (PDF)."

coolbeans

Proper positioning means being aware of the line of sight of a trucker and positioning yourself accordingly. Your point is therefore moot. In twelve years of cycling in Dublin and Cork I have never had to or felt the need to run a red because I feared the truck behind me would squash me. RLJ'ing gives cyclists a bad image generally which translates into a lack of respect from motorised transport users IMO.

Eddie Smart

that chap is brazen.. I heard a few hospitals are betting where he comes first..:eek:

papu

It's never worth it in my eyes , for the sake of saving a couple of minutes.
Theres no excuse for jumping red lights , If you need to make up time cycle faster!

-Chris-

You'd really need to stop the cyclist and ask them. I doubt anyone here can tell you why that particular cyclist broke that particular light.

All you'll get here is generalisations and suppositions (sprinkled with a couple of outright stupid responses).

Shane732

Ninap wrote: »

It's not any more hazardous than any other aspect of cycling in city traffic.

It may not be any more hazardous for you but you fail to think of that hits you even though he has the green light.

Of course it's more hazardous. I'll explain it for you....

Green light means you can go and that there's no cars coming at you.
Red light means you can't go and that there are car coming at you.

Shane732

Ninap wrote: »

Obeying the rules does put you in danger if, for example, you wait for the green light to go straight on while a truck is waiting to turn left and can't see you...

I'm going to bite....

FFS your comments are just plain stupid.

I couldn't careless about what happens to you on you bike. What happens if I'm the unlucky fecker that hits you when you're breaking a light, we collide and you do damage to my car? Are you going to pay for the damage?

Arrgggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!

poisonated

Out of interest, why were you recording in the first place. I do think that the cyclist was an idiot for doing that. Very close call.

Ninap

Shane732 wrote: »

It may not be any more hazardous for you but you fail to think of that hits you even though he has the green light.

Of course it's more hazardous. I'll explain it for you....

Green light means you can go and that there's no cars coming at you.
Red light means you can't go and that there are car coming at you.

What do you do when you come to a junction without traffic lights? You judge when it's safe to cross. Same thing I do when I'm at a junction with a red light and there's nothing coming. I'd happily obey all the rules of the road if they were designed with cyclists in mind; they're not. As a matter of interest, do you always wait for the green man when perambulating through the city centre?

zuroph

He was hurrying to the hospital where his partner was having their first child.

How are we meant to know why he made such a stupid move?!

Big Nasty

coolbeans wrote: »

Proper positioning means being aware of the line of sight of a trucker and positioning yourself accordingly. Your point is therefore moot. In twelve years of cycling in Dublin and Cork I have never had to or felt the need to run a red because I feared the truck behind me would squash me. RLJ'ing gives cyclists a bad image generally which translates into a lack of respect from motorised transport users IMO.

Not that I'm agreeing with red light jumping but most times I've heard of cyclists being killed is in cities with trucks.

Tea drinker

BX 19 wrote: »

As a cyclist and a driver I will say that he was just a idiot.

I have no pity for what happens to red light jumpers.

But won't they end up claiming on your insurance if you hit them even after going through the red light?

Proof of the need to record idiots around you on the road.

Tea drinker

Ninap wrote: »

I'd happily obey all the rules of the road if they were designed with me in mind; they're not.

fixed - PS good luck with that approach, unless you are harder than a car or truck, I'd invest in some good health insurance, you'll need it.

Wasn't some guy killed by a cyclist going tthe wrong way in dublin last year? Always good to have insurance to cover for killing the loss of a breadwinner from a family. My (70 yo) mother was hit by one of these "rules not made for me" type heroes, luckily for him she was ok.

thebullkf

coolbeans wrote: »

Knowing boardsie's penchant for generalising I'd just like to point out that the previous poster is not representative of all cyclists on here. I find it's better to obey the rules unless they put you in danger and sitting at a red doesn't doesn't put you in danger. Cycle lanes on the other hand, well that's a story for another day...

dismissing one generalisation with one of your own is a silly in fairness.

Agree with OP , guys a dope- noone to blame but himself if he goes under a truck whilst doing that.

Insurance wise whats the worst that could happen driver in situation such as this? (with and without camera- i assume much harder without camera to prove cyclist was at fault?)

the_syco

Ninap wrote: »

Obeying the rules does put you in danger if, for example, you wait for the green light to go straight on while a truck is waiting to turn left and can't see you...

I'll bite...

In this case the cyclist is at fault for
a) ignoring the trucks blind spot
b) ignoring that the truck is turning left (those yellow flashing lights are called indicators, and should not be ignored)
c) not taking into account their surroundings


Oh, and in the OP, the cyclist is breaking a red light. If the car had swerved to avoid the cyclist, they could have hit another car/cyclist and caused an accident. Thus, the cyclist who broke the red light is in the wrong.

-Chris-

Shane732 wrote: »

I'm going to bite....

the_syco wrote: »

I'll bite...

OK, that's enough people biting Ninap.

I'm closing this thread before Ninap's ridiculous comments gets someone infracted/banned.

You're welcome...