Cyclists face crackdown over 'serious' mistake two in five are making

Cyclists face a crackdown over a "serious" traffic mistake which two in five are making. One-third of cyclists have admitted to running a red light, according to new research, with both cyclists and also those who ride e-scooters among those affected.

Two out of five e-riders travel through red lights in London while nearly a third of cyclists admit to doing the same, Nextbase found. Elephant and Castle was earmarked as the area of London which was the worst for both running red lights and distracted drivers.

Bryn Brooker, head of road safety at Nextbase, said: “Junctions can be very dangerous places and must be treated with respect. It doesn’t matter if you’re a driver, a cyclist, or on an e-scooter - running the red light is illegal and puts you and others in danger.

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“Hitting a pedestrian will be life-changing for both you and the victim, and you could easily be hit by traffic coming from another direction. It’s just not worth it, ever.This research is not designed to attack cyclists or e-scooter riders. We are simply keen to highlight how a minority of these road users are putting themselves inserious danger.”

James Luckhurst, founder of Project EDWARD, also spoke out today (Thursday November 7) and warned that e-scooter riders and cyclists are putting themselves and others at serious risk “just to steal a few seconds of advantage”.

Mr Luckhurst warned cyclists in the capital city: “Ignoring traffic signals is not only illegal, but extremely dangerous, showing a wanton disregard for traffic laws and public safety. Traffic lights apply to everyone on the road, as well as to pedestrians waiting to cross."

“My message is for everyone who uses the capital’s roads to take responsibility for their own safety and play their part to help drive down deaths and injuries,” Luckhurst stated.