Red light running

[jerrywall]

So many good posts on this subject. I want to get a dash cam even more now. I've seen Tractor Trailer rigs blow through red lights and that scares the jeebers out of me. "I'd rather get honked at than hit" That is bumper sticker gold there!

Many moons ago, when I got my MC endorsement, for my driving test the only thing I got marked for was not looking both ways as I enter an intersection, even if I have full right of way. I know I piss people off because I slow down long enough to look both ways even when approaching a green light, but I remember what the tester told me. He said about the same thing. "Better to be annoying than dead." I worry about someone hitting me from behind one day, but I think I have a better chance of surviving that than I do a broadside hit.

[ChrisHayes]

I agree about staying put when the light turns green. I always look both ways before going. People can honk all they want. A couple days ago I saw some guy in a big SUV run the red light at SW 15th and Portland. It was clearly red for him as we had the green for a number of seconds. He breezed on through and was looking at all the cars in the intersection. Probably looking for a cop. I dream of the day I see one of them get pulled over.

[rezman]

Many moons ago, when I got my MC endorsement, for my driving test the only thing I got marked for was not looking both ways as I enter an intersection, even if I have full right of way. I know I piss people off because I slow down long enough to look both ways even when approaching a green light, but I remember what the tester told me. He said about the same thing. "Better to be annoying than dead." I worry about someone hitting me from behind one day, but I think I have a better chance of surviving that than I do a broadside hit.

That can be one of the worst collisions to have. Since you mention that, rear enders are one the most common collisions to motorcycles. That and left turns in front of bikes.

Motorcycle instructors train you to leave your self an out when you pull up to an intersection by leaving an escape route in front of you, and leave ing the bike in 1st gear while holding the clutch , all to give yourself an out just in case someone isn't stopping when they come up behind you. I learned to keep an eye on the mirrors when stopped at intersections and it has helped a couple times when people stopped short of hitting me by my being able to jump forward.

[Roger S]

...Probably looking for a cop. I dream of the day I see one of them get pulled over.

I've been sitting next to cops when it has happened although never with the cop being first at the light..... Never seen one react to it.... Doesn't help when law enforcement is apathetic towards it.... Guess maybe they would rather work the accident.

[tfvc.org]

Red light running was such an epidemic in St Pete / Tampa that they installed red light cameras in something like 20 odd intersections (the ones that had the most red light running accidents) Four of those intersections were near home/work. I still look both ways twice before mashing the gas petal when the light turns green.

When I traveled to Spain, in Valencia the opposite happens. People start going seconds before the light turns green. The oddest thing I saw. People know to stop at yellow because people are going on the other part of the roundabout right before green.

[jerrywall]

So this hit very personal today. Been riding for a while, and there is an old saying... " there are two types of bikers, those who've gone down, and those who will go down ". It was finally my turn I guess. Making a right turn onto fifteenth in Edmond I had to dodge an idiot running a red. Luckily I was watching and avoided getting hit, but I did lay the bike down. Not happy about scratches on a bike I've had for a few months but at least there was no damage on me. Moron just kept on going but a couple of good samaritans hopped out of their car to help me get the bike righted and make sure I was OK. I've not normally supported cameras but I'm starting to change my mind. Remember folks, share the road. My only transport is a bike and I don't have a cage protecting me.

[Mel]

Damn close call. glad you are OK.

[jerrywall]

Damn close call. glad you are OK.

Thanks. Went home freaked out. Ended the night angry. Wish I could identify the guy but I know that's never gonna happen. Will have to rely on karma.

[kevinpate]

Glad that wasn't worse jerrywall.
Idiots on the road are the main reason I still have the tank I bought off friends in 04.
At the time, it was very practical due to a bass payer in orchestra and being very active in Scouting.
Today, it's a banged up, aged, gas sucking behemoth. But dang if it doesn't give others pause from time to time.
It totally looks like it can take a licking and then eat some road idiot's little bitty trouble kitty alive and never pause to spit out the bones.

[Achilleslastand]

Man Bicycling Across America Killed In Oklahoma Wreck

Man Bicycling Across America Killed In Oklahoma Wreck - NewsOn6.com

A man bicycling across America to raise money for affordable housing died after being hit by a car in western Oklahoma Thursday morning.

Patrick Wanninkhof, 25, was hit while riding on Highway 152 south of Elk City at 8:05 a.m. on Thursday, July 30, 2015, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. He died at the scene.

The OHP said another bicyclist - identified as Bridget Anderson, 22 - was hurt in the same crash. Troopers said she was stable when she was airlifted to OU Medical Center with a leg injury.

