What are you meant to do if a traffic light is stuck on red?

pinkteapot

As per the title really...

Chaos at my station this morning - the lights that let people out of the station were stuck on red. The station drop-off area and bus station were completely grid-locked (normally at 7:30 there's just a couple of cars about so it must have been red for a little while). The driver at the front of the queue was getting honked mercilessly.

The lights are not camera-triggered ones (we have some of these in town and I've been stuck behind people who stop too far back to set off a green light before!). They are part of a ridiculous junction; a roundabout with a road through the middle where the whole system has about 8 sets of lights round it.

I had trouble at a different set of lights at this junction before. Was at a red light for much, much longer than usual. The rest of the sequence went round three times. On the fourth cycle, just I was getting tempted to inch through the red light, we got a green.

I'm guessing that legally you're supposed to call the police and wait?

pitkin2020

I'd treat like a junction without lights if they are clearly stuck on red. Go if its safe to do so.

pinkteapot

I would as well, although I'd probably be too scared to if they were lights with cameras on to catch red light jumpers!

Just wondered if there was any legal/Highway Code advice...

ariba10

pitkin2020 wrote: »

I'd treat like a junction without lights if they are clearly stuck on red. Go if its safe to do so.

But bear in mind it is an offence to go through a red light.

Quentin

You are supposed to turn round and find another route.

pogofish

The advice I've been given by police about this in the past is to look out for other traffic and proceed very carefully.

This sort of problem was not uncommon back in the days when inductive triggers were common at lights - a motorbike or even some small cars didn't have enough metal mass to regiister and you could get stuck for ages at some lights (the set outside the main police station here for one!). So long as you could justify your actions and took care, they didn't really care.

Now other kinds of trigger are more common this is less of a bother but you do still find inductive triggers at some junctions.

pitkin2020

ariba10 wrote: »

But bear in mind it is an offence to go through a red light.

Yes it is an offence but then you would go to court and defend it if you had to. You are supposed to wait until the police either get the lights turned off or an officer comes to direct traffic.

Personally I use common sense and i'm not going to sit there for ages waiting for that to happen causing an obstruction further back.

Quentin wrote: »

You are supposed to turn round and find another route.

Another route isn't always possible or safe to do so. Would you suggest to someone after coming down the dual carriage way to find the traffic lights just before the roundabout clearly stuck on red to turn around or use common sense and treat the junction as if there were no traffic lights.

pinkteapot

Thanks for the thoughts. Another route wasn't possible in this case as there is only one exit from the station and it has the lights in question.

I was just curious. I think I'd go through carefully at the point in the cycle where my light was meant to be green (if it had been long enough that we clearly weren't getting a turn). Although, as I said, if it was one with a camera to catch me then I don't think I would. I'd probably call that non-emergency police number in that case and ask what to do. Then they'd probably come along and give me a ticket for using my mobile while driving...

Tucker

I usually close my eyes and put my foot to the floor.

So far so good....... :cool:

pitkin2020

pinkteapot wrote: »

Thanks for the thoughts. Another route wasn't possible in this case as there is only one exit from the station and it has the lights in question.

I was just curious. I think I'd go through carefully at the point in the cycle where my light was meant to be green (if it had been long enough that we clearly weren't getting a turn). Although, as I said, if it was one with a camera to catch me then I don't think I would. I'd probably call that non-emergency police number in that case and ask what to do. Then they'd probably come along and give me a ticket for using my mobile while driving...

Would still wait though if the officer on the phone said you can not go through but an officer will be down to the scene within the hour??

daisy_1571

Long time ago when I started driving I was told to treat it as if the junction was a roundabout so everyone should be giving way from the right. But that was with the idea you proceed cautiously of course.

I take the idea that it is safest to turn (safely) and go another route - usually possible if you are in a town - as I suppose you are still going through a red light.

daisy