Advertisement
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/.
https://www.boards.ie/group/1878-subscribers-forum

Private Group for paid up members of Boards.ie. Join the club.
Hi all, please see this major site announcement: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058427594/boards-ie-2026

Do you stop at traffic lights?

  • 22-06-2010 01:14PM
    #1
    RobBaxter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 265 ✭✭


    When cycling and you come to a red light do you

    -completely ignore it?
    -stop only if it is very unsafe?
    -stop if it is busy?
    -stop?

    Also, how do you add a poll to this?

    Personally, I don't stop, I try to make a break if it is safe even though the light is red. I only fully stop if it is unsafe to try and go.


    Bobby

    When you come to a red light do you 77 votes

    completely ignore it?
    0%
    stop only if it is very unsafe?
    5%
    Mucco422ndtomred1jnewby 4 votes
    stop if it is busy?
    25%
    CabaaltunneyjimmycrackcormAlkersjaqianMuccoGusherINGextra-ordinary_alanuccbagusdiscombobulatethehangtenguyjsocEmmeGuybrush TDaveR1goldenclericSubLuminalsdimartinoRobBaxter 20 votes
    stop?
    68%
    DirkVoodooCodeMonkeyjimmycrackcormbeansBluefoamjaqianRoundTowerMorganMuccoTobias GreeshmanLord PanicyoucancallmealGusherINGmockerydawgHarkevt5pwrfatboypeefatbhoymirwillbebackludermor 53 votes


«13

Comments

  • #2
    penexpers
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,038 ✭✭✭penexpers


    Do a search, this topic has been done to death already.


  • #3
    Antiundead
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11 ✭Antiundead


    stop?
    I stop no matter what during the day, it's conciderably more noisy during the day, which means I can't judge if there are any cars approaching and more cars are on the road during this time. However if it's very late at night though and I can hear nothing around then I cycle through those red bad boys.


  • #4
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,833 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    Even if it hasn't been done to death, what's the point ? Why not post the same poll in motors ?

    Anyway, where's the track stand option, or does that count as stopping ?


  • #5
    RobBaxter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 265 ✭✭RobBaxter


    stop if it is busy?
    Antiundead wrote: »
    I stop no matter what during the day, it's conciderably more noisy during the day, which means I can't judge if there are any cars approaching and more cars are on the road during this time. However if it's very late at night though and I can hear nothing around then I cycle through those red bad boys.


    Wow, I cant believe that most people stop! What if you are turning left and there is nothing coming? you just wait for it to go green?

    I tried a search and nothing came up. I was fairly surprised. I'll re-search


  • #6
    RobBaxter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 265 ✭✭RobBaxter


    stop if it is busy?
    ThisRegard wrote: »
    Even if it hasn't been done to death, what's the point ? Why not post the same poll in motors ?

    Anyway, where's the track stand option, or does that count as stopping ?


    ya track stand is stopping


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    Beasty
    Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 78,525 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Yes- how can I expect other road users to follow the rules if I'm not prepared to do so myself?


  • #8
    Lumen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,525 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    RobBaxter wrote: »
    I tried a search and nothing came up. I was fairly surprised. I'll re-search

    Here.


  • #9
    vancough123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10 ✭vancough123


    stop?
    traffic lights????


  • #10
    Gavin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,660 ✭✭✭Gavin


    What is the big deal ? Really ? Stop at the red and go when it's green. It's hardly rocket science.


  • #11
    RobBaxter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 265 ✭✭RobBaxter


    stop if it is busy?
    Lumen wrote: »
    Here.


    Wow, I am seriously shocked here! Do ye not feel as if they slow you down when you are cycling? break your rythm? Do ye stop if there are huge breaks in the cars? If there are hardly any cars to be seen? If there are no cars?


  • Advertisement
  • #12
    RobBaxter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 265 ✭✭RobBaxter


    stop if it is busy?
    I commute to work everyday - 10 km each way. By the n11, donybrook, town and i would say at least 85% of cyclists that I see don't stop at red lights.

    I always find it amusing when I cycle past someone stopped at a red light with no cars around!


  • #13
    Lumen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,525 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    Gavin wrote: »
    What is the big deal ? Really ? Stop at the red and go when it's green. It's hardly rocket science.

    There are only really two options:

    1. Obey the traffic signals as you are required to do by law.
    2. Treat the signal as a yield and proceed when you consider it safe.

    Since each person has a different appetite for risk there is little point debating the finer distinctions of 2, except that if you're still alive and uninjured you've managed to be adequately safe up to this point in time, regardless of legality or courteousness.


  • #14
    Lumen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,525 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    RobBaxter wrote: »
    Wow, I am seriously shocked here! Do ye not feel as if they slow you down when you are cycling? break your rythm? Do ye stop if there are huge breaks in the cars? If there are hardly any cars to be seen? If there are no cars?

    All those points apply equally to when you are driving.


  • #15
    RobBaxter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 265 ✭✭RobBaxter


    stop if it is busy?
    Lumen wrote: »
    There are only really two options:

    1. Obey the traffic signals as you are required to do by law.
    2. Treat the signal as a yield and proceed when you consider it safe.

    Since each person has a different appetite for risk there is little point debating the finer distinctions of 2, except that if you're still alive and uninjured you've managed to be adequately safe up to this point in time, regardless of legality or courteousness.


    That sums it up perfectly, can I change the poll to just those two options?


