119: Categorical Imperative

This commentary by NYTimes ethicist Randy Cohen pretty much sums it up.  If you don't want to follow the link, here is a very brief summary:

"The rule-breaking cyclist that people decry: that’s me. I routinely run red lights, and so do you [the driver or pedestrian]... My behavior vexes pedestrians, drivers and even some of my fellow cyclists...

But although it is illegal, I believe it is ethical...

I roll through a red light if and only if no pedestrian is in the crosswalk and no car is in the intersection — that is, if it will not endanger myself or anybody else... This moral reasoning [passes] the test of Kant’s categorical imperative: I think all cyclists could — and should — ride like me.

I am not anarchic; I heed most traffic laws. I do not ride on the sidewalk... I do not salmon, i.e. ride against traffic. In fact, even my “rolling stops” are legal in some places [Idaho!]...

Cars... harm us insidiously, in slow motion. Auto emissions exacerbate respiratory problems, erode the facades of buildings, abet global warming. To keep the oil flowing, we make dubious foreign policy decisions. Cars promote sprawl and discourage walking, contributing to obesity and other health problems. And then there’s the noise.

Much of this creeping devastation is legal; little of it is ethical..."