Cyclists breaking the law

[acc]

I believe this is a real and serious problem. Perhaps it is a result of our success in promoting cycling and developing biking infrastructure. Now that people see it is possible to bike to and from work or for recreation our new challenges become finding ways to educate newcomers about bike safety and bike etiquette.

ann

[off2ride]

I talk to this cop almost daily at my job about cyclists that break the law in the city and basically he says who ever caused the accident, if it did happen, is the one that will be cited. He witnesses peds and cyclists break the law daily. Mostly for J walking while they’re browsing on their phone. Motorists that are pissed off at cyclists must have had a bad experience from cyclists. So now they have no patience for our kind. They see us as targets and probably will provoke given the chance.

I see a lot of riders just blast past red lights, stop signs without really looking. Earlier this year while riding through Falls Church, in the dark, (that section on the W&OD with back to back x-walks before the RT 7 overpass) this rider gave me an annoying grunt because I stopped for a incoming truck. Hmm let me see, it’s dark, I saw headlights to my left so I stopped. He saw the truck but decided to just gun it to the other side. The bozo makes it safely!!! I was just shaking my head. You see? My point here is some riders are too confident. They think that they are bullet proof or just totally oblivious to their surroundings. On the other side of this Earth, I’m not saying which country, peds and cyclists are NOT given ample space. They risk it every time they are out there so they dare not risk it. After all, coming home in one piece is truly a blessing.

[KLizotte]

I agree with off2ride that many (probably most) of these cyclists are simply overconfident and often like the adrenaline rush of blowing through intersections.

I wish these folks would realize that they are ambassadors for the cycling community at large; bad behavior affects others and even themselves in the long run. Some will learn the hard way.

I’m glad rsewell confronted the scofflaw cyclist. Even though the scofflaw didn’t respond with contrition, it’s possible that when he got home and had time to reflect he may have had a change of heart.

[TwoWheelsDC]

I agree that cyclists face an uphill battle to get our share of the roads…to that end I try to be safe because it gives drivers one less reason to want to run me off the road. I generally stop and wait at lights, use signals, and yield when necessary. These are the same types of behaviors i exhibit when driving…because it makes me safer.

that said, what I really think is that this scofflaw talk is a bunch of BS and is an excuse to keep cyclists off the road. “you gotta be safe to earn your right to the road”. What a load…why aren’t drivers held to this standard? Why do cyclists get singled out as this menace? It’s not because we make the roads less safe, it’s because drivers don’t like to take their foot off the gas for half a second. It’s because drivers see cyclists hop a red light and wish they could do it too. I think we’ve also adopted this macho mentality, that now has become a subconscious thing, that driving=power/affluence and not driving is a sign of weakness. How else do you explain why some people drive a half mile to the store to buy only a carton of milk or whatever?

I think the only thing that is going to get cyclists more respect is for more drivers to become cyclists…that will be driven partly by necessity (high gas prices, weight loss, etc…) and partly by advocacy. But just stopping for red lights or stopping at crosswalks is never going to get us anywhere…drivers always will just find more excuses to run us off the road.

[5555624]

Unfortunately, bad drivers make bad cyclists — regardless of the vehicle, they will do what they want. They don’t care about others and I thik it’s the same when they are behind the wheel. As mentioned elsewhere, I’ve said something to cyclists running red lights. I’ve been told the law says cyclists don’t have to stop, just need to stop can then continue through red lights, that it’s safer, etc. As more people start cycling, more of them will bring their bad driving habits from thei cars to their bikes.

[vvill]

I see as many bad cyclist manoeuvres these days as I used to see bad drivers when I drove to work. Probably because I am coming through Georgetown 1 hr later than before (since DST). There’s some pretty stupid stuff though. Racing through the Lynn St intersection when it’s flashing red with 2 seconds left and annoying drivers who’ve already been waiting to make their right turn. Speeding in between lanes on M St between a moving bus on the right and other moving vehicles on the left. Not yielding to moving traffic in the circle at Washington Circle.

