It's a similar situation in Philly, every day I watch bikers run red lights and stop signs or speeding in a 25.
I've yet to see a cop pull over someone on a bike
I've yet to see a cop pull over someone on a bike
There are practical reasons for bikes going through red lights and stop signs.
1. We want to clear the intersection and get to the other side ahead of the traffic. Car-bike accidents occur most often at intersections rather than mid-block. Getting through the intersection before the light turns green is a way to relieve worry about getting right hooked or sideswiped by a car. Cross traffic, if any, is visible and avoidable. Cyclists choose to "risk it" because the real risk at intersections comes from oncoming and in-flow traffic.
2. It takes a lot of energy to start up again from a dead stop. Average speed will drop A LOT from stopping unnecessarily, moreover, it is far more tiring to get back up to speed. It means more sweat and discomfort.
Some people feel, especially on forums such as this, that all traffic laws need to be observed "to the letter" by every vehicle including bicycles. That's overly strict and impractical. It is why cops almost never "pull over" cyclists who run stop-signs. There is no good reason to do so unless the cyclist was deliberately precipitating emergency evasive maneuvers from motorists.
I'd hardly call "I have a desire to be killed by a car" or "I harbour a blatant disregard of the saftey and wellbeing of those around me" practical reasons. The laws are written for the protection of everyone, not solely to inconvenience you.
Stop signs aren't something we really have in my country, but cycling through red lights has been the cause of death and injury for both cyclists and pedestrians.
I find it horrifying that you're so quick to disregard even the most fundamental rules of the road and worse yet aggressively defend your anti-social behaviour.
https://www.treehugger.com/bikes/new-study-shows-scofflaw-cy...
“Bicyclists, perhaps despite popular conception, really don’t break the rules at any greater rate than any other modes: pedestrians or drivers,” said Aaron Johnson, one of the authors. “When there’s a disregard for the rules it tends to come from efforts to negotiate infrastructure that really wasn’t built for them.”
> quick to disregard even the most fundamental rules of the road and worse yet aggressively defend your anti-social behaviour.
It's so sad that people born into a world where cars are everywhere just have no concept anymore of what is human. You put a random dude on a bike and they are never going to average 20 mph, struggle to even get to 18 mph. Barreling up 15% inclines in SF at 30 mph is not normal.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/gay-basher-ge...
http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2014/10/stanley-park-pedestrian-d...
This is just recent local news from my neck of the woods, off the top of my head.
This is why concealed guns are banned in most states and fists aren't.
Ok, go stand in the street and I'll hit you with a bicycle. I can come to the emergency room later and you can tell me how it didn't hurt that much.
> This is why concealed guns are banned in most states
False, by the way. They just require a license... like a car.
I've yet to see a vehicle not speeding in a 25. It's honestly infuriating when people are actually going 24 in a 25, because despite these limits being in a mostly urban area, there are almost zero pedestrians there and it's a 3 lane wide road in good condition.
How much can a bike possibly be speeding in a 25 to be a danger? 28mph? Come on.
Running a red light is a big no-no however.