Last night I encountered two examples of poor driving
1. I arrive at on the minor road to a trafic light controlled T Junction. My light The near and far side trafic is whizzing past which is expected. The traffic lights change phase stopping the near side traffic so the far side can turn right into my minor road. Still Ok. The light changed again and the far side traffic is also stopped. Ok goody my turn next. Our light turns green and some idiot car from the near side jumps the lights. A second car follows (probably started in response to the first). Much screeching of brakes and tyre rubber on the road, fortunately no accident. Fortunately I was not front in the queue, I sometimes pre-empt the green light, he would of hit me!
2. I am riding along the lane upto my village and meet one of the drivers from the "You can drive fast in lanes at night because you can see the headlights of the coming car from miles away" school. Luckily I met him on a straight section. I stopped he skidded about six feet. Eeek!
Tonight and next week I will see some very strange driving. As companies close for the holiday many drivers are returning home via the pub or office party. Last year I actually caught a car (in free flowing traffic). I could of overtaken it but thought it best to wait for a chance to turn off.
Fortunately I was not front in the queue, I sometimes pre-empt the green light
So how do you justify admonishing other road users who follow your example?
I'm not condoning the drivers, indeed I think they're exhibiting as poor judgement as you sometimes are, I just can't understand why it's apparently OK for you to do it, but not them.
Fortunately I was not front in the queue, I sometimes pre-empt the green light
So how do you justify admonishing other road users who follow your example?
I'm not condoning the drivers, indeed I think they're exhibiting as poor judgement as you sometimes are, I just can't understand why it's apparently OK for you to do it, but not them.
I admit I would be breaking the rules but It is not the same thing.
All trafic is stationary when I pre-empt by a maximum of three seconds and the light will be green by the time I arrive on the other side of the road. The car that started was out of phase driving across the traffic called forward by green and his light would remain red for another 30 seconds or so.
This early start gets me out of a traffic race which is usually a safe way to ride and is convenient for other road users. I never ever jump lights after they turn red or start out of phase. I understand some untypical urban cyclists do this but I think that is clearly stupid.
Sometimes at this junction I wait for traffic to stop after my light has turned green. I assess the environment just as cyclist must do all the time.
"Ian Blake" <NoNotMe@NotAnywhere> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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Fortunately I was not front in the queue, I sometimes pre-empt the green light, he would of hit me!
Don't you think that's a good reason to never "pre-empt" green lights. Even when driving my car I make sure other traffic has stopped before moving off on green, especially at light controlled roundabouts. Red traffic light running by motor vehicles is endemic where I live. Selfish [censored] whose practice eats into the green phase of all other road users even when not actually causing a danger.
Even when driving my car I make sure other traffic has stopped before moving off on green,
Isn't such behaviour the only that is mandated by the HC at trafic lights? -- Regards Alex The From address above is a spam-trap. The Reply-To address is valid
"Ian Blake" <NoNotMe@NotAnywhere> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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Fortunately I was not front in the queue, I sometimes pre-empt the green light, he would of hit me!
Don't you think that's a good reason to never "pre-empt" green lights. Even when driving my car I make sure other traffic has stopped before moving off on green, especially at light controlled roundabouts.
I never expect a car will stop. I always wait for confirmation. As everywhere cars do not stop on a change to red. However sometimes all trafic will stop. And I judged it is normally safe to pre-empt the lights in this situation. The dynamic situation is the same as when the light turns green. It requires a car to start against red.
My error is of course that my belief that a driver will not start out of turn is false. He may mistakenly believe is turn is next or simply believe he can get across the junction before crossing trafic arrives.
I feel a bit awkward defending myself it suggests I am an habitual light abuser, I am not. The offending cars were stopped. They started against red in the middle of the red period of that road.
"Ian Blake" <NoNotMe@NotAnywhere> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Fortunately I was not front in the queue, I sometimes pre-empt the green light, he would of hit me!