Some of it is from clearly experienced cyclists, which irks me more. The other day I was coming down the end of the Custis which is dangerous enough in itself when crowded, and three cyclists sped past me on the left (with no signal), and then, due to a gaggle of kids with luggage standing at the Fort Myer Dr crossing, swung right at high speed and salmoned down Lee Hwy and across the intersection, even as the ped light was red. Even stupider thing was, I ended up right behind them at the Lynn St crossing since they didn’t make that light, and all I did was slow down enough for the group of kids to make room for me to pass, and cross with the green ped light. Those are times you wish you were omnipotent and had a [Smite] button.

I just have to channel my inner Dirt, otherwise it would be too much frustration for daily commuting.

[off2ride]

I’ve been commuting by bike in the DC area since the mid 90’s and I must say that when I witness riders do stupid things on the bike, I just shake my head. It doesn’t even bother me anymore. What does bother me easily is when I see young kids riding their bikes with their parents/guardians without helmets on. I confronted this guy once about his kid not wearing a helmet. I think he wanted to tell me to get lost but he knew I meant well so he just kindof gave me a lame excuse. So in return, I gave him the “rolling of the eyes” effect then left. Some people are just clueless.

[PotomacCyclist]

I see plenty of foolish, dangerous and illegal behavior from some cyclists. Pedestrians too. But I see just as much of this behavior from car drivers, so I can’t really jump on any bandwagon about how cyclists are the only ones who don’t obey all the laws. I see people driving cars while texting or websurfing on their phones every single week. They pull out of driveways, parking lots and parking spaces without looking to see if there is any traffic (car, bike or pedestrian). In off-peak hours, I see car drivers blow through red lights because they don’t think anyone will see them. Then there’s the fact that the majority of drivers exceed the speed limit, and not just on highways and limited-access roads. Or if they aren’t exceeding the speed limit, they are certainly not driving safely for the road conditions and the neighborhood. Going from 0 to 25 mph in the space of a couple blocks is not safe, even if 25 mph is the official limit.

I know that if I didn’t practice defensive cycling (by assuming that drivers are not even trying to look at what is around them), I would get hit almost every week. Fortunately, because I keep my eyes open, especially at intersections and parking garage/parking lot exits, I haven’t been hit yet. But it still is worrisome that in several polls, 25 to 40 percent of drivers admit to texting while driving.

[slowtriguy]

@vvill 17054 wrote:

Some of it is from clearly experienced cyclists, which irks me more. The other day I was coming down the end of the Custis which is dangerous enough in itself when crowded, and three cyclists sped past me on the left (with no signal), and then, due to a gaggle of kids with luggage standing at the Fort Myer Dr crossing, swung right at high speed and salmoned down Lee Hwy and across the intersection, even as the ped light was red. Even stupider thing was, I ended up right behind them at the Lynn St crossing since they didn’t make that light, and all I did was slow down enough for the group of kids to make room for me to pass, and cross with the green ped light. Those are times you wish you were omnipotent and had a [Smite] button.

This is a great example of the bad cyclist behavior that genuinely puzzles me the most. I share this not in an attempt to start or renew any flamewars, but mostly to get this question off my chest.

I’m constantly amazed by cyclists and pedestrians who run the red light at the W&OD crossing of Washington/Lee/Fairfax just west of the East Falls Church Metro. I see this in all weather conditions and in the mornings, during the day, and in the evening rush hour. It’s a really busy intersection and people turning right off the Fairfax highway offramp often don’t notice trail users until it’s almost too late — it’s an accident waiting to happen.

Here’s why I am puzzled. I stop at this light, every time. 90+% of the time, I catch up to and pass all the red light runners within a quarter mile past the intersection. So running the light saves them negligible amounts of time, but risks serious or fatal injury, and gives cyclists a bad name. So — why run *this specific* light? What am I missing?

And yes, I recognize that I should no longer be puzzled by this — after all, I see it every day — but still, it puzzles me.

[brendan]

@slowtriguy 17090 wrote:

Here’s why I am puzzled. I stop at this light, every time. 90+% of the time, I catch up to and pass all the red light runners within a quarter mile past the intersection. So running the light saves them negligible amounts of time, but risks serious or fatal injury, and gives cyclists a bad name. So — why run *this specific* light? What am I missing?

