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Charge of the red light brigade
David Williams, Motoring Editor13.05.08
Red-light jumping is at "epidemic proportions" in London, a survey reveals.
Pedestrians are being put in danger by road-users who race through traffic lights each time they go red.
The survey for the Evening Standard found one in every 25 - including motorists, cyclists and bus drivers - routinely "runs" traffic lights.
At Trafalgar Square, researchers spotted 117 road-users charging through lights after they turned red over a three-hour period. Fifty one were cyclists, 13 were motorcyclists and 23 were car drivers.
Eighteen vans shot through on red, as well as four police vehicles not on emergency calls, three lorries and five buses.
The survey was repeated at other locations in central and outer London with similar results.
It comes after Boris Johnson was spotted riding his bicycle through six separate red lights on his journey to and from work at City Hall.
The survey was carried out by the Institute of Advanced Motorists' head of road safety Kevin Delaney, who said: "We are seeing the growth of motorised anarchy. Drivers are realising that shorter green phases increase the length of their queue at traffic lights and are more willing to gamble on the first few seconds of the red light.
"But as far as cyclists in central London are concerned, the laws of the road do not apply to them."
Mr Delaney, former head of the Met's traffic division, added: "Many cyclists simply ignore red traffic lights, placing themselves, pedestrians and other road-users in danger. It is a quick route to the cemetery."
During the survey most of those who jumped red lights did so within seconds of lights changing.
Motorists and cyclists who did stop at red often put pressure on pedestrians still trying to cross by surging forward.
At Piccadilly Circus 101 roadusers jumped red lights in three hours, including 43 cyclists, 27 car drivers, eight motorcyclists, one lorry driver and 22 vans. A similar pattern emerged at the junction of Kensington High Street and Kensington Church Street.
In outer London red-light jumping was less frequent and at junctions policed by red-light cameras only cyclists went through red lights.
Mr Delaney demanded tough action to end red-light running.
"It needs a co-ordinated campaign with police stopping people who do it," he said. "It should be backed by a major publicity drive highlighting the dangers."
CAUGHT BY OUR PHOTOGRAPHER
Evening Standard photographer Alex Lentati took the pictures above at the Admiralty Arch junction in Trafalgar Square yesterday afternoon. He estimated that about 20 people an hour jumped the lights.
He said: "All kinds of vehicles were going straight through the red light, one after another. I saw one of the yellow DUKW buses go through with a contingent of passengers. He just did not seem to want to stop.
"Cyclists were the ones that went through the junction most often - the traffic lights might just as well not have been there.
"A Bentley convertible driver passed red a good second after the lights changed. He seemed more interested in the sunshine than the traffic lights.
"You would expect a professional taxi driver to know better than to go through a red but he did.
"It might have been a bit more difficult for the bus driver because it's such a long vehicle. Possibly the lights were on amber when he went through but he should have tried to stop."
Reader views (18)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
Should do away with all lights, it would make drivers and pedestrians more careful.
Or just phase the lights in a common sense way, get the hand of Ken off them!
Another thing people do not seem to mention, is that there have been hundreds of new lights installed for no good reason throughout London, a complete waste of money and time, just how Green is that?
- Good Riddance To Red Ken!, Bexleyheath
Safety and comfort of bus passengers cannot override the law, and the safety of other road users and pedestrians.
To ensure safety and comfort of their passengers, bus drivers should drive in a manner that allows them to stop comfortably when they see the amber light -- no need for panic (uncomfortable) stops when they see a red.
- A. Bennett, Letchworth, UK
A word in defence of the bus driver: when you train for the Passenger Carrying Vehicle licence, it is drummed into you that the safety and comfort of your passengers are paramount. This does - and should - figure in your thinking when you are deciding whether to go for heavy braking as the light changes to amber, or to continue across the junction. It's a split second call and you can't get it right 100% of the time. Also, remember that what counts is the position of the front of the vehicle relative to the white Stop line. The moment the front passes the line, the colour of the lights ceases to be significant. If the front of a 30ft+ vehicle crosses just as the light goes from green to amber, it's a perfectly respectable manoeuvre but, to a casual observer who sees the rear part of the bus passing a by now red light, it may appear the law has been broken.
- Bryan Armstrong, London
This has got worse since former Mayor Livingstone and co started to tinker about with the timings of traffic lights at junctions. Lights are on red for far too long for no clear benefit to anyone- and not even for pedestrians. Longer waits at traffic lights means more car idling, and hence worse pollution for the pedestrian to breathe in. Create an unfair system, as has happened, and don't be surprised when people try and squeeze through on amber/red. People just want to get from A to B and not be held up needlessly- hopefully Boris will shift the balance, and I'm sure such incidents will get less and less. People don't mind waiting- what they do mind is waiting for ridiculous lengths of time for no reason.
