Traffic Light Camera's

sunflower_2

i got a speeding notice through once - but i knew it wasnt me in the wrong, a car overtook me very fast and the flash went off

i wrote to the police and they wrote back more or less telling me it was tough and i had to pay the fee and get the points

i just kept writing back saying i could remember the incident clearly and was willing to go to court etc.

this was apx 3 years ago and i didnt hear anything else after saying i would wait for court date

its so annoying - i felt so bullied by them also :eek:

bargainboy

thanks for the responses here just a few points to note
I have returned to the scene of the crime and the lights change from green to red in a fraction under 3 seconds which is apparently the time allowed
i stood there with my stopwatch and got someone to drive through the lights several times and different speeds if you are driving at 30mph then you can just and no more get through them if you are about 1 cars lengths away from the lights if you are at the line when it goes to amber and doing 30 you have slighty more time. if you are doing 25mph you will get nabbed unless you are already on the junction. so since i was doing @28-29mph it gives me very little room for getting through the lights. I am going to call back to the safety light department on monday and tell them my findings and see what happens. I do realise that I may not beable to do anything about it. this really peeves me off as i dont even have so much as a parking ticket in my 10 years of driving. I was also thinking about becoming a driving instructor so this may have more of an effect on my life than I would Hope.

Both my kids were in the car along with my wife and Mother-in-law
on the contrary to what some folk have replied i never ran a red light it was green on approach as i crossed the line it was amber and before i left the zone it was red and i was nabbed. i do agree that if you run a light then you must pay the consequences wether it be financial or physical. i had my whole family in the car and would never do anything to put them at risk . i am also not stupid and no what happens if you dice with death.

raymond

Firstly, when you approach a set of traffic lights, you should be prepared to stop if they change.

Secondly, it is not illegal to be driving across a junction as the light changes to red, its illegal to pass a red light. By driving through an amber light you are not strictly breaking the law depending on how far away you are from the junction as it changes you may or may not be able to stop safely.

If you cannot stop in time for a red light you are guilty of careless driving and probably speeding as well.

mclaren_2

There is also a world of difference from running a red light to anticipating a light. they should give you leeway on this. The gatso will record the activity of you going through the red light, but not the speed you were doing as it is not actually a speed camera.

You can claim against the ticket if you get it, and take it to the appeals court, who then will say if you have to or dont have to pay. At this point, you can tell them that you were doing 28mph or what you were doing, and if they look at your driving record, they will see you have never had anything on your licence.

They might let you off with this one due to the fact the light was on amber to red, and not exactly red.

It is true that raymond said about careless driving, but my arguement on that is (and this is me who is in applying to police force) that if you drive at 28 mph, if you were to have slapped on the brakes, you would 99/100 have braked that hard, that you would have had your rear end smashed from the car behind, thus causing you to have a reckless driving charge, with also points, fine and court.

If you are approaching a traffic light system, you are required by law, to get ready to slow down and stop if required but on this, you can not slow down far to much.

Also, might i add, 2.8 seconds is the minimum legal requiremet for gatso units to be set at for traffic lights BUT only on a 30mph road. If the road is 40 then it is more and 50 and 60 is even more.

Remember, if you drive a red light and crash, you could be dealing with any charge from reckless and careless driving to death by dangerous driving. But, as i said before, if you brake too sharp, and cause the other car behind you to crash in to you, that will also cause you to be possibly charged and arrested for dangerous driving or reckless driving - both of which can carry a cusdodial sentance but more like a driving ban for about a year and a heavy fine.

Can i also add, that the ticket shows the traffic signal, has it printed on the picture and if your vehicle is in the hatched zone (yellow box) and has passed the thick white line, you will not be penalised.

bargainboy

agree with what you are saying about being prepared to stop and i was prepared to stop but there is a point of no return and i was past that point interesting bit at the end of your post Mc
Can i also add, that the ticket shows the traffic signal, has it printed on the picture and if your vehicle is in the hatched zone (yellow box) and has passed the thick white line, you will not be penalised.
if this is the case then i'm sure it will show that i was not in the wrong as for other cars hitting me as i was in the zone the lights could not have changed and a car came through the lights the other way by the time i had left the area of danger

Bossyboots

mclaren wrote:

that if you drive at 28 mph, if you were to have slapped on the brakes, you would 99/100 have braked that hard, that you would have had your rear end smashed from the car behind, thus causing you to have a reckless driving charge, with also points, fine and court.

But, as i said before, if you brake too sharp, and cause the other car behind you to crash in to you, that will also cause you to be possibly charged and arrested for dangerous driving or reckless driving - both of which can carry a cusdodial sentance but more like a driving ban for about a year and a heavy fine.

I have to say that's a new one on me. You cannot cause a car behind to crash into you. It is the responsibility of the driver behind to leave sufficient gap to stop just in case the car in front brakes suddenly which can happen for any reason, not just the changing of traffic lights.

Poppycat

That's very true Bossyboots.

Although I can see where the OPs coming from because I often see idiots who drive to close to us, it would ultimately be them at fault we have have to brake suddenly.

I try to anticipate lights and any other obsticals on the horizon, however I have seen many people blatantly going through red lights and stopping between lights only to obstruct other drivers from the opposite direction.

Bossyboots wrote:

I have to say that's a new one on me. You cannot cause a car behind to crash into you. It is the responsibility of the driver behind to leave sufficient gap to stop just in case the car in front brakes suddenly which can happen for any reason, not just the changing of traffic lights.

merch

Approaching traffic lights, irrespective of colour, the driver should be prepared to stop/ready to go. A green light is guaranteed to change to amber, then red. There is no other sequence.
As to not slamming on the brakes because the vehicle behind might hit you - good luck with this argument. 'Would'a, Should'a, Could'a' defences don't tend to hold up in court

Bossyboots

Poppycat wrote:

That's very true Bossyboots.

Although I can see where the OPs coming from because I often see idiots who drive to close to us, it would ultimately be them at fault we have have to brake suddenly.

I try to anticipate lights and any other obsticals on the horizon, however I have seen many people blatantly going through red lights and stopping between lights only to obstruct other drivers from the opposite direction.

I understand where the OP was coming from as well. Having been rear ended while stationery last year, I am now nervous when cars are too close behind me and will go through an amber light if I am close enough, whereas before I would always stop.

mclaren however stated twice that you would be charged with an offence if you stopped suddenly and someone hit you from behind which is not the case.

kjh_gemini

mclaren wrote:

There is also a world of difference from running a red light to anticipating a light. they should give you leeway on this. The gatso will record the activity of you going through the red light, but not the speed you were doing as it is not actually a speed camera.



Not strictly true - my husband had a ticket for getting flashed going over a set of lights. When the penalty arrived it stated that he had crossed the lights doing 28mph in a 40 zone.