According to the trooper's report, Wanninkhof and Anderson were riding west when a westbound 2014 Chevy driven by Sarah Morris, 34, of Cordell hit them. She told troopers she was distracted by looking at her phone when she hit the bicyclists, according to the OHP report. Morris wasn't hurt, troopers said.


The report did not indicate whether Morris will be cited.

Anderson is from Port Orange, Florida. Wanninkhof was from Key Biscayne, Florida, but had been living in the Bronx, New York.

He was part of a group called Bike & Build, whose members ride across the country to raise money for affordable housing. This particular group had stopped in Tulsa on Sunday, July 26, 2015 where they spent time working with Habitat For Humanity.

Tulsa Habitat for Humanity said Wanninkhof was a group leader of the 26-member team that stopped in Tulsa

[rezman]

Lock her up!

[Mel]

"she was distracted by looking at her phone " RIP Pat.

[White Peacock]

^^^^^^^
When I was about 20 I was broadsided at 13th and Hudson by an 85-year-old woman who ran a red light. She got out of the car apologizing, saying she hadn't even seen the light until it was too late. Her middle-aged son worked nearby and was there before police. He immediately started openly counseling her to not admit guilt.

When the police responded they immediately excluded statements from the two people in my car, one of whom was my 50-ish stepmother, who was sitting in the front seat. Since I was in a cheap old car, I only had liability and nobody to fight for me.

Not sure what happened as far as her car being paid for (this was nearly 30 years ago), but I know I had to eat my totaled car, which I had just finished paying off. It was a tough hit for a college student with a barely-above-minimum-wage job. It has stuck in my craw to this day that someone could be so callously terrible to someone who they had knowingly wronged. It was a worldview-changer for me, and I became a little less naive that day. My only consolation today is knowing that she statistically must have met her maker years ago.

I moved back to OKC in 2007. Within two weeks of arriving back, I was hit by a red light runner at SW 29th and Western. This woman had no license, no insurance, vehicle was not registered to her, and she had a BABY in the car with her. Police didn't do anything to her at all aside from have her call for a ride to pick her up. I only had liability, so my car had to be fixed by Pull-A-Part.

In 2010, once again, I was smashed into by another red light runner at Memorial and Portland, this time much worse. This time it was a big, black SUV, also with small kids in the car with him. He barreled through the light going probably 50mph. I injured my ribs and knee (bruising, no breaking), and as I hobbled over to his SUV to see about things, I got "sorry 'bout that, guess I might have gone through a light, I dunno."

After I had my first kid, I bought a big Jeep and linger on a fresh green before taking off.

[turnpup]

So this hit very personal today. Been riding for a while, and there is an old saying... " there are two types of bikers, those who've gone down, and those who will go down ". It was finally my turn I guess. Making a right turn onto fifteenth in Edmond I had to dodge an idiot running a red. Luckily I was watching and avoided getting hit, but I did lay the bike down. Not happy about scratches on a bike I've had for a few months but at least there was no damage on me. Moron just kept on going but a couple of good samaritans hopped out of their car to help me get the bike righted and make sure I was OK. I've not normally supported cameras but I'm starting to change my mind. Remember folks, share the road. My only transport is a bike and I don't have a cage protecting me.

Jerrywall, glad you're all right! That had to have been very scary. It's good that there were people who took the time to help you. Focus on that part.

I have a question for those who ride motorcycles: Yesterday on I-40 eastbound near McLoud Road, I saw a motorcycle in the westbound lanes going VERY fast (I was doing about 75, and it seemed like he was going faster than I was) and he was ONLY ON ONE WHEEL—as in, going down the interstate at 75 mph-plus doing a wheelie! Has anybody ever seen anything like that before?! It looked extremely dangerous and reckless. I wasn't able to see how long he stayed in that position, but it scared the crap out of me.

[Mel]

What's even scarier is how fast the red light runners blast through an intersection. Instead of starting to brake when they see yellow from too far away they hit the gas. Had to go to the Integris Med Center at SW 44th this morning. I don't know if it's just being a cranky old man or drivers are getting worse but, geez louise!

[jerrywall]

Jerrywall, glad you're all right! That had to have been very scary. It's good that there were people who took the time to help you. Focus on that part.

I have a question for those who ride motorcycles: Yesterday on I-40 eastbound near McLoud Road, I saw a motorcycle in the westbound lanes going VERY fast (I was doing about 75, and it seemed like he was going faster than I was) and he was ONLY ON ONE WHEEL—as in, going down the interstate at 75 mph-plus doing a wheelie! Has anybody ever seen anything like that before?! It looked extremely dangerous and reckless. I wasn't able to see how long he stayed in that position, but it scared the crap out of me.

I've seen it way too often. A lot of cruiser riders have disdain for "crotch rockets" and this type of stuff is part of the reason.

