Why Do Cyclists Run Red Lights?

Auckland Transport recently announced the results of a traffic survey of selected intersections around the city (reported here by RNZ National and others), with the surprising result that about two thirds of red light runners were cyclists, despite them making up only a small proportion of road users.  The methodology used in the survey came under some criticism from Cycle Action Auckland and others, and there were the usual vitriolic comments from both sides of the pro/anti cycling sandpit.

I am, however, more interested in the reasons why so many cyclists feel the need to break the law.  I haven't commuted by bike for many years (I now work from home) but I have previously done so in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.  In the UK, I was much younger, and much more gung-ho on my daily 10km commute through London.  I dodged u-turning cabs, squeezed between double decker buses and yes, I went through the occasional red light when it was safe.

Back living in Auckland, I was surprised at how much more hostile and unobservant motor traffic was but if anything the desire to run red lights on my commute was even stronger.  Here are my thoughts on why.

1. Unlike in London, it is quite common to be the only 'vehicle' waiting at the traffic lights in your direction.  Bikes are not usually big enough to activate the inductance loop in the road, so you could theoretically stand there forever, or at least until a car comes along to trigger your phase.
2. Intersections are often tight, congested places.  A two lane road becomes four or more lanes to accommodate queueing cars.  It is an intimidating place to wait while engines rev behind you.  Contrary to popular belief, most cyclists don't want to hold up traffic, not least because doing so risks being pushed off your bike by impatient motorists, so the sooner you can get clear of an intersection the better.
3. Cycling is physical.  That momentum you lose when you stop has to be recovered again.  This is not an excuse, just a statement of fact.  If vehicle drivers had to do a couple of chin-ups at every intersection they stopped at I wonder how many would be tempted to run the light? 
4. Bikes are not vehicles, despite what the Road Code might say.  Cyclists have much better awareness of their immediate environment than motor vehicles - better hearing, less obstructed view and fewer distractions.  Cyclists have much more in common with pedestrians than with cars and trucks, however I didn't see jaywalking pedestrians included in the survey.
5. If you ride your bike through an intersection during the pedestrian phase then you are technically running a red light.  Provided that you don't endanger or frighten pedestrians what is the harm?  You are clearing the intersection so you don't hold up cars so it is a win for all.

Cyclists inhabit a peculiar world on the fringes of two modes.  Drivers say 'Move over or get off the road, you don't belong here'.  Pedestrians say 'The footpaths are for walking, you don't belong here.'  It's hardly surprising that cyclists want to dodge and dive their way from place to place, taking whatever opportunities arise.  Considering cycling is the most efficient form of transport it is surprising that we treat it in this way.

Wood Carving Hyperrealism

Believe it or not, this is a block of carved pine.

This is by wood carver / artist Randall Rosenthal who posted photos of the carving process on woodworking forum Sawmill Creek.  Thanks to Twisted Sifter for the link.  Here is a photo of the carving process - this one is a slightly different work.

Another example of hyperrealism using wood carving:

This one by Tom Eckert.  Yes, also made entirely of wood and then painted.

Christmas Construction Project No. 2

The other project for the holiday season was to help a friend build his new shed.

Despite looking like a giant Meccano set it has been far from a bolt-together job, but it has been very satisfying to see it take shape.

The long hot summer days have been sweltering though.  I have a new respect for people who work outside for a living.

Christmas Construction Project No. 1

The first construction project for this Christmas holiday break was a mobile chicken run or 'chicken tractor' for our four new hens, recently obtained from our neighbours.

The separate but adjacent coop is an internet ordered kitset which I have put on to a home made mobile base.  The wheels come from a cheap hand truck and seem to handle the uneven ground pretty well.

The chicken run is still awaiting some suitable wheels, and also some modifications to make it easier to get to the feed trough.  Once finished, we will be able to move the hens around free range style without them being picked off by circling hawks or harassed by cats or possums.  

One other complication is that three out of four of the hens seem to be off the lay so at this stage they are just well fed pets.

Making the Great Walks Really Great

As covered previously, our recent tramp around Lake Waikaremoana lived up to the Great Walk title, but was slightly let down by not so great huts.  People we spoke to on the hike had similar stories: no water on the Tongariro Northern Circuit, no firewood (the only way to warm the huts), poor maintenance etc.  This is despite many huts being booked out for weeks or months.

Here is my solution to the above and other issues:

Create a 'Deputy Warden' system of volunteer backpackers and students to undertake basic tasks at the huts year round - checking hut tickets, cutting firewood, sweeping floors, basic maintenance etc.  They would get free accommodation and food provided.  Would backpackers and students be willing to volunteer to do this?  Thousands of people worldwide do WWOOFing and similar volunteer work for an experience like this.  A mandatory training course would enable qualified deputies go from area to area experiencing NZ's beautiful scenery on a minimal budget and with some great stories to take home.


Create similar volunteer groups to undertake weed and pest control during the off-season.  School tramping groups should at least have to do a half day of work to teach the students about invasive species and ecology.

Build small (approx 10m2) 4-6 bed pre-fabricated sleep-out style huts which can be transported by road, boat or helicopter to immediately supplement the existing overbooked accommodation.  These would be available at a higher rate than the dorm beds and could be booked by families or groups wanting privacy and a good night's sleep.  They could be equipped with solar lighting and secure doors, but cooking would still be done in the main building for the communal experience and atmosphere of the traditional hut.

Photo by Eric Martinot

Hold architectural competitions to design new landmark viewing platforms and footbridges to create discrete but memorable photo opportunities for people to take home and for journalists to feature in travel articles.

