Instant Karma as cyclist runs red light in front of police car - but police face criticism for 'doing 58 in a 20'
6 December 2022, 09:50 | Updated: 6 December 2022, 09:54
Cyclist cuts through red light in front of police and karma strikes instantly
A cyclist was given a dose of instant karma after running a red light while a police car was waiting at the junction.
Surrey Police’s road policing unit shared footage of the moment a cyclist rode through the red, right in front of a car from Surrey Police’s Vanguard Road Safety team.
Surrey Police Tweeted: “Whilst on enquiries last night in Fulwell, near Twickenham, a cyclist thought it was a good idea to contravene a red traffic light - right in front of the VanguardRST. Cyclist stopped and reported for the offence.”
But the footage sparked a row with cyclists accusing police of a response that was not “proportionate” after the police car travelled at 58MPH in a 20zone in order to catch up.
One person commented on the clip: ”I don’t think going 58mph in a 20mph zone is proportionate in this instance. PLAN - Proportionate: highly unlikely; Legal: probably yes; Accountable - who did this?; Necessary - absolutely not. Waiting and then going 15mph above the speed limit thereafter would’ve been sufficient.”
Another said: “Almost 60mph in a built up area to catch a cyclist. Proportionate, and safe?”
A third posted: “I'm no fan of cyclists, but nearly 60mph in a 20 limit in a 2 tonne vehicle to catch him. You can't even give him a ticket and 3 points. Disproportionate response and a far greater danger to others than the cyclist jumping the light.”
But other people defended the actions of police. One said: “If the cyclist could be identified by means of an index plate like a car, maybe they would have stayed put…. But they ain’t. Perfectly proportional and justifiable.”
Another said: “WELL DONE, hopefully they will learn what RED means and tell all their mates,NO EXCUSES,red means stop.”
