running red light-can I get a course instead of the 3 points

[7and911]

Last week in Glasgow city center I was stopped by 2 officers in a police car for crossing a red light. I admit I did a silly thing when I tried to cross an amber light but I didn't time it correct. The officers gave me a ticket with offer of Fixed £100 penalty and 3 points.

My question is there anyway I can get "red light awareness course" instead of the 3 points? I will send a covering letter with my payment asking for that but thought I would ask here for advice before I write the letter.

Regards

A

[vonhosen]

Do they do courses in Scotland?
Didn't think they offered them.

[marshalla]

They don't.

And OP is cross-posting (see the posting rules). http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[TooMany2cvs]

7and911 said:

I will send a covering letter with my payment asking for that

Even if you were in an area where courses are available, which you aren't, you don't get them for asking - you have to be offered.

[whoami]

marshalla said:

They don't.

And OP is cross-posting (see the posting rules). http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Cross-posting is probably quite low on the scale of war crimes committed on here.

[marshalla]

whoami said:

Cross-posting is probably quite low on the scale of war crimes committed on here.

String him up!

[7and911]

OK, OK.... I admit my fault of cross posting :-)

some more details about my incident. I never admitted the fault but I admitted that when I saw the amber light I accelerated from 20mph to under 30mph in order to cross before the red (I know very silly of me).

I can't tell were the officer behind me or from a side street, they stopped me about 200 yards later and told me I was driving fast to cross the light (may be the sport exhaust brought an attention)

OK, any advice please about choosing to go to court putting in mind I admitted I accelerated after I saw an amber light?

[marshalla]

7and911 said:

OK, OK.... I admit my fault of cross posting :-)

some more details about my incident. I never admitted the fault but I admitted that when I saw the amber light I accelerated from 20mph to under 30mph in order to cross before the red (I know very silly of me).

I can't tell were the officer behind me or from a side street, they stopped me about 200 yards later and told me I was driving fast to cross the light (may be the sport exhaust brought an attention)

OK, any advice please about choosing to go to court putting in mind I admitted I accelerated after I saw an amber light?

Given that an amber means stop unless you've already crossed the stop line, you really don't stand a chance with that argument either.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/light...

[Monkeylegend]

7and911 said:

OK, any advice please about choosing to go to court putting in mind I admitted I accelerated after I saw an amber light?

Go for it, I am sure the Magistrates will understand.

[7and911]

Monkeylegend said:

Go for it, I am sure the Magistrates will understand.

I know it is all silly behavior of me. In retrograde the best action would have been to admit the fault to the officers and apologies to them.

[Monkeylegend]

I think I would be inclined to accept their offer of points and £100 fine.

[mybrainhurts]

7and911 said:

My question is there anyway I can get "red light awareness course"

This is a red light ----->

Be aware of it.

Hope that helps...

[Ekona]

I didn't even realise they did an awareness course for red light jumping until my brother was caught the other week, and offered one. He did his on Wednesday, it's the exact same course as the one you get for using a mobile phone, or at least it is in Essex. Vast majority of folks on his course were there for the phone offence.

[Retroman]

I'd take the fine and points. That's as good an offer as you're going to get.

They don't offer speed awareness courses in Scotland.

If you go to court with what you've said, you'll be found guilty and receive a higher fine and are likely to get more points also.

[Steve H]

TooMany2cvs said:

7and911 said:

I will send a covering letter with my payment asking for that

Even if you were in an area where courses are available, which you aren't, you don't get them for asking - you have to be offered.

I may know somebody who was on a speed awareness course yesterday .

Apparently, according to my friend, they run courses for all sorts and if you are fined or NIP'd they reckoned it was worth phoning up to ask if there was an educational course available.

[Monkeylegend]

You do wonder what they would teach you on a red light awareness course that you couldn't teach yourself by knowing which colour is red, and what you are supposed to do when you see a traffic light on red.

[Red Devil]

Retroman said:

I'd take the fine and points. That's as good an offer as you're going to get.

They don't offer speed awareness courses in Scotland.

If you go to court with what you've said, you'll be found guilty and receive a higher fine and are likely to get more points also.

^^This^^

They don't offer driver awareness ones (i.e. for non speeding offences) either north of the border.
It's either accept the FPN or explain your actions to the JP/Sheriff.

[deltashad]

Running an amber/ red light and cross posting. Where will this end.
You obviously hold very little regard for world order.

[TooMany2cvs]

7and911 said:

some more details about my incident. I never admitted the fault but I admitted that when I saw the amber light I accelerated from 20mph to under 30mph in order to cross before the red (I know very silly of me).

OK, any advice please about choosing to go to court putting in mind I admitted I accelerated after I saw an amber light?

So you didn't drive through a red, but you admit that you did accelerate towards an amber and might have mis-timed it?

Going on a course is an admission that you did it, just as much as taking an FPN is. Unless you're admitting you did it, your only option is a court date. At that court date, the police/ProcFisc/whoever-up-there will introduce their evidence, and you will explain why it couldn't possibly be. The magistrate/whoever-up-there will then sit back, weigh the evidence for either side and - given your admission at the time, the word of two Police officers, and a dose of basic common sense (accelerated from 20mph to "under 30mph"? SERIOUSLY?) - laugh at you before handing you a larger fine, points and court costs.

Take the damn FPN, and take the damn hint.

[4rephill]

It seems that more and more drivers think the amber light means "speed up and beat the red light" these days, whilst far too many other drivers think it's perfectly okay to drive through a red light.

Perhaps if every single traffic light had a camera fitted to catch red light jumpers, and the punishment for jumping the red light was a £1000 fine and an instant one year driving ban, then people might think twice about chancing it!