Paris Authorizes Cyclists To Run Red Lights

In most cases, traffic signals are used to stop vehicles succumbing to Newton's law of motion, but a new decree in Paris will change that. Eighteen intersections are now subject to newly relaxed rules that allow cyclists to continue at red lights.

February 9, 2012, 9am PST | George Haugh

The new law is already being tested in the French cities of Nantes, Bordeaux and Strasbourg and will be extended further if it is proven to make roads safer as well as more efficient. So far, the trials "have led to no rise in the number of accidents," according to Paris' Town Hall.

"On my daily bike run I go through three red lights so it saves me time," Caroline, a cyclist in Nantes, told RTL radio. "I just need to look left to see whether a car or even a bike is coming. It works very smoothly." Belgium, Germany and Scandinavia already apply the rule.

"It makes cycle traffic more fluid and avoids bunching up cyclists when the traffic lights go green for motorists," explained municipal authorities.

Full Story:

Paris Cyclists Given Right To Break Traffic Laws

Published on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 in The Telegraph