Burton cyclist complains of repeated near misses because temporary lights don't account for cyclists

I usually look for a opportunity to use the pavement or cycle the wrong side of the cones. If I have to cycle on the 'wrong side' of the road I try and bail out before the cones end to the other side of the cones, so that drivers can get past more easily, as it makes me feel safer.

A while back, there were some temporary roadworks on a forest road near me ( by Ipley Heath crossroads in the new forest if anyone knows it ) and that had a similar issue. The lights went green in a cyclists favour, and before you'd cleared the roadworks ( even making a serious effort ) the lights had changed against you, and you'd get the customary Neanderthal in a van driving straight at you and calling you all sorts of things for "jumping the lights".

I have had this at several sets of temporary lights - nowadays I ride round these on the pavement if this is possible.

One one occaision there was a set near a local power station - there was a wall on the left and fencing for the roadworks on the right - and just the single lane between the lights

I went through the lights just in front of about the 3rd car in the line when they went green.

The cars all passed me but by the time I reached about 50 yards from the the far end (it was quite a long section) apparently the far end light had gone green - so the car in front started down the lane - directly at me - followed by a van and then a big lorry.

If I had let teh traffic, especially the lorry, continue on then I would have been seriously close to gettting run over or squashed between the wall and the traffic - so I did the only thing I could and rode directly up the middle of the lane - this forcing the car to stop.

My plan was to go up the left of him (UK - we drive correctly here) - but the van driver had other idea and deliberatly moved as close to the wall as possible to be an a****le.

Luckily the roadwork fence ended just before the car so I could ride up the middle the swing right through some bollards - then swing left between some cars behind the lorry before they restarted

I probably had a lot of people swearing at me!!

Who was at fault???

Basically the car driver should not have started befroe I got past him - but he did the right thing by stopping when he realised - why he saw me I don;t know - clear sunny day and I was wearing a hi-vis jacket

The van mucked it all up by deliberatly blocking my path on the left (his right)

I complained to the counsel - which made no difference as the works finished before anything could be changed

A similar - but less serious - thing has happened a few times - so now I go past on pavements where possible

"But of course, we would always ask drivers to drive carefully and allow cyclists the necessary time and space to move around safely."

But ofcourse they would also ask dogs to ignore freshly cooked meat that has been left within their reach.

This is a particular problem when the roadworks are on a hill; the temporary lights never allow enough time for me to grind my way up to the far side. The best approach is to make sure there is a car behind you: take the lane to make sure they can't pass. Then the on-coming drivers will:

a) hopefully try to avoid a head-on collision with the following car, hence avoid one with me

b) hopefully realise that the lights changed whilst I made my slow progress through the road works

In Reading and doubtless many other places there are permanent traffic lights that don't trigger for cyclists. Either you wait for a car, or pretend to be a pedestrian, or go when you can and risk hatred from some vehicle-born twat.

There's a set of lights at the bottom of the Wye valley that are notorious for this. I suspect most of the Road.cc crew are aware (anyone who cycles Bath->Monmouth will be!). The council's solution: a sign that says 'motorists: beware of oncoming cyclists'. So now the car that kills you will piloted by someone who was aware that they were going to kill you! 

I also experienced near misses on the same stretch of roadworks in Newton Solney. Reported to the local police as number on the traffic lights didn't work, said that they'd investigate but nothing changed. Frustrating that cycles are not prioritised in any situation

I've had this problem too, and on long stretches you can't always see to the other end if the road bends round. I've always thought the lights were set to allow a few fast moving cars through but never allow long enough for cycles. If you're in a queue of cars that's an issue too, as they can't pass you.

I've had this with temporary lights at roadworks (and been abused by a cyclist coming the other way for 'going through the red light' ), but I don't think there was anything as sophisticated as a sensor involved - just a set delay between the change to red at one end and the change to green at the other that assumes that nothing is going to be travelling at less than 30mph.