Cycle Boxes and Bike Safe London

[WimbleHJR]

Morning all,

Just a quick FYI for any London riders, this morning while crossing the A24 by Tooting Bec I got pulled over by the Police because my front wheel apparently went into the Cycle box. Not a big deal, they did give me a breath test and filled in a stop and search form but really just gave me some advice. Have to say they were really friendly but did tell me the cameras were now active so people would start getting fines. Thought it was worth letting people on here know.

Also, one of the officers gave me a Bike Safe London leaflet. Apparently the course is only £45 and is recognised by insurance companies. I just wondered if anyone had done one and if so, as a course, is it worth doing? I've been riding a year now, but only on a big bike for 6 months so know there's still a lot for me to learn. If it's actually a good course I'd be quite keen

Anyway, despite being stopped, it was a lovely ride in to work in the sun so still a bloody good start to the day

Cheers

HJR

[esullivan]

BikeSafe is worth doing. Six months to a year after you get your license is the ideal time. It's not really a course; more of an "assessment". You get a bit of a lecture then ride around, followed by a bike cop. At the end of the day, he gives you some pointers on how to improve your safety.

If you've been riding a few years, or if you've ever done RoSPA or IAM, they won't be telling you anything you haven't heard. That said, there were a couple "veteran" riders on my group who said they do a BikeSafe day every few years to make sure they aren't slipping into bad habits.

The cycle box stuff triggered some long and boring threads here a few months back. I still think motorbikes should be able to use it, for the same reason bicycles do, but that's unlikely to happen.
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Current: '14 VFR800X Test passed 31/10/12.
Previous: '12 NC700S, '11 CBF 125, '04 SH 125.

[headlamp]

Wonderful - how many cyclists did the police stop and breathalyse for jumping the red lights and going beyond the white line? Those boxes should be for all two wheelers, not just cyclists (the majority of whom generally ignore them and go through the red lights).

To answer your second question Bikesafe is fun, riding around with a copper on a police bike but it has no bearing on your insurance premium.
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Using a mobile phone while driving a car should be made a capital offence!

[Walloper]

[WimbleHJR]

Cheers esullivan and headlamp,

I think i'll look into the course then. Anything that helps a little is good in my book, i figured it probably wouldn't affect my insurance, but at £45 it sounds like its worth doing.

To be fair to the police, they did actually stop some cyclists while I was there. In fact the lady officer actually moved one of her officers saying that they'd be more likely to catch the cyclists running lights on the other side of the road.

Don't want to start a whole debate on the rights and wrongs of it, just figured for anyone who might "accidentally" use these boxes, it's worth keeping your eye out.

Cheers

[jeddy11]

Bikesafe has lowered my premium think it was on the drop down of a comparison site under advanced riding certs and a quote on the phone went down when i asked about it..
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Fuelly My Z1000SX
cbt 06/08/11 mod1 (second go) 01/08/12 mod2 21/09/12
Varadero Viking YBR125>Varadero125>ER6F>Z1000SX !!!

[headlamp]

[Walloper]

[G]

Done bikesafe - there's a link to the review in my profile.

Just a note that while it does seem to be 'ok' for cyclists there - if there's no cycle path entering the advanced stop box, then it is just as illegal for cyclists to enter it, as the box doesn't meet the legal requirements, so is merely a drawing on the road.

[dave666]

Is this England (London?) only? I stop in cycle boxes everyday (Glasgow) in front of the police and they haven't said anything yet

[map]

[WimbleHJR]

Well I've booked myself on a course in November

Hopefully with a years ncb and the course the insurance companies will no longer feel the need to shaft me quite so hard!

I've been a cyclist in London and I can't honestly say I ever had an issue with Motorbikes using the boxes, even at the hectic ones like Chelsea bridge!

Not going to judge the cyclists to harshly for running red lights etc though, would be a bit hypocritical and I think there's as many terrible cyclists who stop at lights but generally cause problems, as there are good ones who are a little "flexible" with them.

[ninja_butler]

[barrkel]

[barrkel]

[Walloper]

[headlamp]

[Robby]

I ride in London every day. I can see why cyclists get their special box.

The behaviour of most cyclists has drastically improved recently. Only a minority of them run red lights these days in a particularly bad way. Most of them get going before the lights have changed, but after all of the traffic has stopped moving. Long enough for them to get clear of the box and move over to the left.

It isn't hard for us lot to stay out of the box. The other useful perk of enforcing the boxes is that it might stop taxis who gradually creep forward at a red light until they're in the middle of the junction from doing that.

Always amusing to watch them creep forward for ages, then stall it when the lights go green.

[Rogerborg]

[Atomic Punk]

How is it safe, putting the slowest vehicles at the front?

Have they not learned anything from Motogp, F1?
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I may have lost my way but I'm way ahead of schedule.

[Walloper]

[Cheeseybeaner]

[j.silvs]

Police are all over london doing it too.

Counted around 12 the other day.

Clearly all other crimes had been tackled that day

[G]

[Rogerborg]