Red Light fine- help

karenx

Unsure if this is the right forum to put this...

Got a letter through saying I have been caught going through a redlight and got a £60 fine and 3 points. I didnt go through the red light on purpose, but it had literally just changed as I was about to go through so instead of slamming on my brakes with my 2 little ones in the back , and risk causing an accident as there was cars behind me, I continued through it as there wasnt any other traffic about.
Is there anyway out of this, loopholes etc, or am I going to have to pay the fine and take the points?

MarkyMarkD

Red light cameras have an inbuilt delay and do not photograph you if you go through at the second they change.

So you will have had several seconds of amber, and a second or two of red, before you actually got photographed.

You have no grounds for appealing this IMHO unless a police car was behind you signalling you to go through the red light.

The cars behind you would have had even more opporunity to stop, so they aren't an excuse either.

Quentin

Although MarkyMarkD is correct in as far as the offence has apparently been committed, you may still find a loophole in the administration of the penalty via the NIP.

Pepipoo is a specialist website where you can post details of the NIP and someone can tell you whether or not you can get out of this via a technicality.

It is worth seeing if you have a way out, as this offence is generally heavily penalised by way of loaded premiums by insurers.

Otherwise, stand by for holier than thou posts telling you to pay up and think yourself lucky you didn't cause multiple deaths etc.

karenx

Yeah I have admitted to going through the light so I know I am at fault, Im not denying going through it. Just wondering if there was a loophole for getting out of it etc that I might not be aware off!

sporedude

Lulz at Quentins post about Pepipoo. Another description of Pepipoo is the highest website of Moralf*ggotry, Helping people escape reponsibility.

peter_the_piper

sporedude wrote: »

Lulz at Quentins post about Pepipoo. Another description of Pepipoo is the highest website of Moralf*ggotry, Helping people escape reponsibility.

What are you talking about?

ginnersinner

[holier than thou]

Dear Police

I admit I did the crime you are accusing me of, and I remember last year when I complained to you about other people speeding up and down my road, and other people parking on the yellow lines outside my daughter's school. However, I am exempt the law, because I am me, and not 'other people'. I am a 'law-abiding citizen' and not a 'criminal' therefore I should not be treated like one simply because I have in fact broken the law.

I know that traffic lights give me plenty of warning before changing to red - namely a few seconds of amber - which I have read somewhere are in fact calculated in length to allow those travelling at the correct speed either to stop in time or pass through before the red light comes on. What I really mean when I say that it had 'literally just changed' was that I wasn't concentrating on my driving, but something else instead, and I first saw the lights when I arrived at the white line, by which time it was too late to do anything other than fly through them. I apologise to the driver of the car coming from my right, but he really shouldn't assume that, simply because his light is green, it is safe to proceed, and I also apologise to his 2 little ones in the back, who tasted headrest after he was forced to slam on the brakes.

I hope that my plea of 'not guilty' - despite the fact that I am - will be accepted, as I promise you, this is the first time I've ever done this, honest.

Yours




Mr D Mail-Reader.

[/holier than thou]

Coupon-mad

peter_the_piper wrote: »

What are you talking about?

No idea either?

But I will second the advice that pepipoo is a very, very helpful website where people with lots of knowledge of lines, signs and fines give advice for free.

However I think a Police-issued Fixed Penalty for going through a red light is one to roll over and accept, personally. It's a lot different than contesting a Council parking ticket IMHO.

Still, why not post ther deatils up on pepipoo and see what they say, OP. You have nothing to lose.

McKneff

lights dont change just as your going through them, you get plenty of warning that the lights are going to change. If you were that close to them it means you were going too fast. Too fast with 2 little ones in the back. mmmm

Just pay up and learn from it.

flyingscotno1

MarkyMarkD wrote: »

Red light cameras have an inbuilt delay and do not photograph you if you go through at the second they change.

So you will have had several seconds of amber, and a second or two of red, before you actually got photographed.

You have no grounds for appealing this IMHO unless a police car was behind you signalling you to go through the red light.

The cars behind you would have had even more opporunity to stop, so they aren't an excuse either.

Not always true that they give you a 'second or two'- they can do that, but I looked into them once for a course and there are places which did not as they had offence data for less than 0.5s red time esp in 30mph zones- they considered 3s amber enough warning.

In a 30mph zone the typical stopping distance is 23m but you'd need to be 50m back at 30mph before you run the light. Lights aren't recommended above 50mph but even on a 50mph road when the light changes you have to be more than 65m away before you run the red, the braking distance is 55m.

Typically lights have 6s intergreens (it can be shorter 5s or longer up to 12s or more depending on layout) this means you have 3s of amber then 1s 'all red' than 2s 'red and amber. This is usually measured to point of collision, so if you are a bit late, and guy before is a bit early it can be a nasty smash.