Why do cyclists not obey road traffic laws?

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And in particular, is there something I'm missing as to why cyclists don't stop at traffic lights?

I was nearly run down yesterday evening on my way home from work by a cyclist going straight through red lights at a pedestrian crossing on Dawson street. I don't think I've ever seen a cyclist stop at these lights at all.

This morning then, getting myself hyped up for this rant, I was watching cyclists on the way in to work on the bus. At 4 sets of lights around Phibsboro, there were 6 different cyclists who sailed through red lights. And not just at pedestrian crossing lights, but at proper traffic lights as well.

Should we have any sympathy at all for these menaces having to fight through Dublin traffic if they're so insistent on breaking the laws that are there to protect themselves and others.

(And don't even get me started on cyclists cycling on footpaths!!!)
 
ronan_d_john said:
Should we have any sympathy at all for these menaces having to fight through Dublin traffic if they're so insistent on breaking the laws that are there to protect themselves and others.
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Please don't generalise. Just because some cyclists ignore the rules of the road does not mean that all do so. Condemning cyclists in general just serves to undermine your argument and terming them as "menaces" betrays a particularly skewed sense of priorities. Remember, quite a number of cyclists have lost their lives on Dublin's streets in recent years - not through their own fault or negligence but through a widely-acknowledged "blind spot" problem with trucks. Read some reports from the Coroners Court if you need further information.
 
ubiquitous said:
Please don't generalise. Just because some cyclists ignore the rules of the road does not mean that all do so. Condemning cyclists in general just serves to undermine your argument and terming them as "menaces" betrays a particularly skewed sense of priorities.
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Fair point. I don't know that all cyclists ignore traffic lights.

I suppose I was being specfic in relation to a specific period of my experiences over a 24hour period where 100% of cyclists that I saw broke red traffic lights, and a longer period (approx 2 months) where 100% of cyclists I've seen have broken the pedestrian lights on Dawson street.

As for sense of priorities, I'm lower down the food chain than cyclists (being a pedestrian), and therefore my priority is my own sense of safety (in the hope that I wouldn't be run over by cyclists like I neary was yesterday).
 
I cycle everyday to work and I can't tell you the number of times I have had pedestrians just step off the footpath onto the road (or cycle lane) without even looking and I've nearly killed myself trying to avoid them. There seems to be an assumption amongst many people that if the cars are stopped there couldn't possibly be anything else moving on the road!! Also there's the issue of cars, mopeds, motorbikes and pedestians using cycle lanes like they were just an extension of the road or path.

As for cyclists breaking lights, I personally don't do it but yes I've seen numerous cyclists do it.

My point is it isn't only cyclists who are at fault during the daily commute and you shouldn't generalise about them.
 
Even when I was a cyclist this was a pet hate of mine. I was the idiot who actually obeyed the rules of the road and stopped at lights etc. Most other cyclists seemed to blatantly disregard most of the rules of the road.
 
What astonishes me most about some cyclists is the lack of lights. Its not an issue at this time of year so much but I have had the heart put crossways in me so many times by having one rear out of the gloom. Rules of the road should be enforced, for their own safety, but what Garda is going to risk his reputation stopping cyclists?
 
ronan_d_john said:
I was watching cyclists on the way in to work on the bus.
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Well if they are now cycling on the buses, somebody really should do something about it.....


Many cyclists do break the lights. As a cyclist, it is particularly galling when the bike that you sprinted past a while back gets in front of you again at the lights, and you have to struggle again to find a spot to get past them.

But there are many, many other issues out there - Drivers who hug the kerb leaving no room for cyclists, when there is plenty of room to leave a good gap - Pedestrians who (as other posters mentioned) step out blissfully into lines of traffic without watching for cyclists - Motorbikers who use the cyclepath to skip heavy traffic - Cyclists who text while cycling (yes, I've seen it happen) etc, etc etc. Let's not scapegoat the cyclists.
 
RainyDay said:
Well if they are now cycling on the buses, somebody really should do something about it.....
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err...where the cycle lane is a combined bus-and-cycle lane, anywhere near the city centre, there are often 5 buses end-to-end.........you needn't be Evil Knievel! :eek:
 
There I was today, out cycling in the city and enjoying the sunshine. Stopped at a red light at the Bleeding Horse junction. A car with a WW registration went straight through the lights. Hmm, I think, that's a bit odd. A minute later, a lorry with a WW reg does the same thing.

Maybe there are no traffic lights anywhere in Co Wicklow and the poor dears don't know what to do? Maybe the title of this thread should be: Why do Wicklow drivers not obey traffic lights?
 
golden mean said:
but what Garda is going to risk his reputation stopping cyclists?
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The one I saw in action on O'Connell Bridge some years ago looked to be straight up from Templemore and full of enthusiasm. A cyclist went through the first red light and was heading towards the second one when the garda ran after him and stopped him.
 
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