Ever been flashed by Red Light Cameras?
Discussion
What would happen in this scenario....
Your sat at the lights and an Ambulance/Police car is behind you with lights blazing, do you wait for the lights to go green then move out of the way, putting your license before some poor sods life?
You move out of the way, cross the road sensors, you get flashed and summoned to court?
If option B, do you have any sort of case of defence, and how do you prove this was what happened, or do you just take it on the chin?
Thoughts appreciated
Your sat at the lights and an Ambulance/Police car is behind you with lights blazing, do you wait for the lights to go green then move out of the way, putting your license before some poor sods life?
You move out of the way, cross the road sensors, you get flashed and summoned to court?
If option B, do you have any sort of case of defence, and how do you prove this was what happened, or do you just take it on the chin?
Thoughts appreciated
Do NOT cross the line for an emergency vehicle. They are the professional drivers. You will be prosecuted.
There was a RTA on Leed's Street, Liverpool last year. Traffic was being directed by Police, I went through the red light on his direction, and received a NIP. Knowing what I do now I would have contested it, but as it was I went on the day long course.
There was a RTA on Leed's Street, Liverpool last year. Traffic was being directed by Police, I went through the red light on his direction, and received a NIP. Knowing what I do now I would have contested it, but as it was I went on the day long course.
Taita said:
Traffic was being directed by Police, I went through the red light on his direction, and received a NIP.
That's a toughie - a total contradiction of the law. Does a Plod overrule a red light? Scissors/paper/string etc. If you'd ignored the Plod, would he have done you for obstuction?Simpo Two said:
Taita said:
Traffic was being directed by Police, I went through the red light on his direction, and received a NIP.
That's a toughie - a total contradiction of the law. Does a Plod overrule a red light? Scissors/paper/string etc. If you'd ignored the Plod, would he have done you for obstuction?
t tell me what a reckless idiot I was. trampagne said:
A life (for all you know) versus 3 penalty points?
ETA: Take the details of the emergency vehicle, it will fastrack the appeal process, especially if you contact the appropriate service with details before you receive the letter.
False. The majority of times you will get nailed. Please look back through the several hundred times this question has been asked.ETA: Take the details of the emergency vehicle, it will fastrack the appeal process, especially if you contact the appropriate service with details before you receive the letter.
Edited by trampagne on Monday 22 December 22:18
THE FACT THAT AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE WAS THERE, IS NOT A DEFENCE. You could try it in mitigation, but it is likely that the Mags will rape you anyway.
Taita said:
trampagne said:
A life (for all you know) versus 3 penalty points?
ETA: Take the details of the emergency vehicle, it will fastrack the appeal process, especially if you contact the appropriate service with details before you receive the letter.
False. The majority of times you will get nailed. Please look back through the several hundred times this question has been asked.ETA: Take the details of the emergency vehicle, it will fastrack the appeal process, especially if you contact the appropriate service with details before you receive the letter.
Edited by trampagne on Monday 22 December 22:18
THE FACT THAT AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE WAS THERE, IS NOT A DEFENCE. You could try it in mitigation, but it is likely that the Mags will rape you anyway.
No reference or link available but when a top ambulance centre wallah was pressed on this in a radio interview, they acknowledged that the best thing to do was to sit tight as crews were trained in how to get to their shout.
I realise it's a simplistic statement that they made, and that the word 'emergency' in emergency vehicle is there for a reason, but even so if you don't want three points and a fine,stay put. The idea that a life is on the line every time is a bit Mills & Boon, more likely it's one of the zillions of false alarms where somebody has a zit and dials 999.
ytrebil said:
I'm pretty sure the camera would show said emergency service in the image. Also I am sure that you could prove it by speaking to the emergency services and they would be able to confirm a call out.
I dont think so, by the time all that took place, I think the lights had changed to green. I could ask them but would they know where every vehicle was at a specified date and time?Oh Bluddy Nora!!
Taita said:
trampagne said:
A life (for all you know) versus 3 penalty points?
ETA: Take the details of the emergency vehicle, it will fastrack the appeal process, especially if you contact the appropriate service with details before you receive the letter.
False. The majority of times you will get nailed. Please look back through the several hundred times this question has been asked.ETA: Take the details of the emergency vehicle, it will fastrack the appeal process, especially if you contact the appropriate service with details before you receive the letter.
