Cycling Offences – Jumping Red Lights

Cycling Offences – Jumping Red Lights

Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s.36 and the Traffic Signs Regulations and Directions and Directions 2002 regulations 10 and 36(1), road users must not cross the stop line when the traffic lights are red. This offence, also known as ‘red light jumping’, applies to cyclists as well as motorists. The maximum penalty for red light jumping is a £1,000 fine and six penalty points endorsed on the driver’s licence however, in most cases, a driver will get a Fixed Penalty Notice (On-the-Spot Fine) of £30[1] whilst the maximum would only ever be imposed if the Fixed Penalty Notice is contested and taken to court. The punishment is also applicable to cyclists who, if caught, can be issued a Fixed Penalty Notice of £30.

However, there can be more serious consequences as was seen in December 2013 when a cyclist was jailed for twelve months after jumping a red light, knocking down a nine year old girl and leaving the scene. The cyclist collided with the girl at, what eyewitnesses estimated to be, 30mph after he failed to stop at the red light and she stepped out onto the pedestrian crossing. The judge told the cyclist that he was the only one to blame for the “incredibly selfish criminal act” after the cyclist admitted to a charge of causing grievous bodily harm. Despite the potentially serious consequences, only 4% of all pedestrian injuries as a result of red light jumping have been caused by cyclists with the remaining 96% involving motor vehicles.[2]

Yet, cyclists appear to frequently jump red lights with over 4,000 cyclists being issued Fixed Penalty Notices after being caught jumping red lights or ignoring other road signs in 2013.[3]The Institute of Advanced Motorists have also revealed in their research that 57% of cyclists admit to running red lights[4] whilst a YouGov poll revealed that 35% of cyclists at least “occassionally” ignore red lights[5]. But if it is illegal for a cyclist to jump a red light, as it is for any other road user, why do so many cyclists think that it is acceptable and frequently do it?

The National Cycling Charity believes that some cyclists jump red lights as they feel safer moving into the open spaces at junctions rather than waiting with fellow road users who often accelerate into the junction once the traffic light turns green.[6] However, statistics show that in 2012, ‘Disobeyed automatic traffic signal’ (which includes red light jumping)  was assigned by the police to 1% of pedal cycles involved in reported incidents where a contributory factor was assigned to one of the vehicles involved. [7]  This is roughly the same percentage assigned to cars and suggests that red light jumping is just as dangerous regardless of whether the perpetrator is a cyclist or a motorist.

However, PC James Aveling, a City of London bike patrol officer of nine years, argues that the statistics disguise the size of the problem caused by cyclists jumping red lights because there is no legal obligation to report collisions between bikes and pedestrians.[8] Nevertheless, contrary to popular belief, cyclists are not the only road users who regularly jump red lights. According to the then  Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, red light jumping in London is prevalent amongst motorists with 47,932 fines issued in 2006 for drivers caught jumping red lights (that is 130 drivers a day!).[9]

Although there has been much said about allowing cyclists to jump red lights absolutely, in certain situations,  or reducing the fine for the offence; cyclists are under the same laws as other road users when it comes to obeying road sign and signals. Jumping a red light is dangerous behaviour regardless of whether you are behind a steering wheel or handlebars. In London, between 2001 – 2005 (the most recent data available), 3 cyclists and 7 motor vehicle occupants were killed when a motorist jumped a red light whilst two cyclists were killed by red light jumping.[10]

 

 


[1] The Road Safety (Financial Penalty Deposit) (Appropriate Amount) Sch 1, Table 5(9)

[2] Transport for London ‘Travel in London, Report 4’ (2011). Available at: <www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/corporate/travel-in-london-report-4.pdf> accessed March 2014.

[3] Massey and Thomas, ‘More than 11,000 cyclists caught running through red lights and riding on pavements in just one year’ MailOnline (18th January 2014). Available at: < http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2541739/More-11-000-cyclists-caught-running-red-lights-riding-pavements-just-one-year.html> accessed March 2013.

[4] Institute of Advanced Motorists, ‘Do cyclists jump red lights?’ (14th May 2012). Available at <www.iam.org.uk/media-and-research/media-centre/news-archive/1054-more-than-half-of-cyclists-jump-red-lights> accessed March 2014.

[5] W Jordan, ‘Most London Cyclists Don’t Run Red Lights – But Many Do’ YouGov (21st November 2013). Available at < http://yougov.co.uk/news/2013/11/21/London-cyclists-red-lights> accessed March 2014.

[6] The National Cycling Charity, ‘Cyclists’ behaviour and the law’ (January 2014), 9

[7] Department of Transport, ‘Reported Road Casualties Great Britain 2012’  (September 2013), Table RAS 50005. Available at <www.gov.uk/government/publications/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-annual-report-2012> accessed March 2014.

[8] P Walker, ‘Why do police target cyclists who jump red lights?’ The Guardian (16th April 2010). Available at <www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/apr/16/police-cyclists-red-lights> accessed March 2014.

[9] Questions to the Mayor (Ken Livingstone), 18th October 2006 from Jenny Jones. Available at <http://mqt.london.gov.uk/mqt/public/question.do?id=15763> accessed March 2014.

[10] The National Cycling Charity, ‘Cyclists’ behaviour and the law’ (January 2014), 10