The nature of the design of the cycling infrastructure simply makes it possible in a very safe way. No law was needed for it, nor any experiments. Their design facilitates going through the top of a T-junction or turning right without anyone really noticing it. But that is not all, in reality the Dutch can turn right on red and go through red at a T-junction at almost every bigger junction! This is possible because the Dutch (unlike the Danish) continue their separated cycle tracks at junctions. So what is the situation in the Netherlands? Here it has been in the law since 1991** that road managers can allow cyclists to turn right on red if they put up a sign that says: “Rechtsaf voor fietsers vrij” (Free right turn for cyclists). From June 1991 this is a legal option in the Netherlands. Sign in the Netherlands regulating the free right turn on red for cyclists. But they will be held responsible in the case of a crash. In a trial period cyclists are allowed to go through the top of those selected T-junctions on red. The step in Paris was described as a ‘radical measure’, but is that really true? We are talking about a very small scale experiment at only 15 traffic light controlled T-junctions in 30km/h (18mph) zones. Effective from July 2011 cyclists in Belgium are allowed to take a right turn on red, if there is a sign allowing them to do that. Nonsense of course! Already a year earlier Belgium had changed their law*. There was more swollen language: “Paris is to become one of the first major capital cities in the world to officially allow cyclists to ride through red lights”. But when you look a bit further it turned out to be only a small scale experiment. “ It’s enough to make motorists see rouge!” was one such headline. It was worldwide news earlier this year: Paris was to allow cyclists going through red lights. Once again the world was getting excited about something that has been common practice for decades in the Netherlands.
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