Traffic light conundrum

[unluckyluke]

Afternoon all, was out riding yesterday and came up to a set of traffic lights at a junction. Problem was it was one of those wont change to green until a car comes/pressure pad in the floor types. I sat there on my bike for a good couple of minutes and even rolled back and forth a couple of times over the lines/sensor in the road but it wouldn't change. In the end I just went through the red light as there was nothing coming and hadn't been for the entire time I was waiting there.

I'm pretty certain there was no cameras on the junction but if I do get a fine which chance do you think I have of getting it overturned? I've reported the problem to www.fixmystreet.com so hopefully it'll get sorted.

[Shinigami]

these things really piss me off!
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Current: Honda City Fly CLR125 2003 Honda CB600F Hornet 2008 Yamaha FZ6 S2 + 1991 Kawasaki GPZ500
"Once you realize what a joke everything is, being the Comedian is the only thing that makes sense.

[dave666]

it's only illegal if you get caught...no cameras around then just run it. big deal

[Kai.Wilson]

If you get caught just say you were there it wouldn't change etc, what if it was 3am expect someone to wait there until a car sets it off?

[GeorgeB.]

There's one at a junction near me, which just does not change at all for bikes - The bemused look from pedestrians when I get off the bike, go over to the crossing which isn't affected by my lane and press the button to cross

The lights change instantly so it's a sprint to the bike to get through the traffic lights
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Current: '99 Fazer 600 | '99 Range Rover P38 4.6 HSE
Previous: Keeway TX125 | CBF 125 | CB400SF Project Big One
CBT 04/12/12 | Theory 03/12/13 | MOD 1 06/01/14 | MOD 2 13/01/14

[Shinigami]

is it a magnetic loop? would attaching some powerful magnets to the underside of the bike trigger it? (and pick up nails before they embed in your rear tyre)?
____________________
Current: Honda City Fly CLR125 2003 Honda CB600F Hornet 2008 Yamaha FZ6 S2 + 1991 Kawasaki GPZ500
"Once you realize what a joke everything is, being the Comedian is the only thing that makes sense.

[Shinigami]

is it a magnetic loop? would attaching some powerful magnets to the underside of the bike trigger it? (and pick up nails before they embed in your rear tyre)?
____________________
Current: Honda City Fly CLR125 2003 Honda CB600F Hornet 2008 Yamaha FZ6 S2 + 1991 Kawasaki GPZ500
"Once you realize what a joke everything is, being the Comedian is the only thing that makes sense.

[CaNsA]

[Shinigami]

fair enough, was just a thought, might be worth it still just for the first two parts
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Current: Honda City Fly CLR125 2003 Honda CB600F Hornet 2008 Yamaha FZ6 S2 + 1991 Kawasaki GPZ500
"Once you realize what a joke everything is, being the Comedian is the only thing that makes sense.

[unluckyluke]

Not too sure how they are triggered, I had always presumed it was weight triggered but i'm probably wrong. Just wondered if you'd be able to challenge a fine in court for jumping the light if it refused to change. Cyclists jump red lights all the time but they have no number plate to help convict them.

[Dave_R]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHtCNhABlLw

[Rockhopper]

They work by induction loops set into the road which is basically a metal detector. If you have a small bike and the loops are not set up correctly you can fail to trigger them.
Look for the saw cuts in the road surface and make sure your bike is directly over them.
Many people say that attaching magnets to the bottom of the bike can actually work.
Some say that turning your engine off and restarting it can generate enough of a magnetic field to trigger the loop.

[GTR1400]

There's some of these near me.. Two lanes. Left one stays on green unless there's a car coming from the opposite way. Right one (to go straight on) stays on red until something triggers it (which my bike doesn't 90% of the time).

I generally have to roll my bike back, go into the left hand lane, perform a U-turn and come from the other traffic lights there, which stay on green unless something is coming from the direction that I originally came from (to the lights where my bike doesn't trigger the loop).

https://puu.sh/4wHSc.jpg

The other night, I sat at the lights on my desired route for a few seconds.. realised nothing was going to happen, and started to make my way down the forced route. Just as I was coming to the lights, they changed to red as a car came from the same way that I originally came from.. leaving me stuck again . Gutted.

[Louise]

Theres a set in Portslade that would never change. 4am in the morning I used to sit there for ages untill I figured out why. Would need to run them in the end if there was nothing about.

[tbourner]

https://www.wikihow.com/Trigger-Green-Traffic-Lights
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Trev, now a biker?
Looking for first big bike.

[Wonko The Sane]

As a cyclist I can never get them to trigger and use the same approach with ones that won't trigger for the motorbike.

I come to a complete stop and wait,

If the light appears to be broken / not going to change I treat it as a give way where I don't have priority.

If I'm in a right turn lane, I'll ensure the lanes for straight on are green as I then know I'm only dealing with oncoming traffic.

I'm under the impression this how you should proceed if a traffic light is not working
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[Cheeseybeaner]

If you sit for x number of minutes and it doesn't change you can only assume the light's not working and carry on, traffic lights are often defective.
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My bikes: 2003 KAWASAKI ZRX1200R, 1996 YAMAHA DIVERSION XJ900S

[Hefty]

Im sure the Highway Code says treat a suspected broken light as a junction with no priority etc.
Just use that as your excuse if it comes to it eh.
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'13 Honda CBF125 // '99 Suzuki SV650s // '98 Honda CB600F Hornet

[Cheeseybeaner]

[-Savage-]

I had this problem and asked a traffic copper I know, his response was that if you can't be expected to wait forever, so you can proceed through the red light with care, but the insurance companies would rape you if you were involved in an accident after passing the red light.
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Peugeot Speedfight 100, Kymco Hipster 125, GSXR750K5, Jawa TS 350

[Sparkss]

Pretty much every roundabout in Weymouth has been replaced by traffic lights, If I got this problem then I probably wouldnt be able to ride at off peak times, but what does annoy me is every set is default to red along the main route crossroads (smaller side roads turning onto the main route get a constant green)

This means stopping every 10 yards, braking reduces MPG and they are using green house gasses as an excuse to make every motorist financially strained via fuel taxes
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R1

[Pol Anorl]

iirc you can go through a red if you suspect it to be broken but you must obviously proceed with care and only after youve been sat there a reasonable ammount of time waiting for them to change.

I often find if flashing your lights dosen't make the traffic lights change then try putting the front wheen just on the white line, usualy works
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[goto10]

I recall sitting in my cage within a line of traffic about 4 cars from the front, we were waiting a while for the temporary lights to change (roadworks) - the guy in front decided that they must've packed up and so went for it, closely followed by the sheep in the next 2 cars - then a line of cars appeared from the side (so the system was a multi-way set of lights catering for more than just 2 rows of traffic) - the 2 batches of cars then met nose to nose - my mildly schadenfreudic mirth soon turned to mild despair when I then saw the lights change to allow the next row of cars to come along and add to the pile (despite them seeing the events unfolding in front of them, they must've decided that adding their own vehicles to the gridlock whilst sounding their horns would help resolve it)
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'12 NC700S & '12 CB600F Hornet [Stolen by some dickless twat] Suzuki GT500 shed

[Walloper]

No you MUST sit there like a fcuking prick until a larger mass of iron comes along to trigger the loop, even if you have to wait 30 mins.

FFS if the lights don't change then they are broke.

Move on if safe to do so.

It's the rules of the road. It is not exactly Rocket Surgery.


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W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[Pol Anorl]