Don't you think that's a good reason to never "pre-empt" green lights. Even when driving my car I make sure other traffic has stopped before moving off on green, especially at light controlled roundabouts. Red traffic light running by motor vehicles is endemic where I live. Selfish [censored] whose practice eats into the green phase of all other road users even when not actually causing a danger.
In this case though he could have set off on his phase and still been hit. The other driver preempted the phase completely (and the other lemon followed him.
"Alex Potter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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Peter B wrote on Friday 16 December 2005 14:56:
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Even when driving my car I make sure other traffic has stopped before moving off on green,
Isn't such behaviour the only that is mandated by the HC at trafic lights?
If it is I can't find the reference in my edition (2002). Sorry, I'm not trying to be pedantic but your remark made me curious as to what the HC does say about the matter. -- Pete http:[email hidden]/Stuff
"David Martin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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In this case though he could have set off on his phase and still been hit. The other driver preempted the phase completely (and the other lemon followed him.
Agreed, and I've seen cars move off on red after they had initially completely stopped (they must have been off-duty cyclists ;-) -- Pete http:[email hidden]/Stuff
"Alex Potter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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Peter B wrote on Friday 16 December 2005 14:56:
Quoted message said:
Even when driving my car I make sure other traffic has stopped before moving off on green,
Isn't such behaviour the only that is mandated by the HC at trafic lights?
If it is I can't find the reference in my edition (2002). Sorry, I'm not trying to be pedantic but your remark made me curious as to what the HC does say about the matter.
Not quoting, you understand, but it always used to be the case that a green light didn't give you the right to go, [censored] nilly, but only if your way was safe and clear.
-- Regards Alex The From address above is a spam-trap. The Reply-To address is valid
Fortunately I was not front in the queue, I sometimes pre-empt the green light
So how do you justify admonishing other road users who follow your example?
I'm not condoning the drivers, indeed I think they're exhibiting as poor judgement as you sometimes are, I just can't understand why it's apparently OK for you to do it, but not them.
I admit I would be breaking the rules but It is not the same thing.
Of course it is, what do you think 'rules of the road' are for? Your own personal convenience?
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Sometimes at this junction I wait for traffic to stop after my light has turned green. I assess the environment just as cyclist must do all the time.
Maybe the guy you're admonishing had also 'assessed the emvironment' and simply made a bad judgement. Maybe you also make misjudgements, or maybe you really do think rules are for others to follow and for you to moan about when they don't, but which still allow you to make your own set of rules up as you go along.
You're the worst sort of bigot. Do what I say, not what I do.
> Fortunately I was not front in the queue, I sometimes pre-empt the green > light
So how do you justify admonishing other road users who follow your example?
I do not.
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Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
I'm not condoning the drivers, indeed I think they're exhibiting as poor judgement as you sometimes are, I just can't understand why it's apparently OK for you to do it, but not them.
I admit I would be breaking the rules but It is not the same thing.
Of course it is, what do you think 'rules of the road' are for? Your own personal convenience?
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
Sometimes at this junction I wait for traffic to stop after my light has turned green. I assess the environment just as cyclist must do all the time.
Quoted message said:
Maybe the guy you're admonishing had also 'assessed the emvironment' and simply made a bad judgement. Maybe you also make misjudgements, or maybe
My use of preempt and yours are different. My use "I know the phase of these lights very well and I will start after all the traffic has stopped whenit is my turn to move". I can not remember every geting to the end of the turn before my light has turned green.
The driver described started when it was not his time to start. Nor was it about to become his turn. The potential for an accident is significantly higher.
I think you are claiming that I am claiming I can do what I like whenever I like. I am not saying any such thing.
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You're the worst sort of bigot. Do what I say, not what I do.
At no time am I implying any entitlement to personal exemption from the rules. I admit to breaking many. (Sending an email in company time for instance). Your absolutist rules is rules position is probably not true of your behaviour either. But for now I concede your sainthood. This is my last post on this matter.
