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Cyclists Run Red Lights: Danger on Regent's Park's Outer Circle
16 Feb
Summary
- Two-thirds of cyclists ignore red signals at new Regent's Park crossings.
- New crossings installed after an elderly nurse's tragic death.
- Cyclists' behavior treated as a 'racetrack' with dangerous speeds.
New traffic lights installed on Regent's Park's Outer Circle are being widely ignored by cyclists, with over two-thirds of riders observed running red signals. This alarming trend emerged following a study where 50 out of 75 cyclists disregarded the lights during an 8 am observation period. The installations were a response to safety concerns and the tragic death of 81-year-old former nurse Hilda Griffiths, who was struck and killed by a cyclist in the 20mph zone.
Griffiths' son described the park's Outer Circle as being treated like a 'racetrack,' emphasizing a culture of disregard for pedestrians. A previous incident in May 2024 saw another pedestrian sustain multiple facial fractures after being hit by a cyclist. Despite the £50 on-the-spot fine for running red lights, no police were present during the recent observation, meaning no fines were issued. The Royal Parks charity has expressed disappointment and is striving to create a safe, inclusive environment.
Data from 2025 revealed cyclists were more likely to injure pedestrians than motorists in London's Royal Parks. Between January 2024 and April 2025, nine pedestrians were hit by cyclists. The Royal Parks has made efforts to encourage a code of conduct for cyclists, but a request to remove the Outer Circle from fitness tracking app Strava was refused.
