Was I in the wrong?

janninew

Hi,

This morning I had quite a scary encounter in my car.

In my local area at the moment the Council are really pushing cycling and being healthy. At numerous traffic lights, those big red boxes have appeared with a bike painted in them. I never park over them and stay behind the white line. I did the usual this morning and I had a guy behind me beeping and making hand gestures, I just ignored him. He them got out and banged on my window (I didn't open it, I had my newborn son in the car with me). He shouted that I should pull forward into the red box (there were no bikes in it). I just sat and looked forward and carried on ignoring him!

He then kicked my rear tyre and called me numerous names. I have no idea what difference me pulling a few feet ahead would have made to him?

On my return journey I made a point to see what other drivers do at traffic lights, and most seemed to pull right forward over the red boxes. Is this correct? Can you pull over them if there are no cyclists around? These road markings seem quite new around my area and I thought I was right not parking over them?

Thanks.

Kilty_2

You're not supposed to wait in the box unless you're a cyclist. There is a stop line before it.

Tigsteroonie

Online Highway Code:

178

Advanced stop lines. 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. Allow cyclists time and space to move off when the green signal shows.

[Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10, 36(1) & 43(2)]

janninew

Kilty wrote: »

You're not supposed to wait in the box unless you're a cyclist. There is a stop line before it.

So the stop line in front of the red box is replacing the stop line at normal traffic lights then?

joolsybools

You did the right thing Janine. Quite what this idiot hoped to achieve by doing what he did I don't know.

Kilty_2

janninew wrote: »

So the stop line in front of the red box is replacing the stop line at normal traffic lights then?

Yes. The second stop line is for cyclists.

janninew

joolsybools wrote: »

You did the right thing Janine. Quite what this idiot hoped to achieve by doing what he did I don't know.

I was quite amazed how angry he actually was! I have no idea what would have been achieved if I had pulled forward, we wouldn't have gotten anywhere quicker! Are people like this in everyday life, or just on the roads I wonder!

Jinx

I've only been driving 4 years and my driving instructor always made me stop before the cyclist box - its for them, if you sit in it and they drive up there is nowhere for them to stop........ You are totally in the right, the guy was an idiot!

Wig

Here's one, in green,
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=52.630425,-1.136784&spn=0.000296,0.000603&t=k&z=21
you stop at the first white line and leave the bicycle box clear, unless you have gone through a green light and had to stop inside the bicycle box, then you stay where you are.

attila_

You don't drive a black range rover do you?

atrixblue.-MFR-.

some older motorist actually believe that the traffic light wont change unless your right on it. i get people tooting at me to move forward because someone further back has blocked a junction or something but i still wont move for someone elses mistake.

some people actually beleive they are there for the cyclist and pedestrians crossing the road!!.