Dem cyclists all break de lights Joe!

Moflojo · 11-10-2016 04:30PM

The British road safety authority carried out a comprehensive study on red light breaking in 2007 and found that cyclists were 23% more likely than motorists to break red lights. There's an interesting infographic about the study in this link:

http://think.direct.gov.uk/redlightbreaking

2RockMountain · 11-10-2016 04:34PM

MeatTwoVeg wrote: »

Nope, this is what you posted.

Yes, yes I did. And your point is?

MeatTwoVeg wrote: »

Yeah, well I simply don't believe that to be credible.

So just to be clear - the kinds of scenarios that appear in that Phibsboro video with 1 or 2 or 3 drivers blowing through a red light, the kinds of scenarios that most of us see at every set of lights in the city, pretty much every time those lights change - you're firm belief is that such scenarios have never happened when a Garda car happened to be at the front of the other queue of traffic or when a Garda happened to walk round the corner?

So it happens tens of thousands of times every day in Dublin, but never in front of a Garda?

And you're questioning my credibility?

Hungrycol wrote: »

Amanda Brunker: 'I've narrowly avoided killing three cyclists already this week - when will they wise up?'

http://www.independent.ie/life/city-cycling/amanda-brunker-ive-narrowly-avoided-killing-three-cyclists-already-this-week-when-will-they-wise-up-35120681.html

Seems to be trendy to hate cyclists at the moment.

Feel free to engage;

https://twitter.com/AmandaJBrunker

rubadub · 11-10-2016 05:03PM

Harvey Worried Beanbag wrote: »

The rules of the road seem to be just an inconvenience to many road users.

yep, and thats why so many people break them, and from what I experience most do it in a pretty safe manner, which is also obviously why gardai ignore it.

In countries like germany I find it a bit unnerving to see total compliance with laws. People standing patiently on completely empty roads waiting for a green man to cross. Like something from some weird police state film.

07Lapierre wrote: »

+1 The only answer is to Ban traffic lights!

this has been done with success in some places.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1028740/Accident-free-zone-The-German-town-scrapped-traffic-lights-road-signs.html

I have often seen junctions operating pretty well when lights are gone and no gardai are about.

Hungrycol · 11-10-2016 05:31PM

2RockMountain wrote: »

Feel free to engage;

https://twitter.com/AmandaJBrunker

Meh, I don't let it bother me. TBH I skim read the article because I knew where it was going based on the headline. I was right it was the usual rhetoric, helmet, no lights, victim blaming, blah blah blah. It just seems to hitting the headlines a lot lately and takes up a lot of space on this cycling "enthusiast" forum.

ted1 · 11-10-2016 06:03PM

I blame Brixit

boardbeer · 11-10-2016 06:07PM

rubadub wrote: »

In countries like germany I find it a bit unnerving to see total compliance with laws. People standing patiently on completely empty roads waiting for a green man to cross. Like something from some weird police state film.

Happened to me last week in Munich, empty road, red pedestrian light, so off I trot, got given out to "die Kinder ein Vorbild!" as usual, by a woman waiting to cross the pedestrian crossing on a bike, ffs!

magicbastarder · 11-10-2016 06:08PM

just back from a spin, went down collins avenue, up the malahide road and came back the same way.
at every junction where i looked (maybe at about ten junctions), and could see the sequence of the other lights crossing, motorists broke red lights (and ambers they clearly had time to stop at); up to four at one point.

it struck me - blatantly obviously now that i think about it - that cyclists will see far more motorists breaking red lights than motorists do, and it's not a psychological thing. the majority of the time, motorists are not sitting at the front of the queue at a junction, and thus have a much more restricted view of the state of the traffic lights for crossing traffic. cyclists *are* usually up the front and watching the lights, so have a far better viewpoint for such activity.

tomasrojo · 11-10-2016 07:28PM

rubadub wrote: »

Wonder if she wears a helmet walking or driving, and high viz walking from "A to B" or does the style suddenly take priority in those situations.

http://www.howiechong.com/journal/2014/2/bike-helmets

Zombie 85% claim alert.

Chuchote · 11-10-2016 08:00PM

Moflojo wrote: »

The British road safety authority carried out a comprehensive study on red light breaking in 2007 and found that cyclists were 23% more likely than motorists to break red lights.

And the French decided to allow cyclists to proceed through red lights where it's safe, using their own judgment…

OleRodrigo · 11-10-2016 10:14PM

Roundabouts.....are the new red lights.

Honestly, does any motorist in this country know how to navigate one properly? It seems not. I pass through several on the commute. Slowing down on approach, taking the right lane for the exit and indicating at the right time..you'd rarely see all three.

Its another area where cyclists have a better vantage point on the scale of transgression than that of motorists.

