Should we be able to break road laws, or is this a bit irresponsible?

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

Usually, when I’m choosing to go through a red light, it’s

.. because you’re a hypocritical twat. 

Depends on how you frame it.

In terms of following law, then yes, absolutely.

In terms of safety and consideration of other people, then the question becomes a bit more murky.

hawkinspeter wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

Usually, when I’m choosing to go through a red light, it’s

.. because you’re a hypocritical twat. 

Yrcm wrote:

davel wrote:

oooh, goodie, false equivalence time!

Is the answer… because they’re nothing like each other in terms of power, weight, risk, danger, damage, death and shoe size?

No it’s because anyone who thinks it’s OK to go through a red light is a twat, whoever they are.

How about ambulances? I’d prefer them to go and help someone than be waiting at a red light.

Drivers from the U.S. are a large group who thing that it’s OK to go through a red light when turning right and the coast is clear.

(For the record, I will also go through a red light when turning left and it is safe to do so. Maybe one day that will become allowable in the UK).

guinom8 wrote:

hawkinspeter

I understand where you coming from, but I also understand that I will always be more vulnerable than a car.

If a lunatic decides to release his/her anger by pushing me off road and driving away, I will be the one to deal with the consequences of either get injured (if not get killed) or damage my bike. The driver can simply spin off and there I will be left on the ground. And everything will happen so fast that I won’t even have a chance to memorise his/her car reg.

I ain’t apologising to no one. I just came to realisation that anger doesn’t solve the problem but make it worse. and I won’t be giving any driver reason to go after me or scare me off.

You can disagree with some of my points or anything I say, I couldn’t care less.

@tommyraleigh86 asked for peoples’ opinions and I provided mine.

Fair enough. Like you say, these are just opinions  (like assholes – everyone’s got one and they all stink).

Personally, I use a couple of Cycliq cameras so if I do get murdered by an irate driver, then at least there’s a chance that he might get caught and banned for 6 months or similar.

hawkinspeter

hawkinspeter

I understand where you coming from, but I also understand that I will always be more vulnerable than a car.

If a lunatic decides to release his/her anger by pushing me off road and driving away, I will be the one to deal with the consequences of either get injured (if not get killed) or damage my bike. The driver can simply spin off and there I will be left on the ground. And everything will happen so fast that I won’t even have a chance to memorise his/her car reg.

I ain’t apologising to no one. I just came to realisation that anger doesn’t solve the problem but make it worse. and I won’t be giving any driver reason to go after me or scare me off.

You can disagree with some of my points or anything I say, I couldn’t care less.

@tommyraleigh86 asked for peoples’ opinions and I provided mine.

Yrcm wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

First point – cyclists don’t form a cohesive group, so other cyclists are not responsible for my behaviour and I am not responsible for other cyclists’ behaviour either.

Second point – my safety takes precedence over the law. Usually, when I’m choosing to go through a red light, it’s so that I can cross a junction before the motorised vehicles can i.e. I cross as soon as I spot that the cross traffic has stopped.

Third point – cycling efficiently means keeping your momentum when feasible. This is another reason that I may choose to go through a red light. Usually this is only done when I have a clear view of the traffic (or lack of) and can see that it is safe to do so.

Fourth point – with the sheer number of traffic laws not being followed by 95% of motorised traffic (e.g. speed limits; not overtaking at pinch points; lack of indication; crossing double solid white lines etc), it just seems ridiculous to be waiting at an empty crossing on the very slim chance that there’s a policeman anywhere at all.

If you blithely disregard traffic laws that don’t suit you personally, how can you possibly criticise car drivers for doing exactly the same thing?

No man is an island and behaviour like yours does other cyclists no favours however much you think it’s not your problem.

The whole point of following traffic laws is to enhance road safety. The figures would suggest that cyclists are not a major cause of road incidents and loss of life, whereas motorists are.

I criticise the car drivers who are dangerous and I would similarly criticise myself if I were putting other people’s lives in danger.

@Guinom8 – I disagree with

@Guinom8 – I disagree with some of your points.

“Supposed cyclists” is a strange term to use. A cyclist is someone riding a bike. How do you “supposedly” ride a bike?

You mention that “proper” cyclists get abuse from angry motorists for no reason and then try to blame the angry motorists on “city” cyclists. To me, it makes more sense to blame the angry motorists for their own rage. In my experience, their rage is actually fuelled by a piss-poor understanding of the actual road rules and a tendency to read the Daily Mail. Also, a nearby cycle path tends to incense the hard-of-thinking motons.

I don’t care about “respect” and I think that is a complete strawman argument as motorists don’t “respect” other motorists and yet they don’t have the same frothing at the mouth reaction to motorists going through red lights. Also, I don’t care if motorists respect me or not – I just don’t want them to run over me because they’re not paying attention to the road.

To be honest, when reading your comment, it sounds like an apology to motorists.