And yes, I recognize that I should no longer be puzzled by this — after all, I see it every day — but still, it puzzles me.

Well, you’re clearly faster than those cyclists.

I see a few factors as to why people both “run” it as well as cross against the light when it appears clear: a) not thinking through the fact that this crossing interfaces with people who are still driving in highway mode, b) it is a longer cycle light than any other W&OD crossing nearby and c) the light pattern is complex, e.g. the east (north) bound lee hwy light turns red before the west (south) bound light does, but trail users can only see the former. Granted, they can see the don’t-walk signal just fine, but I’m guessing most cyclists are used to looking left and right and jumping the light a little when they see that yellow light happen on the cross street. But, you just can’t assume that it’s turning yellow for both directions.

Brendan

[MCL1981]

@brendan 17091 wrote:

but I’m guessing most cyclists are used to looking left and right and jumping the light a little when they see that yellow light happen on the cross street. But, you just can’t assume that it’s turning yellow for both directions.

Ya I learned the frighting way when I started commuting. There are intersections in DC like that. Those intersections, looking both ways doesn’t cut it either because you can’t tell when some other phase is about to get a green and open the flood gates on your ass.

[americancyclo]

As a heads up to all us scofflaws out there, washcycle posted that a street smart cyclist campaign will be running during the Monday morning commute , so be warned. Police are out to get ya!

[mstone]

To be fair, it’s not like the turning cars always stop when the walk signal is on. I wonder sometimes what the point is of waiting for the walk signal vs just going when there’s a break in traffic. I suppose it’s important for your heirs?

What would be nice is if the push to cross actually had a priority. If there’s plenty of room for several cyclists to cross in the gap, why not just have the signal change a bit earlier? Is that 30s for pedestrians/cyclists really so much of an imposition?

[JeffC]

The common thread of many complaints about idiot cyclists and drivers is why people consistently do reckless and dangerous acts that ultimately save them no time, e.g., the driver who speeds up to pass me for a yellow light only to be stuck 1/8th of a mile ahead at the next red light. I don’t have any obvious answer for why people do such stupid acts over and over. It’s a disconcerting observation about human nature though. As a cyclist and father of two young kids, I know I have gotten much more cautious over the years. In a crowded place like DC with a bunch of type A fanatics this type of uncivil behaviour it is aggravating and much at odds with what I witness elsewhere.

It reminds me of reading about the recently deceased UCLA Political Scientist James Wilson and his “Broken Window” theory, namely that the more decay such as broken windows and grafitti one sees, the more it acts as a green light for others. There is something similar with driving/biking behaviour. When one constantly sees moronic behaviour as described in this thread, it seemingly gives a pass to others to act that way, e.g. everybody else is texting and driving even if it is against the law so why can’t I?.

The best that we can do is to always be on our best behaviour out there, tell others that don’t announce they are passing to do so next time, etc. Through your own actions, be the change you want to promote to others.

Ultimately though, I think it takes lengthy public campaigns to change perceptions. The anti drunk driving campaign has been very successful in this regard but sadly most campaigns seem to be failures–can anybody remember the nationwide push to “Drive 55”?

[mstone]

@JeffC 17111 wrote:

The common thread of many complaints about idiot cyclists and drivers is why people consistently do reckless and dangerous acts that ultimately save them no time,

I think the only consistency is the imprecise nature of the complaints. E.g., what does it mean to “blow through a light”? Does that mean to continue through a red without stopping? To proceed after slowing and looking? To proceed after a stop? When using such imprecise terms, the argument consists of what each participant has in mind, which is likely different than what anyone else is thinking. The crosswalk signal argument is similar. Is it really inherently unsafe to go while the signal is red and inherently safe when the signal is white? There’s a legal argument and a safety argument, and people conflate the two in a hard-to-discuss confusion of different concepts. It might be very rational to argue from a safety standpoint that crossing signals without a dedicated cycle are inherently unsafe, and should be ignored in favor of simply crossing when traffic permits (though this would be illegal). It would certainly be an easier conversation if it were clear that the crossing devices were configured for the safety of pedestrians/cyclists rather than the convenience of the motoring public.

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