Can temporary traffic lights record your vehicle?

Conrad3000

Hi all.

Stopped at temporary lights for about 5 mins. There was no traffic whatsover from any side. This was about 4am.

It looked as if there was some technical issue with the lights. It went straight from red to green and then back to red again all in a matter of about 2 seconds.

These particular temporary lights had a camera on them, but presumably they were there to monitor the traffic rather than flash you for passing red?

If I was to carefully pass through them whilst they were on red, would they act like normal lights with cameras? i.e. would they capture your number plate?

Thanks.

consumers_revenge

not 100% but I believe the 'camera' on the top just senses motion so it knows theres traffic there and can change them. Theres no induction sensor in the floor so theres no other way of knowing traffics around like normal lights

ontheroad1970

The 'camera' is just a sensor.  

Sandtree

There is no practical reason why they couldn't have a camera on them but as others mentioned, the thing on top is normally a sensor so that the lights can be adjusted based on traffic depending on the control unit being used and how its set up

user1977

They're only enforceable anyway if they've had a temporary traffic regulation order made. 

Car_54

The cameras used to catch light-jumpers are positioned a few metres before the lights. They capture the vehicle actually crossing the line, together with the lights themselves.

Ant555

Although I cant find a link to this right now, I read somewhere that at temporary traffic lights, if you were on red for 5 minutes,  you reasonably believe that they are faulty and it is safe to proceed then you can go through.

As I said, I cant find the relevant link though.

Ganga

I used to work for a company that hired out traffic lights and can confirm the camera on the top is just a sensor ,worst thing we ever hired out ,for ever getting phone calls from the police when they broke down ,ran out of fuel for the generator etc . got a phone call one night ,lights are not working ! and will need replacing, are you sure officer , yes there is a car parked on top of one of the lights were a drunken driver has done a runner

oldagetraveller1

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/derby/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8741000/8741601.stm

From 11 years ago!

JGB1955

I think that if the lights 'fail' the default is for the lights at both ends of the affected roadworks to be changed to red.  We were at the front of a queue...waited quite some time - no cars coming the other way.  I elected to go and check and, yes, both ends of the restriction were red.  Waved my husband through, then got stuck for ages, having to jog up the roadworks to get back to our car as a stream of following traffic went past.  We took an alternative route back to base!

user1977

Ant555 said:

Although I cant find a link to this right now, I read somewhere that at temporary traffic lights, if you were on red for 5 minutes,  you reasonably believe that they are faulty and it is safe to proceed then you can go through.

As I said, I cant find the relevant link though.

I'm reasonably certain there's no such legal provision, though it might be a rule of thumb about whether you're likely to be ticketed for it. But as I said above, many (probably most) temporary lights don't have a relevant temporary traffic regulation order, in which case ignoring them isn't itself an offence anyway (though still possible to be prosecuted for careless etc driving).