“There is a worrying new trend developing in Manchester of people simply not respecting the rules of the road”
17:00, 09 Sep 2025Updated 17:03, 09 Sep 2025
Booth Street and Oxford Road junction – where 150 cyclists ignored a red light in 40 minutes.
New research has exposed the shocking level of red-light jumpers at some of Manchester’s busiest junctions. It reveals that a third of delivery mopeds and a quarter of delivery cyclists are committing the dangerous offence.
Yet 43 percent of pedestrians also gambled on a red light.
The study observed 7,000 road users at 20 major intersections in and around the city centre and discovered the offending was rife.
Three of the worst locations were:
- Deansgate and John Dalton Street, where 43 percent of cyclists failed to stop.
- Deansgate and Peter Street, where 78 percent of pedestrians crossed before it was safe.
- Oxford Road and Booth Street, where 150 cyclist offences were recorded in just 40 minutes.
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John Dalton Street, Manchester. Its junction with Deansgate is a hotspot for red-light jumping. (Image: Manchester Evening News.)
Food delivery riders on pedal bikes consistently broke the rules of the road in high numbers, with 21 percent riding through red lights. Also 16 percent of rental e-bikes were also seen running red lights across the junctions.
The study was carried out last month by dash cam manufacturer, Nextbase, to test if red lights were still being respected in Manchester. It came after feedback from its customers about the high number of road users running red lights, but a lack of statistical evidence to back this claim.
A shocking 31 percent of the delivery moped riders observed rode through red lights.
Booth Street and Oxford Road junction – where 150 cyclists ignored a red light in 40 minutes.
Motorists also behaved badly. Six percent of drivers were reported to be distracted at red lights, including using their phones, eating, drinking, smoking and vaping.
Some junctions were particularly dangerous, with the intersection between Oxford Road and Booth Street seeing more than 150 cyclist offences in just 40 minutes.
The top five most dangerous junctions for cyclists red light running were:
Junction
% cyclists running red light
Deansgate & John Dalton Street
43%
Portland St & Piccadilly Gardens
42%
Alan Turing Way & Ashton Old Rd
39%
Regent Road & Ordsall
25%
Ashton Old Road & Fairfield Road
21%
Junctions are some of the most dangerous spots on UK roads, with 41 percent of all reported serious injuries of a cyclist happening at or within 20 metres of a junction.
Bryn Brooker, Head of Road Safety at Nextbase, said: “There is a worrying new trend developing in Manchester of people simply not respecting the rules of the road, especially at junctions and traffic lights, which is putting the recent reduction in deaths and serious injury for cyclists on the roads in danger.
“This is dangerous for all road users, but especially pedestrians and cyclists for whom an accident, even at relatively low speed, can be life-changing. Running that red light or checking your phone is just not worth it, ever.”
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“As kids go back to school and the roads get even busier, it’s vital to remember that these rules are in place to keep us safe, not just to slow down the school run or morning commute. This research is not designed to attack cyclists, pedestrians or drivers, we are simply keen to highlight how a minority of these road users are putting themselves and others in serious danger.”
“Drivers worried about liability in these instances should look into a dash cam, which will always provide a neutral record of exactly who is at fault in the event of a crash.”