Police crackdown on cyclists without lights

Danger cyclists in Cambridge have been targeted by police in a crackdown on
riders who flout traffic laws.

Officers handed out £30 fines to 15 cyclists for a variety of offences
including not having lights, riding on the footpath or going through red
traffic lights.

The operation was run by four Special Constables between 6pm and 10pm
yesterday (February 29).

Officers focused on Arbury Road, Milton Road, Victoria Avenue, Hills Road
and Cherry Hinton Road. During a previous operation in December, 26 cyclists
were stopped.

Special Inspector Andy Coleman said: "Police will continue to target people
who ride with no lights because it is for their own safety and we know the
public are concerned too.

"Having the right safety equipment is important for the cyclist and for
other road users who need to be able to see them.

"I would urge all cyclists to get a set of lights - they are cheaper than
paying a fine."

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home...n-01032012.htm

"Mr Benn" > wrote in message
...
> Danger cyclists in Cambridge have been targeted by police in a crackdown
> on riders who flout traffic laws.
>
> Officers handed out £30 fines to 15 cyclists for a variety of offences
> including not having lights, riding on the footpath or going through red
> traffic lights.
>
> The operation was run by four Special Constables between 6pm and 10pm
> yesterday (February 29).
>
> Officers focused on Arbury Road, Milton Road, Victoria Avenue, Hills Road
> and Cherry Hinton Road. During a previous operation in December, 26
> cyclists were stopped.
>
> Special Inspector Andy Coleman said: "Police will continue to target
> people who ride with no lights because it is for their own safety and we
> know the public are concerned too.
>
> "Having the right safety equipment is important for the cyclist and for
> other road users who need to be able to see them.
>
> "I would urge all cyclists to get a set of lights - they are cheaper than
> paying a fine."

Psycholists/militant cyclists, please note the above sentence.

QUOTE:
Cycle safety is set to come under scrutiny again at the Palace of
Westminster, with the Transport Committee holding an oral evidence
session on the issue at an unspecified date after Easter. The news
comes at the same time as the Department for Transport hosted the
first of two meetings aimed at devising a national cycle safety
strategy. The Times newspaper has also asked people who have signed up
to its Cities Fit For Cycling campaign to go online to highlight the
most dangerous junction they use and make suggestions to improve it.

An announcement on the Parliament.gov.uk website says: “In recent
evidence sessions the Transport Committee has examined a number of
topics within the field of road safety as part of its inquiry into the
Government’s Strategic Framework for Road Safety.

“Reducing the relatively high casualty numbers for cyclists is a
specific part of the Government’s vision for road safety. Last year
the number of road fatalities fell overall, but increased for pedal
cyclists by seven per cent.”

The Times newspaper, whose Cities Fit For Cycling campaign was
launched in early February and led to the issue being debated by MPs
at Westminster Hall last month, reports that Road Safety Minister Mike
Penning is among those expected to give evidence to the Transport
Committee.

Committee chairman Louise Ellman told the newspaper: “There are far
too many deaths and accidents with bicycles and The Times has
highlighted this. It is important that the committee look at this in
more detail.

“It is a very important issue,” she added. “We were inspired by the
work The Times has been doing.”

The Times said that it is to early to know whether committee members
will recommend that the government embrace the eight-point manifesto
that forms a central pillar of its campaign.

So far, some 32,000 people have pledged their support to the
newspaper’s campaign, and it is now urging them to go online and
identify what they see as the most dangerous junction they have
encountered and make suggestions as to how to improve it. The AA,
British Cycling and CTC are also asking their members to do likewise.
The Times says it plans to publish the results, and we will add the
link once it is available.

The Times also revealed that the Department for Transport yesterday
hosted the first of two planned meetings of a group that has been
established to draw up a national plan focusing on cycle safety,
including representatives of cycle campaign groups, the police,
motoring organisations and road safety campaigners.