  • #16
    ednwireland
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 14,988 ✭✭✭✭ednwireland


    :Dwhats a traffic light ? i have to cycle an hour to find one

    My weather

    https://www.ecowitt.net/home/share?authorize=96CT1F



  • #17
    RobBaxter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 265 ✭✭RobBaxter


    stop if it is busy?
    All you people who have said that they stop at red lights no matter what.

    When crossing a road(walking), would you wait for the green man or would you wait until you would consider it safe?


  • #18
    Stark
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 21,353 ✭✭✭✭Stark


    I break them the odd time but I always come to a near stop first as I can't see what's coming when I'm approaching the junction. The only time I haven't stopped is when it's a pedestrian crossing and it's obvious on approach that there's no-one crossing or about to cross.
    RobBaxter wrote:
    When crossing a road(walking), would you wait for the green man or would you wait until you would consider it safe?

    Look for a safe place. Don't hurry, stop and wait.


  • #19
    niceonetom
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,833 ✭✭✭niceonetom


    Walking: It's not cycling.


  • #20
    Lumen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,525 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    RobBaxter wrote: »
    That sums it up perfectly, can I change the poll to just those two options?

    Not really, people have already voted.

    As mentioned already, this has been done to death many times before and the results are always consistent. Most people on this forum claim to obey the lights, most people out on the roads don't.

    The reasons are well-discussed in the linked thread. People who stop always (or almost always, except when the roads are obviously deserted) do so because it is legal and courteous to do so.


  • #21
    RobBaxter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 265 ✭✭RobBaxter


    stop if it is busy?
    niceonetom wrote: »
    Walking: It's not cycling.


    Same principle. Do you treat it as an obey the law or as a yield until it is safe? Just wondering if ye would do the same walking?


  • Advertisement
  • #22
    ednwireland
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 14,988 ✭✭✭✭ednwireland


    RobBaxter wrote: »
    All you people who have said that they stop at red lights no matter what.

    When crossing a road(walking), would you wait for the green man or would you wait until you would consider it safe?

    ha got caught in germany, crowd of people waiting to cross the road went to cross when there was no traffic and nobody else moved, thought better of it and waited for the green man when ebveryone else crossed, law abiding bunch germans

    oh and considereingthe rules of the road states for cyclists
    You must obey the rules applying at traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, pelican crossings and zebra crossings.

    it makes no such mention of the red man for pedestrians

    My weather

    https://www.ecowitt.net/home/share?authorize=96CT1F



  • #23
    RobBaxter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 265 ✭✭RobBaxter


    stop if it is busy?
    ednwireland wrote: »
    ha got caught in germany, crowd of people waiting to cross the road went to cross when there was no traffic and nobody else moved, thought better of it and waited for the green man when ebveryone else crossed, law abiding bunch germans

    Ha ha. I'll never understand the Germans. I find it incredible how they all pay for the public transport when there's no-one to stop you if you don't!


  • #24
    Lumen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,525 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    RobBaxter wrote: »
    Same principle. Do you treat it as an obey the law or as a yield until it is safe? Just wondering if ye would do the same walking?

    The principles may be related but the issues are different. Cyclists have a hard enough time getting treated as first class road users; red light jumping harms rather than helps the cause.


  • #25
    chakattack
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,315 ✭✭✭chakattack


    RobBaxter wrote: »

    I always find it amusing when I cycle past someone stopped at a red light with no cars around!

    Do you find it amusing when the cyclist stopped at the lights has effortlessly caught you and left you for dead a few hundred meters down the road? :cool:

    I stop at lights as I can't expect other road users to behave themselves if I'm blatantly breaking the law and I don't want to be at fault in the event of an accident.


  • #26
    PandyAndy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 583 ✭✭✭PandyAndy


    stop?
    I always stop at red lights and obey all rules of the road *cough*

    But if, hypothetically, I was more nonchalant about it all then I would go through red lights at cross roads assuming there was no traffic at all. I would come to a complete stop though to check first. If there was traffic I would only go through them if there was quite a distance (a good 10 secs at least) between the vehicles, in the same way I'd cross the road when there's a big enough gap if I was walking.


  • #27
    RobBaxter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 265 ✭✭RobBaxter


    stop if it is busy?
    chakattack wrote: »
    Do you find it amusing when the cyclist stopped at the lights has effortlessly caught you and left you for dead a few hundred meters down the road?

    No but I do love when they try and catch up, and so starts the race which is fun until.....uh oh....another red light.....and that's the end of them


  • #28
    jimmycrackcorm
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,371 ✭✭✭✭jimmycrackcorm


    stop?
    I do the same as pedestrians crossing in the same direction but without dis-mounting


  • #29
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,833 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    RobBaxter wrote: »
    Wow, I am seriously shocked here! Do ye not feel as if they slow you down when you are cycling? break your rythm?

    Intervals FTW.


  • #30
    RobBaxter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 265 ✭✭RobBaxter


    stop if it is busy?
    FTW???


  • Advertisement
  • #31
    on_the_nickel
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,063 ✭✭✭on_the_nickel


    RobBaxter wrote: »
    No but I do love when they try and catch up, and so starts the race which is fun until.....uh oh....another red light.....and that's the end of them

    Until the day a truck is going through the green light and it's the end of you.

    Cop on, for every cyclist going through a red light, there's a motorist who forms the opinion that cyclist do not obey the laws that motorists adhere to and consequently gives all cyclists less respect on the road.


Advertisement
Advertisement