Edited by trampagne on Monday 22 December 22:18
THE FACT THAT AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE WAS THERE, IS NOT A DEFENCE. You could try it in mitigation, but it is likely that the Mags will rape you anyway.
Edited for spooling.
Edited by trampagne on Monday 22 December 22:31
If it means me losing my licence (just finished my 2 years probation) then yes. Without that I have no job, no rent, no car, no food.
The 3 seconds it takes for the vehicle navigate around me, is unlikely ot make any odds. I move as far as I can to the side etc, but I will not cross the line.
The 3 seconds it takes for the vehicle navigate around me, is unlikely ot make any odds. I move as far as I can to the side etc, but I will not cross the line.
Taita said:
If it means me losing my licence (just finished my 2 years probation) then yes. Without that I have no job, no rent, no car, no food.
The 3 seconds it takes for the vehicle navigate around me, is unlikely ot make any odds. I move as far as I can to the side etc, but I will not cross the line.
Fair enough, just to make my position clear, I think red light cameras are a great idea as I'm sick of having to watch for idiots who chug slowly through blatant red lights (I've been sideswiped by one of these idiots before), as well as looking for dopey pedestrians, people on the phone behind me who haven't noticed I've stopped, and 3.65BHP mopeds who pull in front of everyone at the lights. The 3 seconds it takes for the vehicle navigate around me, is unlikely ot make any odds. I move as far as I can to the side etc, but I will not cross the line.
I also sypathise strongly with emergency service crews and those who are waiting for them to arrive, an extra minute is an agonising wait whilst your OH is unconcious, your home is on fire or for a more PH example, when some arse has hit your car and is still on the scene but has no insurance. Yes, a small percentage of calls are hoaxes, but would you want your medical care delayed because a small percentage of chest pain is just indigestion? In traffic it takes more than 3 seconds to pass a single car that moves over, but if its refusing to move out of the way its significantly longer.
If our fire and ambulance service took the lead of the US, everyone would move out of the way. Park in front of a fire hydrant? Expect to find left and right windows smashed with a large hose running in between. Refuse to move from the front of a queue of traffic with one of these behind you, lights and siren going?
There's a reason for the extended bumper
ETA: Red light camera good, emergency services good, but they don't work together, I agree on that point and it needs to be changed. I still move.
Edited by trampagne on Monday 22 December 22:51
trampagne said:
Taita said:
If it means me losing my licence (just finished my 2 years probation) then yes. Without that I have no job, no rent, no car, no food.
The 3 seconds it takes for the vehicle navigate around me, is unlikely ot make any odds. I move as far as I can to the side etc, but I will not cross the line.
Fair enough, just to make my position clear, I think red light cameras are a great idea as I'm sick of having to watch for idiots who chug slowly through blatant red lights (I've been sideswiped by one of these idiots before), as well as looking for dopey pedestrians, people on the phone behind me who haven't noticed I've stopped, and 3.65BHP mopeds who pull in front of everyone at the lights. The 3 seconds it takes for the vehicle navigate around me, is unlikely ot make any odds. I move as far as I can to the side etc, but I will not cross the line.
I also sypathise strongly with emergency service crews and those who are waiting for them to arrive, an extra minute is an agonising wait whilst your OH is unconcious, your home is on fire or for a more PH example, when some arse has hit your car and is still on the scene but has no insurance. Yes, a small percentage of calls are hoaxes, but would you want your medical care delayed because a small percentage of chest pain is just indigestion? In traffic it takes more than 3 seconds to pass a single car that moves over, but if its refusing to move out of the way its significantly longer.
If our fire and ambulance service took the lead of the US, everyone would move out of the way. Park in front of a fire hydrant? Expect to find left and right windows smashed with a large hose running in between. Refuse to move from the front of a queue of traffic with one of these behind you, lights and siren going?
There's a reason for the extended bumper
In the rare circumstances where it is necessary to start juggling traffic queues about to make some room, then police officers might get out of the car and start controlling the traffic in a safe way.
ETA. And if you knew how many police cars are crashed into in junctions, despite lights and sirens, you would definitely not want to risk doing it yourself.
Edited by Red Kite on Monday 22 December 22:58
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