A draft strategy will now be drawn up by an independent consultant and
put forward for agreement at the next meeting, which is due to take
place on Monday March 19. According to The Times, issues addressed
will include a focus on improving infrastructure as well as the
behaviour of both motorists and cyclists, reducing vehicle speeds and
greater enforcement of existing road traffic legislation.

One attendee at the meeting told the newspaper: “Fingers crossed that
it actually leads to something. There is a lot of momentum there.”

Another added: “One of the fears is that they come out with
platitudes. I think they got the point that this should be much more
than that and we need a set of real measures.”

http://road.cc/content/news/54116-ho...y-after-easter

--
Simon Mason

On Mar 7, 2:26*pm, Simon Mason > wrote:
> QUOTE:
> Cycle safety is set to come under scrutiny again at the Palace of
> Westminster, with the Transport Committee holding an oral evidence
> session on the issue at an unspecified date after Easter. The news
> comes at the same time as the Department for Transport hosted the
> first of two meetings aimed at devising a national cycle safety
> strategy. The Times newspaper has also asked people who have signed up
> to its Cities Fit For Cycling campaign to go online to highlight the
> most dangerous junction they use and make suggestions to improve it.
>
> An announcement on the Parliament.gov.uk website says: “In recent
> evidence sessions the Transport Committee has examined a number of
> topics within the field of road safety as part of its inquiry into the
> Government’s Strategic Framework for Road Safety.
>
> “Reducing the relatively high casualty numbers for cyclists is a
> specific part of the Government’s vision for road safety. Last year
> the number of road fatalities fell overall, but increased for pedal
> cyclists by seven per cent.”
>
> The Times newspaper, whose Cities Fit For Cycling campaign was
> launched in early February and led to the issue being debated by MPs
> at Westminster Hall last month, reports that Road Safety Minister Mike
> Penning is among those expected to give evidence to the Transport
> Committee.
>
> Committee chairman Louise Ellman told the newspaper: “There are far
> too many deaths and accidents with bicycles and The Times has
> highlighted this. It is important that the committee look at this in
> more detail.
>
> “It is a very important issue,” she added. “We were inspired by the
> work The Times has been doing.”
>
> The Times said that it is to early to know whether committee members
> will recommend that the government embrace the eight-point manifesto
> that forms a central pillar of its campaign.
>
> So far, some 32,000 people have pledged their support to the
> newspaper’s campaign, and it is now urging them to go online and
> identify what they see as the most dangerous junction they have
> encountered and make suggestions as to how to improve it. The AA,
> British Cycling and CTC are also asking their members to do likewise.
> The Times says it plans to publish the results, and we will add the
> link once it is available.
>
> The Times also revealed that the Department for Transport yesterday
> hosted the first of two planned meetings of a group that has been
> established to draw up a national plan focusing on cycle safety,
> including representatives of cycle campaign groups, the police,
> motoring organisations and road safety campaigners.
>
> A draft strategy will now be drawn up by an independent consultant and
> put forward for agreement at the next meeting, which is due to take
> place on Monday March 19. According to The Times, issues addressed
> will include a focus on improving infrastructure as well as the
> behaviour of both motorists and cyclists, reducing vehicle speeds and
> greater enforcement of existing road traffic legislation.
>
> One attendee at the meeting told the newspaper: “Fingers crossed that
> it actually leads to something. There is a lot of momentum there.”
>
> Another added: “One of the fears is that they come out with
> platitudes. I think they got the point that this should be much more
> than that and we need a set of real measures.”
>
> http://road.cc/content/news/54116-ho...rt-committee-h...
>
> --
> Simon Mason

On Mar 7, 2:29 pm, Simon Mason > wrote:
>
> > A draft strategy will now be drawn up by an independent consultant and
> > put forward for agreement at the next meeting, which is due to take
> > place on Monday March 19. According to The Times, issues addressed
> > will include a focus on improving infrastructure as well as the
> > behaviour of both motorists and cyclists, reducing vehicle speeds and
> > greater enforcement of existing road traffic legislation.

Reducing vehicle speeds is a good first step as our blanket roll out
of 20mph zones has proved over the years.
Deaths and injuries have plummeted.

