Red traffic light prosecution

mark61120

I have just received a notice of intended prosecution for contravening a red traffic light. I am requesting the photograph, because when I had stopped the vehicle, I had not fully crossed the white line (and not with all my four wheels) and certainly did not endanger anyone by crossing the junction.

So, my question is this; What is the law? Is it crossing over the white line (by any amount). Or is it crossing the junction?

Many thanks,
Mark

Lum

Legally, crossing the stop line while the light is red is an offence unless you can prove that it was necessary to do so, for example to prevent someone sliding into the back of you.

Even letting an ambulance through does not count as "necessary" for this purpose.

Sorry.

fivetide

Sure the line is the stop line. You crossed the line (literally).

One to be aware of in future. It shouldn't really affect your insurance as it is a smaller fine and 3 points, (TS10 is the code I think) unless you have lots of points already.

5t.

mark61120

Thank you both. (

I have had a clean licence for over 30 years, so will get stuck with just 3 points.
Any idea how the the education training works. Do I still get a fine and no points, or no fine and 3 points, etc?

Cheers,
Mark

fivetide

I believe a fine and no points and I'm not sure if you still have to declare it as technically you haven't actually had an offence logged against you.

Good luck chap!

5t.

Lum

Have you been offered a chance to go on a course?

How these work is if you pay for the course and actually bother to attend then the offence is "NFAd" (No Further Action), you are not offered fixed penalty (fine and points) and you are not taken to court. You get no points on your licence and thus have nothing to declare to your insurers.

A small number of insurers are now asking if you have been on such a course, though most are wording the question as "Have you been on a Speed Awareness Course" to which you can truthfully answer "no" as you will have been on a "Red Light Awareness Course".

Not every police force offers a red light course. Which police force is it that is prosecuting you?

DaveF327

Lum wrote: »

Not every police force offers a red light course.

I've heard it all now. I would have thought that driving lessons, the passing of a basic driving test, as well as 30 years of driving experience should be all the "course" you need, in order to know what a red light means and where you should stop.

kizkiz

fivetide wrote: »

I believe a fine and no points and I'm not sure if you still have to declare it as technically you haven't actually had an offence logged against you.

Good luck chap!

5t.

Wrong
It's a 3 point offence

As others have said, it's crossing the white line that counts, however little you did it by.
Most people also don't realise that the stop line when there is a box at the front for bikes is the first white line, so all those muppets who stop in the box have technically comitted the offence

Lum

DaveF327 wrote: »

I've heard it all now. I would have thought that driving lessons, the passing of a basic driving test, as well as 30 years of driving experience should be all the "course" you need, in order to know what a red light means and where you should stop.

Don't shoot the messenger. I'm just advising the OP about what's likely to happen to him.

In any case it's simple. To the press and public these course are about improving driver standards and pushing education not retribution. In private these courses are about funding the bureaucracy of the camera partnership (or providing a revenue stream to the local council in order to encourage the council to continue to fund the camera partnership) since they're no longer allowed to keep the money from fines.

Expect to see more courses offered for more offences in the near future, it's a growth industry as evidenced by the AA's recent purchase of DriveTech one of the private companies that run these courses.

mark61120

Lum, you have to plead guilty first for them to be able to decide if you are suitable to go on a course. Cheshire constabulary.

DaveF327. If you have nothing constuctive to add, why don't you crawl back into whichever hole you poked your head out of in order just to make a snide comment.
You do not know all of the facts, as I have not given them, just the basic fact that I crossed the white line by a few feet. In future, please do not comment on my posts.

Mark

mark61120

kizkiz wrote: »

Wrong
It's a 3 point offence

Are you sure KizKiz? If, from what I have read, you pay the cost of the course equivalent to the fixed penalty fine, but then if you also get the points too, then there is no reason to do the course. There surely must be some carrot to go with the stick.

Mark