NiallBoo · 11-10-2016 11:45PM

OleRodrigo wrote: »

Roundabouts.....are the new red lights.

Honestly, does any motorist in this country know how to navigate one properly? .

Dunno, but I hear they're thinking of putting parking-meters on a few if the busier ones.

CramCycle · 12-10-2016 03:07AM

OleRodrigo wrote: »

Roundabouts.....are the new red lights.

Honestly, does any motorist in this country know how to navigate one properly? It seems not. I pass through several on the commute. Slowing down on approach, taking the right lane for the exit and indicating at the right time..you'd rarely see all three.

Its another area where cyclists have a better vantage point on the scale of transgression than that of motorists.

One near my house where some people have started using the left hand lane as an overtaking lane while taking the third exit on the roundabout. It is a world of glorious stupidity out there. Like most people, it is the fools we remember more than the sensible. On the other roundabout (signal controlled) near me, it is fun to sit there every morning after the light goes green waiting for the last red light runner to go through. Typically 5 per cycle, and I think it is only 5 because that is all that are there. This mornings last one was a small green Fiat Chichento struggling to hold the road as it came through the red as the last remaining car.

average_runner · 12-10-2016 10:39AM

CramCycle wrote: »

One near my house where some people have started using the left hand lane as an overtaking lane while taking the third exit on the roundabout. It is a world of glorious stupidity out there. Like most people, it is the fools we remember more than the sensible. On the other roundabout (signal controlled) near me, it is fun to sit there every morning after the light goes green waiting for the last red light runner to go through. Typically 5 per cycle, and I think it is only 5 because that is all that are there. This mornings last one was a small green Fiat Chichento struggling to hold the road as it came through the red as the last remaining car.

Roundabouts never stop amazing me.
People going in the left lane for the third exit and then want to cup across you.

Also hate people indicating to their right when they are going straight at the roundabout, just indicate left after the first exit and go in the left lane unless the road states otherwise!

dub_skav · 12-10-2016 10:47AM

average_runner wrote: »

Also hate people indicating to their right when they are going straight at the roundabout, just indicate left after the first exit and go in the left lane unless the road states otherwise!

While this is absolutely correct, at 2 particular roundabouts that I use regularly I now indicate right when going straight from the left lane. I do this because the (correct) behaviour of going straight from the left lane at these 2 roundabouts seems so entirely foreign a concept to everybody that the people entering seem to assume that you will turn left and pull out dangerously. So, to avoid this I now indicate right just until I am beyond that entrance.

Of course that should not be necessary, but I believe it keeps me and everybody else safer by making this adjustment

magicbastarder · 12-10-2016 10:52AM

average_runner wrote: »

Also hate people indicating to their right when they are going straight at the roundabout, just indicate left after the first exit and go in the left lane unless the road states otherwise!

i know people who insist this is the correct thing to do.

rubadub · 12-10-2016 11:16AM

average_runner wrote: »

Also hate people indicating to their right when they are going straight at the roundabout, just indicate left after the first exit and go in the left lane unless the road states otherwise!

I find it safest to just ignore indicators. I presume everyone is a psycho with a grudge ready to "teach me a lesson", once you do this the cycle is more enjoyable as I am not wound up, it is also safer.

I always wonder why they do not have programs on TV about how to drive. A huge amount of people on the road with full licences have never sat a test, many get their rules from "bloke in the pub" types.

When RTE shut down programming they could easily just run programs showing rules, and showing actual examples. People are more likely to watch that than read rules which may not be very clear. You see the odd tv ad about motorways. Many have no idea about other rules. Some situations are also not covered in the rules of the road. In my driving test I blatantly broke a red light and passed, I did what I thought was sensible and the tester obviously saw I did it in a safe controlled manner. I am still unsure if what I did was actually illegal.

Just yesterday I saw a car technically break a red to allow a garda car behind him get out. I read in the UK they have cameras in some places and now emergency services are suffering as people stick to the law and do not budge.

07Lapierre · 12-10-2016 12:24PM

Expect more red light jumping, more frustrated drivers and More deaths on our roads!

http://www.thejournal.ie/cycling-schools-3020766-Oct2016/

jon1981 · 12-10-2016 01:11PM

No vision! Sure it's the same on the quays in Dublin, I don't believe we'll see any change before 2022 or at all. Too scared to upset the motorist.

The reality is, the quays and many roads will not cope with the growth of the population and increase in cars. Sure it's gridlock as it is.

Motorist complain that cyclists weave in and out traffic and we do, this is because you can't squeeze a cat between the lanes along the quays and I'm sure as hell not going to sit behind a car for 15 minutes.

rant over

actually it's not over ...

I don't break red lights and I want to see cyclists smothering the front of the lane at red lights...then motorists will see the value in letting cyclists safely proceed through red lights when it is safe to do so. We have so many red light jumpers, motorists don't see how bad it would be if you made every cyclist wait at a red light.