--
Simon Mason.

On Mar 7, 2:21*pm, "Mr Benn" > wrote:
> Danger cyclists in Cambridge have been targeted by police in a crackdown on
> riders who flout traffic laws.
>
> Officers handed out £30 fines to 15 cyclists for a variety of offences
> including not having lights, riding on the footpath or going through red
> traffic lights.
>
> The operation was run by four Special Constables between 6pm and 10pm
> yesterday (February 29).
>
> Officers focused on Arbury Road, Milton Road, Victoria Avenue, Hills Road
> and Cherry Hinton Road. During a previous operation in December, 26 cyclists
> were stopped.
>
> Special Inspector Andy Coleman said: "Police will continue to target people
> who ride with no lights because it is for their own safety and we know the
> public are concerned too.
>
> "Having the right safety equipment is important for the cyclist and for
> other road users who need to be able to see them.
>
> "I would urge all cyclists to get a set of lights - they are cheaper than
> paying a fine."
>
> http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home...ught-by-police...

A fine can only be applied by a court of law, they may as well be
daffodils they are handing out, I still wouldn't stop to take one.

"thirty-six" > wrote in message
...
> On Mar 7, 2:21 pm, "Mr Benn" > wrote:
>> Danger cyclists in Cambridge have been targeted by police in a crackdown
>> on
>> riders who flout traffic laws.
>>
>> Officers handed out £30 fines to 15 cyclists for a variety of offences
>> including not having lights, riding on the footpath or going through red
>> traffic lights.
>>
>> The operation was run by four Special Constables between 6pm and 10pm
>> yesterday (February 29).
>>
>> Officers focused on Arbury Road, Milton Road, Victoria Avenue, Hills Road
>> and Cherry Hinton Road. During a previous operation in December, 26
>> cyclists
>> were stopped.
>>
>> Special Inspector Andy Coleman said: "Police will continue to target
>> people
>> who ride with no lights because it is for their own safety and we know
>> the
>> public are concerned too.
>>
>> "Having the right safety equipment is important for the cyclist and for
>> other road users who need to be able to see them.
>>
>> "I would urge all cyclists to get a set of lights - they are cheaper than
>> paying a fine."
>>
>> http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home...ught-by-police...
>
> A fine can only be applied by a court of law, they may as well be
> daffodils they are handing out, I still wouldn't stop to take one.

Are you saying that you wouldn't stop if the police asked you to?

On Wed, 07 Mar 2012 07:13:31 -0800, thirty-six wrote:

> On Mar 7, 2:21Â*pm, "Mr Benn" > wrote:
>> Danger cyclists in Cambridge have been targeted by police in a
>> crackdown on riders who flout traffic laws.
>>
>> Officers handed out £30 fines to 15 cyclists for a variety of offences
>> including not having lights, riding on the footpath or going through
>> red traffic lights.
>>
>> The operation was run by four Special Constables between 6pm and 10pm
>> yesterday (February 29).
>>
>> Officers focused on Arbury Road, Milton Road, Victoria Avenue, Hills
>> Road and Cherry Hinton Road. During a previous operation in December,
>> 26 cyclists were stopped.
>>
>> Special Inspector Andy Coleman said: "Police will continue to target
>> people who ride with no lights because it is for their own safety and
>> we know the public are concerned too.
>>
>> "Having the right safety equipment is important for the cyclist and for
>> other road users who need to be able to see them.
>>
>> "I would urge all cyclists to get a set of lights - they are cheaper
>> than paying a fine."
>>
>> http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home...sts-caught-by-
police...
>
> A fine can only be applied by a court of law, they may as well be
> daffodils they are handing out, I still wouldn't stop to take one.


True.
What the Police hand out is often erroneously called "an instant fine",
but is really "a fee paid for a warning"
One can choose not to pay this fee, but then one has to be prepared to be
charged with an offence, probably found guilty in a court, and copping a
probably heavier fine, court costs, and maybe other penalties.


--
An oft-repeated lie is still a lie.