Why do some cyclists not want to stop at red lights?

[Puppytrashedmysofa]

Had a day off last week so took son up to London to see the sights.About to cross with six seconds to go when my son held me back.To my right was a helmet jiggling about trying to not put his foot down. Fully crossed that road and about to cross another I saw another gent in his fifties looking to cross when I bike swerved round him at speed.He said something to him and the biker told him to FU.Guy then crossed the road , all the cars had stopped.
I asked son why you held me back.He said biker was going so fast he had to swerve all over the road to stop.Of course my son reported to my family that he saved my life today.
My son said none of the bikes stop at reds where he works.
I ride a track bike occasionally and a motorbike and I know if I didn't stop it could be fatal.
My son said I should have looked right ,was I in the wrong?
Just interested.

I haven’t seen so many cyclists go over red lights when there is an actual pedaestrian waiting to cross, but I have seen soooooo many cyclists go over red lights otherwise.

I think your son is right though to still check when crossing at lights as my 2 year and old and I have been very close to being hit by an escooter going through a red light.

it can be safer to get ahead of the cars before the lights change.

I’m not saying it’s right. I don’t do it myself but I do make my way to the front of the queue at the lights so that I’m visible. Not every driver loves that either though, I’ve had a few angry men (always men) having a go at me.

I’ve seen a cyclist get themselves hit by a car and launched over the bonnet because they went straight through a red light. I’ve seen two cyclists crash because one went through a red light. I can only assume they do it to get ahead of the traffic. Didn’t work too well on these occasions.

Same reason so many motorists don’t stop at lights. Same reason so many motorcyclists have dodgy plates and illegal exhausts. Same reason so many car drivers don’t have a licence or insurance. Same reason why so many people drive a 2 ton hunk of metal while off their tits on drugs and booze. Because they don’t care about the law, and they know that there are unlikely to be any repercussions.

And as I’m sure you know the majority of
people riding like absolute tossers in London are delivery riders on illegal e-bikes (which are actually classed as electric motorcycles and require registration, licence and insurance, which none of them have). Direct your ire at Deliveroo and Just Eats if you really want to.

But you knew all this right?

Happens all the time around London Bridge - there’s a row of traffic lights on a straight stretch of road, and I can’t remember the last time a push bike didn’t jump the red lights at speed. I know it’s a small minority of cyclists, but it’s so so dangerous.

I mean, your son is absolutely correct you should look before you cross. Cars run reds, emergency vehicles could plough though etc. Just because road users should be stopped doesn’t mean they will.

Why? Likely to keep speed up and stay ahead of the traffic, same reasons cars jump reds. It’s short sited arrogance and entitlement.

Presumably for the same reason motorists down. I notice when cyclists don't stop when I'm crossing at the green man because it happens so rarely, but there are a couple of crossings on my way to work where motorists ignore the lights every couple of days. I'd say that I completely miss the crossing time because cars don't stop around once a week.

’Twas ever thus in London. I was hit by a bike crossing Oxford Street in the early 90s. The green man was on, it was my right of way to cross. No, I didn’t look. I do now. he didn’t stop. I was mopped up by kind passers by including a bus driver who had been waiting at the lights.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen it elsewhere. But in London, it’s commonplace, I see it all the time.

Yes you should look before you cross. You were taught this in primary school!

Most cyclists stop, some don't.

This is because cyclists are humans and some humans are twats. Some drivers are twats, some pedestrians are twats, presumably some hang gliders are too.

No-one wants to stop at red lights.

I think that sometimes, it’s not necessary for cyclists to stop at red lights and I admit to occasionally jumping them myself.

Cars also jump them with far worse consequences and I agree with your son, always look anyway.

Cyclist went through red light where I live. She didn't notice the police behind her. They gave her such a telling off.

I mean, plenty of car drivers break red lights too. Mostly because they're young male drivers without enough experience or sense to imagine their brans (or someone else's) being splattered on the road as a result of their actions.

You also get cycle couriers who make more money if they hare it around the place.

TBH as a cyclist I occasionally jump red lights where it's completely safe to do so - eg a t-junction where there are no cars around, waiting to go straight ahead and with another road joining from the right. Even if a car suddenly came from the right, there would be enough space for it to avoid a cyclist going straight on. The lights are only there because a car wouldn't have enough space to go straight on.

There are plenty of examples where the roads are not really designed with cyclists in mind and you have to wing it a bit to decide if the rules really are safe and sensible.

You also didn't say whether you were at a crossing with green man showing?

The situation isn't helped by pedestrians disregarding cycle lanes, eg on quiet streets. You don't hear bikes approaching, pedestrians often step out in front of you without warning (or in London I've known tourists look the other way and step out because they're used to driving on the right). If you ring your bell, people think you're aggressive.

You also get those annoying shared use paths or bike paths that are so subtle, pedestrians don't realise they are there and step out without warning.

@fearfuloffluff she does say. There were 6 seconds left to cross.

Why is the law and sense different for cyclists and you?
Why wouldn't it be necessary to stop at a red light?!

Totally agree and as an experienced cyclist, I also do the same. It’s all about knowing your route, identifying the hazards and making the best decisions

Ah right @BitOutOfPractice not had my coffee yet today! :)

There’s loads of situations where it’s not necessary as a cyclist.

@WellPlaced I thought all the current practice is to treat cyclists the same as a car?
So do so, but cyclists will do as they please?

See my example about the junction above.

Another example - in my city there is a large, busy roundabout with three lanes of traffic. It's traffic light controllled. If you wait for a green light, you start off with the other traffic and it feels hairy.

You have a full view of the roundabout and can see any oncoming traffic. If there is nothing coming, it's arguably safer to negotiate the roundabout without any cars around you, than wait for a green and start off with a bus on one side, car on the other, trying to move across lanes of traffic etc.

I'm a goody two-shoes so I wait for a green light, but it's probably safer not to! Speed limit is 20mph so if any stray traffic was to come around, it would have time to spot you and slow down.

As an experienced cyclist (6000km per year), and a cycling coach, I completely disagree. Even if just to try and lessen the continuous anti-cyclist bile that infests this country, please reconsider.

Great cyclists as a car?

I don’t do as I please, I make informed, sensible decisions.

Sorry ‘treat’ not great

So say it's 9pm and you're cycling somewhere completely quiet with zero traffic. There's a junction where you're going straight ahead but the lights have changed to let non-existent traffic join from the right. You would hear and see any traffic approaching and there is none. You still wait for the light to change?

Yes of course, just as I do when driving a car or riding a motorcycle. Because I'm a law-abiding citizen.