Traffic Rules? Which traffic rules?

I don’t know whether I’m just getting old or whether I have missed something somewhere but riding in the traffic on your bike is becoming more and more hazardous.


We all know that there are way more cars on the road and that everyone has somewhere to be at a specific time but does this give you the right to disobey all traffic laws? I’m sure we all break a rule occasionally, usually by speeding but there are some fundamental rules that really should be adhered to ALWAYS.

Normally a red robot means stop so that the other guys(with the green light) have a safe chance to cross the intersection. You even have an amber/orange light to warn you to slow down and stop if it is possible, but I think an amber light actually means get across the intersection illegally and as quickly as possible. For someone on a bike this is a death sentence.

If you pull off when your robot turns green and someone skips their red traffic light you are slap bang in the middle of the intersection and probably will end up as a mascot on the offending vehicles bonnet! Where are the Metro cops when this happens? I know - they are hiding in the long grass trying to catch you doing 70km in a 60km zone on a down hill!!

Another aspect of guys skipping red lights is that if you stop on your bike and the motorist behind you doesn’t or can’t then he is going to tail end you big time!

As I have mentioned on one of my previous blogs my 16yr old son has started riding to school on a 125cc. He travels a really busy road and daily he can tell you of at least 3 incidents where people have gone through red robots or not stopped at a 4-way stop. I can only tell him – look and think for the other cars on the road as well. Keep yourself safe by keeping your eyes wide open all the time.

The other bug bear is KEEP LEFT PASS RIGHT – you can actually get from Krugersdorp to Pretoria on the N14 in the left hand lane with hardly any traffic as everyone – whether travelling 70km/h or 120km/h – are all in the right hand lane. I know this doesn’t really bother you on a bike but if all the rules were obeyed just 80% of the time then the safety on our roads would show better statistics.

Speaking of the N14 – can’t they build a pedestrian bridge for the Diepsloot guys – or at least train them to judge distance properly – another rule completely disobeyed!

While guys commuting by bike are also not little angels when riding through the traffic I truly think that the majority of motorists haven’t woken up properly before getting behind the wheel.

These are just a couple of thoughts that have been bugging me lately.

Ride safe, keep your eyes open and be the polite, safe road user on our very congested roads at the moment.

Darrell