I always stop before these but is it an offence to stop in one? I had my wheel about 10 inches into one as I was lights which were on green bus a bus behind me was turning left and for some reason got blocked so by the time I set off the lights change to amber. The junction was very busy so didn;t want to take a chance so I stopped, the problem is I was now slighlty in the green cycle box.
I did the safest thing in the situation but I just wonder if it is was an offence to stop in one of these boxes? I am aware its an offfence to stop over the stop line but my car was well before the final stop line if that makes any sense.
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No doubt someone will come in with a definitive answer soon... but I suspect it is as you'd be crossing a solid white line to enter the box... and you should stop behind that line... but there is another at the other end of the box to stop the cyclists crossing the junction so who knows?!
Last edited by: hobby on Thu 12 Aug 10 at 20:11
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Quothe the Highway Code:
Some signal-controlled junctions have advanced stop lines to allow cycles to be positioned ahead of other traffic. Motorists, including motorcyclists, MUST stop at the first white line reached if the lights are amber or red and should avoid blocking the way or encroaching on the marked area at other times, e.g. if the junction ahead is blocked. If your vehicle has proceeded over the first white line at the time that the signal goes red, you MUST stop at the second white line, even if your vehicle is in the marked area.
So you're in the clear, Rattle. Doesn't excuse the behaviour of most of the taxi drivers round my way, who stop in the box as a matter of course and then inch through the red light with 20 seconds still to go.
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Thanks its pretty much what I thought although I stopped in the box when the lights were on amber and not red.
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IMO the green boxes in my area are an absolute joke and a waste of time and paint.
Never ever seen any cyclist in one at any time of the night or day
However I have seen many cyclists passing through them when the lights against them are red.
The advantage ( to cyclists ) is they have a wider view when jumping the lights.
My suggestion for saving money is ask a few motorists to paint em black and then forget all about green boxes.
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I take it henry k is being ironic? Quite a few drivers fail to see cyclists. It's called SMIDSY. Usually when pulling out of a junction against the priority vehicle:) Not to mention drivers running lights, not that "road tax payers" ever, ever offend in such a way. Must be a mirage then when I drive into Preston (infrequently) and double-take when moving off from the lights. Nope, its not cyclists that I'm wary about - it's the red plus 1m at speed:(
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>>>IMO the green boxes in my area are an absolute joke and a waste of time and paint.
Never ever seen any cyclist in one at any time of the night or day
I'm a fair weather cyclist and use the bike most days for short (under 2-3 mile) local journeys and use the green boxes all the time. Regardless of whether I'm turning left, right or going straight ahead I stop in the middle (never jump reds, sometimes use the pavements to my advantage if clear) and try to make sure that a car can't squeeze in. Hey its my green box not theirs. If you leave enough space for a car they'll fill it and ignore me assuming I will get out of the way. Worst offenders? Women in BM's and Mercs. Me car'ist never!
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The cynic in me says that someone in the Highways dept has a relative in the road paint manufacturing industry.
Here, like probably most places, we have yellow, white and green paint with more and more red coming along.......can't recollect any blue yet but I'm sure it will come.
Now, the pathetic kerbside cycle lanes are filled in with green in some places and I actually saw a lorryload of men putting some sort of transfer picture of a bicycle down and burning it into the cycle lane. Trouble was , it's always parked over at that spot, being outside some shops.
Never seen any cyclists in the green box hereabouts....they're all on the footpath !
Ted
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Haha I actually dismount and use the pedistrian crossing and push my bike at busy junctions like this.
The amount of clutter on the roads in Manchester is really really stupid though. There is so much clutter it makes it harder to see the signs which give vital information such as no entry.
My favourite is the bus lane sign before the four banks - there isn't a bus lane just a a right turn only lane for buses (cars can't go in) but it is not a bus lane.
Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Thu 12 Aug 10 at 23:10
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>>I actually dismount and use the pedistrian crossing and push my bike at busy junctions like this
IIRC it's technically illegal to pass a red light even if you're pushing a bike.
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How is it? If I get off my bike, walk to the pedistrian crossing wait to the green man is on how is that ilegal? If I am bushing it then surely I am a pedistrian and not a cyclist?
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Rats,
IIRC the argument is that a bike, even being pushed, is a carriage. As such it is required to stop at lights and is not entitled to use a crossing. If you pick it up it becomes a package carried by a pedestrian and all is OK.
Don't think any of us need to worry too much. It would take a very well informed copper on a very bad day even to give you a warning. A prosecution would hopefully be scotched as a waste of public funds.
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>> stop in the box as a matter of course and then inch through the red light with 20 seconds still to go.
About a minute and a half behind the pushbikes then. They totally ignore traffic lights although I notice they only cross when it's safe to do so.
No guts if you ask me.
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In our neck of the woods we don't have cycle boxes. Instead we have mobility scooter boxes!
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>> Instead we have mobility
>> scooter boxes!
>>
Sign seen in Brockenhurst recently, on the gate to an old people's home:
Residents' Cars Only.
The gate was 4 feet wide.
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On the way to buy SWMBO's engagement ring from Covent garden, in the '70s, I followed signs to a car park.
I thought the entrance was a little tight. The guy informed me I'd brought the A35 through the 'barrer' entrance. He was so amused, he let me stay there.
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Cycle boxes at traffic lights - hobby
