£60 fines and CCTV crackdown on drivers who stop in bike box

[Minty]

[Walloper]

[treeno]

[kramdra]

Brighton has a lot of these boxes, I use them every day. I always filter, plus I dont want to be rear ended by a car, so its the safest place for a MC to be** and I will argue that if caught.

I know the HWC says we cant use them, however my motorised bicycle has two wheels and so does the picture in the box


Ive also started taking advantage of "right turns first" traffic light junctions, bloody brilliant


** except if you get away from the light too quickly and have a wobble, like my slide two weeks ago

[Minty]

The point I am trying to get across is that why do people simply HAVE to be at the very front? If being a car or so further back is that much of a impedence to your journey then just set off on your journey earlier.

Go into a cycle box or cross the solid white line at a normal set of lights and you know you can give plod an easy pull. Same as entering hatched box knowing your exit isn't clear. I have junction CCTV at some junctions where I travel. I have one right outside my work that I know for a fact monitors a hatched box at a set of lights because a colleague was done by it.

Don't give people the bullets to shoot you with. I approach each and every set of lights and assess if I can sit comfortably at the front, if not, I slot myself in further back. Whether the plod can do you or the council, don't give them cause to do you.
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My fingers smell of your mum.

[Notj7]

[G]

Yes, the other issue with lining up in the traffic is that it's generally on the left - causing problem when the cycles are going straight on and the motorised vehicles are going left.

[Minty]

[Notj7]

[G]

[Walloper]

[Rogerborg]

[Notj7]

[treeno]

Whether most of you will admit it or not, the main reason for getting to the front of the queue is to get where you're going faster, not to be safer. If you were oh so worried about safety you wouldn't filter in the first place (there's about as much chance of getting randomly sideswiped whilst filtering than there is of getting rear ended while stopped at lights).

I filter to the front all the time and the main reason is because I'm usually up to the speed limit a lot quicker than most cars. If I sit in the queue I will just get frustrated when they take an age to get going and inevitably go for an overtake which is probably more dangerous (and slower) than being at the front in the first place.

People are going to complain when another type of road user gets favoured in some way or another. Being on a biking forum, this thread is of course going to be biased.

[G]

[Howard64180]

Walloper, I am quite capable of planning ahead and not getting stuck in a green box The point is - as Rogerborg has pointed out - that someone could get a fine for acting within the law. The whole idea is flawed, which won't of course stop them doing it!

[Walloper]

[Rogerborg]

Actually, Nutsville has just pointed out that the legislation has a huge glaring SNAFU in it: it only allows pushbikes to cross the first stop line a via cycle lane or gate.

If they just ride over the line, they're committing exactly the same "offence" as motorised traffic.

Given how many of the them just ignore all road traffic legislation, I don't see that bothering them, but it might make selective enforcement a bit problematic.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Walloper]

[stinkwheel]

[Walloper]

[gorillaonabik...]

The safety issue is significant and maybe non-Londoners are unaware of the issue. Would you prefer to be sandwiched between two cars / buses / lorries whose drivers are unlikely to have seen you or slip through to the front of the queue, visible?

Given the choice of 'more likely to die,' or 'less likely to die,' I know which option I'd prefer.

I also cycle in London occasionally and don't see why my life should be made safer when on a bicycle and yet made more dangerous on a motorbike. I think that bicycles and PTWs sharing the box could work. Hell, it does at the moment and I have personally never heard of an accident involving a motorbike and bicycle due to their sharing of the green box.
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FZR400 (blown engine), ZXR750 (blown engine), ZX6R (accident), CBR600 which had engine issues after which I learned to change gear..., CBR900, CBR924 (stolen), CB600, CB1300 (everything blew up), BMW K1300GT (written off, hit from rear while stationary), Bandit 1250 for a couple of months, Triumph Sprint ST 1050 (nicked) and somewhere in there, I wrote off a Ducati 748 at Cadwell.

[Derivative]

Is there any discretion possible if you are avoiding an accident? How does this work in the event of crossing the line as it is?

For example, if I'm driving along on green, and suddenly someone flies out in front of me, causing me to stop halfway over the line - and then the light turns red, could I be penalised by red light cameras?

[Minty]

Fairly sure red light cameras work on motion akin to a speed camera. So if you are stationary as the lights phase to red you will be fine.
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My fingers smell of your mum.

[stinkwheel]

So. ITT lots of people labouring under the misaprehension it's illegal to stop your car between the two lines on an advanced cycle stop.

Chapter and verse for Roger:
Traffic signs, regulations and general Directions 2002. SI:3113 Section 43: