Following a nationwide pro-cycling campaign, the French government has issued a decree allowing cyclists in some cities to disregard red lights at certain intersections. Until now cyclists have been subject to the same rules of the road as other vehicles.
According to TreeHugger, the newly relaxed road rules for cyclists are now being tested across 15 intersections in Paris, though bike-commuters aren’t given full liberty to cross every intersection. Rules will continue to require that cyclists wait for pedestrians and opposing traffic.
According to UK’s The Telegraph, the move comes after road safety experts deemed that the measure would cut the number of road accidents, which occur from too many cyclists proceeding through an intersection only once the light turns green. The relaxation in rules should result in more fluid traffic, avoiding bunching up of cyclists when the traffic lights turn green for motorists.