Why do so many cyclists feel they have the right to run red lights?

Question

Sure seem to be a lot of psychic bicyclists answering my question. They claim to know my behavior and how "lawless" I am and resort to calling me "hypocritical fool." Sounds like those folks might be guilty of what I'm pointing out and are justifying bad bicycling by saying all automobile drivers are lawbreakers.

My question is simple: why do some bicyclists feel they have the right to disobey red lights and stop signs while in traffic with cars and trucks and cars and trucks are expected to stop?

Answer 1

how would increasing bike trails heal the environment?

Answer 2

Another rant... I drive a car and you know what pisses me off? Turning or lane changes without signaling, speeding, running reds, tailgating, illegal right turns on red, being cut off etc... I bet you do most of these.

Drivers, by far are worse than the average cyclist.

Sharing rules? Ha, drivers break BILLIONS of rules in a day you have some obsessive issue with cyclist running a red while you break rules by the minute. You signal every time? no you don't. You don't speed? yes you do. You likely drink and drive as well. Speed is the #1 killer, buddy - DO YOU SPEED?

I drive to work 35 miles, wish I didn't have to. If I saw a bike run a red if it was safe I couldn't give a c**p. They're on their bike and I'm in my car polluting. What are you some wanna-be hall monitor? Concentrate and see if you can drive one single day without breaking the law. You keep expanding your rant; that's indicative of someone with a poor POV and is realizing it.

Answer 3

I'm not advocating breaking he law but sometimes it's actually safer for a cyclist to run the red light rather than stopping and having a line of cars waiting that might possibly turn across the cyclists path and run over him or her.

90% of the time I stop. But the one time I've been hit on a bike I would have been far better off if I'd run the light. I wouldn't have been hit by an oncoming car turning left across my right of way when the light turned green. Luckily I wasn't hurt seriously but my $2000 bike was toast.

For the record, we already have the RIGHT TO USE THE ROAD and, in Indiana, we have the RIGHT TO RIDE TWO ABREAST. But in the club I belong to we always single up on the more heavily traveled roads. However if I'm forced to ride on a narrow road I will take the lane rather than ride at the extreme right edge and have some idiot try to squeeze past and clip me with a mirror.

i also refuse to ride on a dirty road shoulder or path littered with glass and other debris that will destroy my $50 tires. If that makes you 10 seconds late to your destination that's too bad but I ride in a manner that keeps me from getting killed.

What pisses me off about cyclist is when I see one riding against traffic on the left side of the road. That's very dangerous.Those people have no clue about what they're doing. When I'm in my car I have no idea of where they are going.

I really wonder how much of a cyclist you are if I, and others, have to explain this stuff to you. Maybe a safe cycling course from a League Of American Bicyclists instructor would benefit you?

Answer 4

I just wish motorists AND cyclists would take rules of the road seriously.

Yes, I understand that you are capable of handling your vehicle at well above the speed limit, that you signal and stop at stop signs if you see anyone around.

That's not the point!   The rules are for the people you DON'T see, for the one time in a hundred when you DON'T look both ways.  

Since very few of us are psychic, rules of the road allow us to predict how the "other guy" is going to behave.    I make my decision to cross the road based on my assumption that you're going to stop at the stop sign or red light.   A speed limit allows me to make decisions based on your speed.    Do I have time to safely cross the intersection or turn left in front of you?  If you're doing 65 in a 40, my decision is going to be flawed.    

Get a clue people.   Rules have nothing to do with your driving/riding skill or the capabilities of your vehicle.    Its all about coexisting on the roads without chaos and carnage.   Collisions happen when someone does something unexpected, or when someone isn't paying attention (i.e., yapping on the phone!)

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edit: Gregory, until your last comment, I thought you grasped the concept.   Bikes aren't that difficult or time consuming to pass, unless they're in a large group or riding stupid.   They aren't all that slow either.    I can't tell you the number of times I've stopped pedaling to stay under the 20mph limit in a school zone with children all over the place, only to have motor vehicles pass me like I'm standing still, risking a head on with oncoming traffic just to get past what they consider a "slow", "inconsequential", or "stationary" obstacle, i.e., me.

Answer 5

I agree with you on the red light.  I think that cyclist do have the right to ride on the road.  If it means slowing down motorist, well, I think they should use some common sense.  If there is space for them to ride to the side and allow the motorist to ride through, they should do that.   But I've seen some pretty stupid guys on road and highways.  Maybe it's just 3% out there, but they stand out.   Guys on a busy road ridign two abreast so they can keep chatting, I think that's a no-no when they're affecting riding.

On the other hand, some motorist are real a..holes and won't give the ciclist enough space when driving through.

Answer 6

why do motorists think they own the roads? if you're behind me on the road, follow the law and wait until its safe to pass me. in MA I have the right to as much of the lane as I deem necessary to safely operate my bicycle! if the right side of the lane is rutted with potholes, I'll be on the left side of the lane, unapologetically! I follow the rules of the road. at red lights, I do not ride through, I stop. so get off your sanctimonious motorist pulpit and SHARE THE ROAD. thanks!

edit-- you're talking a good game. I suppose you always stop at or behind the stop line too? I've yelled to motorists who feel it is necessary for them to eschew stoplines & crosswalks altogether at intersections. you don't want to know how many near misses I've had as a result of these idiots! or near misses with cars pulling out in front of me, assuming I'm not riding very fast, and that I can brake quickly anyway. after all, I'm an inferior cyclist! do you know the braking power of a car is greater than that of a bike? that means you can stop your SUV from 25mph in a shorter distance than I can stop my carbon fiber racing bike. that means when you pull out in front of me, I'm eventually going to collide with you! the odds are in your favor..

Answer 7

You signal? Good for you - I know you speed and you know it too. Wasting gas, polluting, causing danger on the road. Oh, it's against the law as well.

You break more laws than any cyclist and here you sit and lecture others. Look at yourself before you criticize others.

Biking on the road is legal - did you know that? Bike lanes would help - why not ask your legislator to push for it. You haven't done that? Then shut the h**l up. BTW, driving slow conserves gas far more that speeding as you do. Duh.

So in a nutshell:

You complain yet are far more guilty of breaking the law than any cyclist. Then you change your tune by blaming legally traveling cyclists for your pollution. Then speed past them at 10-15 mph over the limit (illegal and wasteful). Finally it's apparent to you it's the cyclists fault there are few bike lanes.

Take responsibility for you own actions. You're a hypocritical fool. The less you say the smarter you appear.

Answer 8

Cyclists have a right to the road, they are classified as vehicles under the traffic law. They are supposed to obey all traffic laws, and this includes red lights. Unfortunately very few cyclists observe red lights (I seem to be the exception, I've seen very few other riders stop for red lights). I've also stopped for funeral processions, school buses with their lights flashing and have pulled over for fire trucks.

The problem seems to be enforcement. I've never seen a cyclist stopped for violating traffic laws. We have a bicycle patrol in our local police department and I've even seen the bike cop run a red light and travel straight through an intersection from the left turning lane!

Answer 9

First of all confession: I run stop sings, usually when commuting to work at night, I look for headlights both ways and keep going.  I'm going to work at 1 a.m. and live in a town of maybe 10,000.  Usually I like to keep my momentum, since it seems on my route that after every stop sign is an uphill.  But this question highlights an underlying problem between motorists and cyclists.  In my experience about 50% of motorists are very respective and gracious to me when I'm on the road, the other 50% feel that they own the road and only those travelling the same speed or not in their way.  The laws give cyclist to be on those roads, and I can't speak for everyone but I pay taxes to maintain and use those roads just as much as a motorist.