Roost Treehouse by Antony Gibbons Design

As a structural engineer I also couldn't help but notice that all of the smoke alarms had been removed from the Lake Waikaremoana huts, presumably because of false alarms from the wood burners and food cookers.

Surely this is a major safety issue with everyone bringing their own cooking equipment into the huts (no burners are provided).

This, coupled with somewhat meaningless 'box ticking' signage for exit routes from large single room dormitories highlights a disconnect between Building Code compliance and reality.

Lake Waikaremoana, Great Walk!

While the malls were heaving with zombie shoppers just before Christmas we escaped to the remote Te Urewera National Park to tramp for four days around Lake Waikaremoana.  As with the other NZ Great Walks, the scenery was spectacular.

The track climbs up the Panekiri Range then descends back down to lake level to follow the western shoreline.

What was perhaps less than spectacular was the condition of the Department of Conservation (DOC) huts along the way.  We were told that there are now no hut wardens until Boxing Day meaning there was nobody to check to see whether we had paid the $32 per night fee, or to keep the huts in some semblance of order - no firewood or toilet paper, unswept floors and filthy toilets.

The nine "Great Walks" showcase New Zealand's spectacular environment to the world, but I think the experience of noisy 30 bunk dormitories and dirty facilities may be putting many people off the great outdoors, tourists and New Zealanders alike.  

I certainly don't blame DOC for this.  They struggle with insufficient funds and shrinking budgets, but I think there is room for improvement in a way that would benefit DOC, tourists, Kiwi trampers and the environment and I will cover this in a separate post.

Back on the Air

December has been quiet on the blogging front.  I was preoccupied with the final conclusion of a very stressful three year long battle which I am happy to say is now over.  I hope to be back to posting more regularly from now.

Four More Things About The Road Code That Are Stupid and Dangerous

Thankfully New Zealand has recently dropped two of the silliest give way rules in our Road Code.  Maybe a few more could be looked at in the future.

1.   Hand Signals for Cyclists

Imagine you are driving your car and you need to turn right into a side road.  What if the Road Code says that you have to take your right foot off the brake and put it out the window?  You've still got your hand brake to slow down but you only have one hand on the wheel.  Sound safe?  Well that's what the Road Code says cyclists have to do.  You have to take your hand off the front brake (the one that does most of the work) and steer and brake with the other hand while sticking a limb in the air for three seconds before you make your turn.

Use hand signals

Hand signals must be used at least three seconds before:

• moving into traffic
• stopping
• turning left
• turning right
• moving from a lane.

Turning left

Slowing down or stopping

Turning right, passing or pulling out

 (NZ Road Code)

The law should say 'where safe to do so' and leave it to common sense as is generally (but not always) employed by the cycling public.

2.   The 20km/h Rule When Passing a Stopped Rural School Bus



School bus signs

The signs below will be displayed on school buses. If a school bus has stopped to let children on or off, you must slow down and drive at 20km/h or less until you are well past the bus, no matter what direction you are coming from.

(NZ Road Code)

Seriously?  You round a bend at 80km/h on a rural road to see a school bus stopped on the side of the road.  You hit the brakes to achieve the required 20km/h.  Unfortunately, the car behind you thinks you are stopping and so veers out to overtake you right at the most dangerous point when you are overtaking the stopped bus and there are children stepping off.

Either the law should require vehicles to come to a complete stop as is the case in the US or we should ditch this singly low speed limit and replace it with the same limit in urban areas outside schools (50km/h).

3.   The 100km/h Rural Speed Limit



It is ridiculous to impose the same speed limit on a divided motorway with a wide shoulder, no side roads, driveways or wandering stock as is generally specified on most rural roads in New Zealand.

The open road speed limit was raised from 80 to 100km/h in the 1980's after the oil shock came to an end but it was back in the day when we only really had two settings: 50km/h on urban streets and the open road limit for the rest.  

Now we have 50, 60, 70, 80 and 100km/h limits imposed on many city roads and highways, but not generally on our rural roads.  Sure, there are plenty of rural arterial roads where the conditions would allow a safe 100km/h limit, but the default should be a more realistic 80km/h unless someone can explain to me how a rural road is as safe as a motorway. 

4.   The 100km/h Motorway Speed Limit



Most of our motorways are not up to the standard of their counterparts in Europe and the US, so the 100km/h limit is probably about right.

There are some notable exceptions though, such as SH1 Orewa to Puhoi and Manurewa to the Bombay Hills where a 110km/h limit would be appropriate and would give the right message about 'driving to the conditions' rather than just blindly sticking to (or exceeding) the limit.  This has been reported in some detail previously by Stuff, the AA and others but I think it is still valid.

Furniture Supported by Tension

These and other pieces of furniture and sculpture are by young Californian designer Robby Cuthbert

Contour Coffee Table

Contour Lamp

Suspension Shelf

The last one is very reminiscent of cable stayed bridges such as the Millau Viaduct in southern France which we visited in 2010.

This photo is taken from the viewing area.  The highest pier is taller than the Eiffel Tower.

'Don't Forget the Cannoli'

It wasn't quite a horse head in the bed but the message was clear: 'These cat biscuits you are trying to feed me?  Unacceptable.  I have a message:  The next person who feeds me these biscuits sleeps with the fishes.'

(Apologies to The Godfather)  

The old saying that dogs want to be your friends but cats are plotting to kill you is nicely illustrated by The Oatmeal here.