Don't you hate those red lights?

[Matthew_T]

I am sorry if there have been other threads on this topic but I am utterly annoyed at red lights.

There are two cross roads near me which are light sensitive (others probably are as well). Whenever I get to them, I am able to see what the other directions (across my path) lights are doing. For some reason they stay on red for both directions when there is no traffic coming at all. I am waiting there for ages just so someone can come up behind me and trigger the lights.
I have found myself often going through the lights and monitoring the other directions as I dont want to be waiting five minutes for a car to come.

How does everyone else get around this problem legally? I even tried aiming my light at the sensor but that didnt work.

 

[snorri]

How does everyone else get around this problem legally?

If the sensor is failing to "see" you the lights are defective.
Find out which authority (trunk road/local road?) is responsibe for the lights, they probably have a page on their website for logging faults. Fill in the details asked for on the page and chase them up if their is no action within a reasonable time.
In the meantime, possibly best to carefully walk aross the junction pushing the bike.



PS, Don't allow yourself to become "utterly annoyed" by such trifles, faults develop out of the blue, follow the procedure and relax. If you are still fighting for repairs in 6 months, some annoyance may be justified.

 

[Tyke]

If a light does not change for five minutes it is legal to presume that it has failed and then treat it as a normal junction and give way to the right and move off when clear.

 

[Matthew_T]

If a light does not change for five minutes it is legal to presume that it has failed and then treat it as a normal junction and give way to the right and move off when clear.

But the problem with that is that you often have to cross the stop line in order to see what is coming from the other directions.

 

[Matthew_T]

chase them up if their is no action within a reasonable time.

But how long is a 'reasonable time'? You have to consider that it is the council who I am going to be first sending a complaint to.

 

[Tyke]

But the problem with that is that you often have to cross the stop line in order to see what is coming from the other directions.

That's not a problem after five minutes you just proceed with caution.

 

[apollo179]

Yes mathew that must be annoying - id recommend doing what you do now and just go when its safe.

 

[summerdays]

If I knew the lights weren't triggered by me on a bike I wouldn't bother waiting at all if it was all clear - but I would report it to the council. It took a couple of years from when I first reported a problem set of lights to when it was fixed fairly recently. The first time that I triggered the lights myself I almost fell off my bike with shock.

 

[summerdays]

Says who? Would you care to link to the relevant section of the law which you believe supports this?

Are you saying that it isn't true? I don't know where I picked up the information but I've definitely repeated it, that if your bike doesn't trigger a set of lights to change because they are not adjusted properly that they are deemed to be not working with regards to bicycles.

 

[apollo179]

[QUOTE 1597744"]
Of course you are, as they're responsible.

They have targets and so will have to respond in an appropriate time. I've always found them to be pretty good In matters like this. You can always ring Highways for a chat, they are human.
[/quote]

Mat i would temper mcpauls rose tinted view of councils.
Councils are invariably characterised by being institutionally incompetent and although there are some well intentioned individuals who work for them (usually they wont have worked there for that long and the good ones usually leave asap to find more acceptable employment elsewhere) but generally the attitude is a defensive one ingrained over time through dealing with normal tax payers who are disatisfied with their (the council workers) utter uselessness.
And targets are just window dressing - they mean nothing.

 

[Globalti]

Most lights are triggered by cables buried in the road, which sense the electromagnetic field of a big steel object passing over them. A bicycle and especially a carbon one is not magnetic enough. My occasional fast training run involves a change of direction on a little-used light at a big junction so if the lights go through a full sequence without changing for me I simply cross when the traffic has stopped.

 

[StuartG]

Filing a report is good for getting it fixed. Its also good if you are stopped by the constabulary. It is prior evidence that you reasonably inferred that the lights were not working and were, in your beliefe, riding in accordance with the HC and NOT RLJing. I can't imagine anything that on production of the evidence any PCN appeal or magistrate would have a problem.

And if there were - you might even get a few bob from the Daily Mail for the story

 

[Jezston]

Mat i would temper mcpauls rose tinted view of councils.
Councils are invariably characterised by being institutionally incompetent and although there are some well intentioned individuals who work for them (usually they wont have worked there for that long and the good ones usually leave asap to find more acceptable employment elsewhere) but generally the attitude is a defensive one ingrained over time through dealing with normal tax payers who are disatisfied with their (the council workers) utter uselessness.
And targets are just window dressing - they mean nothing.

I'd say that's more a myth about local councils put about by the right wing tabloid press who consider council offices to be a hotbed of leftie unionist jobsworths and they love jumping down on any story that perpetuates this stereotype.

I've had far more luck getting issues sorted out with local councils than I ever have with any private businesses.

 

[CopperCyclist]

I have one set on my commute that are the same. If I'm parked there, they never change. If a car pulls up behind me, they do.

In my case, the junction allows a clear line of sight, so yes, if no car pulls up behind me I go through. If a car pulls up, I sit at the red and wait for it to change.

The one thing I hadn't done was report it to the council, which was remiss of me. I've now done so.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

I am sorry if there have been other threads on this topic but I am utterly annoyed at red lights.

There are two cross roads near me which are light sensitive (others probably are as well). Whenever I get to them, I am able to see what the other directions (across my path) lights are doing. For some reason they stay on red for both directions when there is no traffic coming at all. I am waiting there for ages just so someone can come up behind me and trigger the lights.
I have found myself often going through the lights and monitoring the other directions as I dont want to be waiting five minutes for a car to come.

How does everyone else get around this problem legally? I even tried aiming my light at the sensor but that didnt work.

To get back to the topic at hand, usually there's a cable in the floor which is triggered by (I believe) metal. If the cable isn't sensitive enough you can't trigger the lights, and if your bike is carbon you're stuffed. You can see it by the goo they put over it when they reseal the tar, usually a type of parallelogram-shape.

I've had success changing lights in the Manchester/Stockport area to be more sensitive. You just need to find the right person (and hope he/she is competent and bothered!). The Manchester guy was great.