- Richard, London, UK
Sir: I would like to say that living in San Diego,Ca. isn't safe, as there are many people who are running the red lights. People are mad.
- Helen Mc Allister, san diego,ca.
It may have something to do with the fact that the odious little man that has just been booted out had the lights set to cause a much congestion as possible. Boris needs to re-phase the lights so the promote traffic flow and not the opposite. Bendy buses I found were the biggest cause of congestion by going through on red but more than half the bus was blocking traffic from the other lights from moving.
- Duncan Walker, Samui Thailand
More and more people are getting stabbed out there yet this guy wants police to do more about red light jumping?! He goes on about putting others at risk. When this survey was taken, did any of them cause an accident? No! So what's the problem?!
If you want vehicles to stop jumping red lights then sort out the traffic light signals. Like he says, shorter green phrases increases the length of the queue at lights. Basically, us drivers are helping other by not causing so much traffic and pollution!
- Tony, London
No mention of motorists who occupy cyclist box safe havens every day at rush hour, at red lights, always. These lawless motorists will clearly not give adequate space to cyclists when overtaking, so is it any wonder cyclists attempt to give themselves a safe head start?
I would welcome a daily shame picture column focusing on motorist occupiers of cyclist boxes. Most cyclists do not shoot reds; future articles should make this clearer. Cyclists are most often the innocent victims of dangerous driving manoeuvres by some motorists, so please present more balanced arguments and do not demonise cyclists.
- Reg, Camberwell, London
There is a junction with lights outside Harrow and Wealdstone station. I use this junction almost every day. Buses come through the red lights (after my lights have turned green) at a rate of about 1 in every 4 buses. This is not a casual observation. I now make a point of watching every single bus while I am waiting.
- Dt, Harrow, UK
No surprise, No enforcement by a largely absent Police Force/Service with a tiny (to expensive) traffic branch.
- Sir Les, Norf London
"At Piccadilly Circus 101 road users jumped red lights in three hours, including 43 cyclists, 27 car drivers, eight motorcyclists, one lorry driver and 22 vans. A similar pattern emerged at the junction of Kensington High Street and Kensington Church Street."
If we take these statistics as representative of the problem, then 57% of red-light jumping is carried out by motorists. There are over 10,000 state-controlled CCTV cameras in London. So why is it that the vehicles involved in these crimes are not being traced and penalty notices not being sent to the owners concerned? Perhaps those paid to enforce such laws can't be bothered. Zero tolerance? That'll be the day.
- Austen, London
I am not surprised these traffic lights must be the worst phased 1's in London. they let on average about 4 cars through on green before changing back to red.
- Steve, essex
We are in a stand-off because traffic lights have been rephased to provide less time for motorists and cyclists to get through them in favour of often mythical pedestrians. Its a classic - bad laws give rise to bad behaviour - inherently biased traffic management gives rise to frustration and disbelief. Sitting at lights whilst no one moves and no pedestrians are in sight is a frequent and stupefying waste of time. Nearly all lights have a pedestrian call button - allow this to change the timings when necessary; otherwise maximise traffic flow
- Frustrated On 2 And 4 Wheels, Chelsea
A few poles rising out of the ground along the stop line when lights are red would help...
- Martin H. Watson, Teddington
Re-phasing of the lights has not helped, but unfortunately it's a symptom of the lack of manners and impatience of Londoners. The only solution is for people to just relax. Maybe we should make listening to Opera or Frank Sinatra compulsory...?
- Mark Curtis, London
Yes, I see it every day. Only traffic lights that have cameras seem to stop this stupidity.
- Paul Pierce, Newbury, Berkshire
This is nothing new, I regularly saw buses jumping red lights on Haymarket when I was working there over five years ago. As for "professional" taxi drivers, I found them to be among the worst offenders. I reported several such dangerous drivers to the police, who didn't want to know. They even cited bad karma as a way of offenders being brought to task. I even once witnessed a whole line of traffic refusing to let pedestrians cross, even though the latter had the "green man" to cross.
- Richard, Madrid, Spain
I saw a police car, no sirens being used, go through a red light near where I live a couple of mornings ago. In doing so they almost hit a mother and child who had to leap backwards to avoid them.
I have also seen a driver almost hit two children there while running a red light and then get out the car and shout abuse at the children.
I see red lights being run at the same junction pretty much every time I cross the road. Someone will be killed before anyone takes any notice at all.
- Ljr, London