Now the rant is over!!

average_runner · 12-10-2016 01:33PM

07Lapierre wrote: »

Expect more red light jumping, more frustrated drivers and More deaths on our roads!

http://www.thejournal.ie/cycling-schools-3020766-Oct2016/

That's a disgrace. People from that council should email their councillors about this

00sully · 12-10-2016 02:57PM

As magicbastarder points out, cyclist see much more of this than cars. Weepsie see's 6 infractions on his commute. I captured below over 2 junctions in less than 5 minutes. The bus and car were going at some speed too.

This is the sign at the start of the north quays:

There's gonna be some serious accidents soon

I count at ~7 vehicles breaking reds below

Chips Lovell · 12-10-2016 03:03PM

Speaking of red light jumping, I saw a great one last week.

At the Castleknock gate of the Phoenix Park, you usually get a couple of cars going through after the light turns red. One evening last week, around four or five cars broke the lights going into the park. The guy at the top of the queue waiting to exit lost the rag and just floored it, blocking the last car from coming in the gate. Cue Mexican standoff with the two of them blowing their horns and blocking each other at the gate.

average_runner · 12-10-2016 03:04PM

Funny, if you go to westmoreland st at the bank you will see at least 5/6 bikes breaking the lights each time in the morning.

If you go to O'Connell Bridge / D'Olier st in the morning and the light is green for walkers, you will see buses and cars parked in the way and bikes going through it

jon1981 · 12-10-2016 03:09PM

Sorry, but I have to get this off my chest.

The biggest Pr**k/knob/d**k move I see each and every f**king day is the guy/girl that cycles at 5 kph , comes to a set of lights behind a car/bus/whatever and is hell bent on squeezing their big ass up to the front of the traffic skipping other cyclists , plonks their slow f**king ass down in front of the traffic and then slows the whole f**king lane down when the lights go green.

It makes me want to go nuclear!!!

Hungrycol · 12-10-2016 03:27PM

Here's another (I'm going to have to stop reading this rag)

http://www.independent.ie/life/motoring/cyclists-like-all-road-users-must-be-mindful-of-others-35121641.html

The headline in this case lends you to believe that it's a pro-cyclist stance but alas no. Another space filler piece about cycling idiots.

We need a megathread on this topic.

Chuchote · 12-10-2016 03:36PM

Hungrycol wrote: »

Here's another (I'm going to have to stop reading this rag)

http://www.independent.ie/life/motoring/cyclists-like-all-road-users-must-be-mindful-of-others-35121641.html

The headline in this case lends you to believe that it's a pro-cyclist stance but alas no. Another space filler piece about cycling idiots.

We need a megathread on this topic.

This is a "Quick, we have a hole in the page where the story didn't come in - write something, anything!" piece.

07Lapierre · 12-10-2016 03:39PM

Hungrycol wrote: »

Here's another (I'm going to have to stop reading this rag)

http://www.independent.ie/life/motoring/cyclists-like-all-road-users-must-be-mindful-of-others-35121641.html

The headline in this case lends you to believe that it's a pro-cyclist stance but alas no. Another space filler piece about cycling idiots.

We need a megathread on this topic.

eh...I agree with him..I see cyclists doing this all the time..
If you have to twist the bars of your bike to pass by, the gap is too small!

Chips Lovell · 12-10-2016 03:47PM

Same here. Can't see anything wrong with that piece. Highlights one of the most dangerous things you can do on a bike.

robyntmorton · 12-10-2016 03:50PM

I also agree with the Indo piece.

While we are all cyclists here, and thus inherently pro cyclist, the cyclist mentioned in the piece was being an idiot.

I am not wishing for any cyclist (idiot or not) to be hurt, but I do occasionally think that they should have the s*ite scared out of them just enough to make them think about what the safe course of action is.

Hungrycol · 12-10-2016 03:55PM

07Lapierre wrote: »

eh...I agree with him..I see cyclists doing this all the time..
If you have to twist the bars of your bike to pass by, the gap is too small!

This sentence is the hole in the story. If you turn your handlebars sideways your wheel turns correspondingly thereby mitigating any extra narrowness in getting the bike through.

Moflojo · 12-10-2016 03:56PM

robyntmorton wrote: »

I am not wishing for any cyclist (idiot or not) to be hurt, but I do occasionally think that they should have the s*ite scared out of them just enough to make them think about what the safe course of action is.

Speaking on behalf of idiots, do we not deserve to be protected from ourselves? If the environment presented to us is inherently dangerous, but we're too dumb to perceive the danger, should we not be provided with a safer environment?

#allocate4idiots

Dem cyclists all break de lights Joe!

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