[rezman]

L

Jerrywall, glad you're all right! That had to have been very scary. It's good that there were people who took the time to help you. Focus on that part.

I have a question for those who ride motorcycles: Yesterday on I-40 eastbound near McLoud Road, I saw a motorcycle in the westbound lanes going VERY fast (I was doing about 75, and it seemed like he was going faster than I was) and he was ONLY ON ONE WHEEL—as in, going down the interstate at 75 mph-plus doing a wheelie! Has anybody ever seen anything like that before?! It looked extremely dangerous and reckless. I wasn't able to see how long he stayed in that position, but it scared the crap out of me.

I've seen this many times and a lot of them can top 100mph while doing it and not set the front wheel for very long distances. What these knuckleheads don't realize is that all they have to do is hit one small rock or piece of debris in the road, or have someone change lanes in front of them, or even run a red light, and they are done. There's no time to react. They are the guys that give the rest of us a bad name.

[MagzOK]

Timing of the lights during peak traffic times would ease red-light running and road rage. I hit every red light just about everywhere I drive and some days it's flat out angering.

[rezman]

I just got home from a few hours of running errands, and saw 2 red light bandits in that time. One was on northbound Santa Fe at Memorial. I came off the service road along he Kilpatrick onto Santa Fe and made the turn behind a white 4 door Jeep. I actually passed passed the Jeep after the turn and as I approached Memorial the light turned yellow and I had plenty of time to stop. The light turned red as I came to a stop, and then came the white Jeep blowing right through the red.

Not long afterwards, in front of me was Yellow Cab #29 that ran the red light at 2nd & Fretz in Edmond.

[rezman]

Timing of the lights during peak traffic times would ease red-light running and road rage. I hit every red light just about everywhere I drive and some days it's flat out angering.

I can see where this would work where signals are spaced just blocks apart, but not where they
are located only at every section line like many parts of Okc.

[catch22]

You don't want red light cameras in OKC.

We have them here and they are very nerve wracking. Sometimes they flash you when you are going through a green light.

Other people slam on their brakes on a yellow light, even when they were close enough and fast enough to make it through. All of the contents in your car end up on the floor. If you were on the way back from the grocery store, your eggs are most likely all broken. Your soda is shaken up and flat now.

These lights are completely unsafe because people are terrified to go through intersections because they are afraid they will get a bill. People even come to full stops on greens to make a right turn, just to be safe to not set the camera off.

They are terrible inventions, not to mention the legal aspect of being proven guilty on the spot, and not knowing you were at fault for many weeks after the incident. Thus making any possibility of defending yourself in court impossible. (Do you remember if you ran a yellow light, July 12th? what were the circumstances behind that? Oh you don't remember)

[tfvc.org]

You don't want red light cameras in OKC.

We have them here and they are very nerve wracking. Sometimes they flash you when you are going through a green light.

Other people slam on their brakes on a yellow light, even when they were close enough and fast enough to make it through. All of the contents in your car end up on the floor. If you were on the way back from the grocery store, your eggs are most likely all broken. Your soda is shaken up and flat now.

These lights are completely unsafe because people are terrified to go through intersections because they are afraid they will get a bill. People even come to full stops on greens to make a right turn, just to be safe to not set the camera off.

They are terrible inventions, not to mention the legal aspect of being proven guilty on the spot, and not knowing you were at fault for many weeks after the incident. Thus making any possibility of defending yourself in court impossible. (Do you remember if you ran a yellow light, July 12th? what were the circumstances behind that? Oh you don't remember)

That is why they are taking or already took them down in Tampa / St Pete. All that money wasted for the cameras to be up for just a few years. They need to have the rookie cops assigned to traffic like stuff like sitting at the more notorious lights to start ticketing people.

[mkjeeves]

I was just at Overholser where the trail crosses a street. There are stop signs on the trail on both sides of the intersection. None on the street. (At least one other place I can think of in OKC has a 4 way at one of these intersections. Turning into East Wharf off Lake Hefner Parkway.) One out of ten bikes in the few minutes I watched stopped at the sign, only because he would have been hit by an oncoming car. One forced a car to stop since it was pretty clear he wasn't approaching the stop sign with the intent to stop. The car did stop short, the biker slowed down in the confusion and then waved a "thank you" to the driver as the biker went ahead and ran the intersection.

That's nothing new, standard procedure for biking around the trails in OKC. When are the cops going to ticket these people? /petpeeve.

[mkjeeves]

Very dangerous place. One side of the trail comes from behind the baithouse and the other side comes from behind the ranger station. The one guy who stopped.

[rezman]

Running stop signs coming out of residential streets,... where people coming out a side street onto main thorougfares has become quite fashionable as well. I see this a lot as well. Not even close to a California roll... They only slightly slow down.