Traffic Light Camera

[loveice]

When I was approaching a junction with a traffic light camera today, the green light suddenly turned into amber. At that time I was very close to the stop line. So, I decided to brake as hard as I could. By the time I stopped, the rear wheels were just over the stop line (rear bumper should be still on the stop line). In this case, would I get a ticket? In fact, I was in the slow lane. The car next to me in the fast lane simply speeded up and went through without stopping.

Edited by loveice on Thursday 10th December 11:11

[Prizam]

Their is no slow or fast lane.

Learn to anticipate road conditions. traffic lights often change colour you know.

AMBER means ‘Stop’ at the stop line. You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident

Edited by Prizam on Thursday 10th December 11:28

[Magic919]

Prizam said:

Their is now slow or fast lane.

Wot?

[Devil2575]

You should have carried on. If you were so close to the stop line that you couldn't stop before it then you shouldn't have tried too.

[loveice]

Prizam said:

Their is no slow or fast lane.

Learn to anticipate road conditions. traffic lights often change colour you know.

AMBER means ‘Stop’ at the stop line. You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident

Edited by Prizam on Thursday 10th December 11:28

That's why I started braking as soon as I saw amber light. But by the time car stopped, most of it was over the stop line. My question is would the traffic light camera behind me take photo of my car and issue me with a ticket in this situation?

[Mr Trophy]

Magic919 said:

Prizam said:

Their is now slow or fast lane.

Wot?

[worsy]

I think they detect movement so many seconds after a red light is shown, rather than detecting an object sat over the line.

[loveice]

Devil2575 said:

You should have carried on. If you were so close to the stop line that you couldn't stop before it then you shouldn't have tried too.

Couple of weeks ago a friend of mine was pulled over by a police car driving behind him because he went through an amber light. He wasn't fined or anything. But, he was told specifically that amber light means stop. That's why I braked as soon as I saw the amber light. But, the speed limit was 40mph. There was no way for me stop behind the stop line. With my rear bumper over the stop line was the best I could do.

[speedking31]

What speed should you drive at to ensure that you can always stop at an amber? Clue: the answer is an integer less than 1

[loveice]

speedking31 said:

What speed should you drive at to ensure that you can always stop at an amber? Clue: the answer is an integer less than 1

Well, that's the thing. There was a speed camera only about 100m before the traffic light. Therefore, most cars were doing 40mph or less when approaching the traffic light. It's just the amber light started when I was very close to the stop line (and doing 40mph).

[anonymous-user]

If you're doing 40mph and so close to the stop line you couldnt stop before it carry on, amber is 'stop if safe to do so' 90% over the line isnt safe so you'd carry on.

[loveice]

CaptainMorgan said:

If you're doing 40mph and so close to the stop line you couldnt stop before it carry on, amber is 'stop if safe to do so' 90% over the line isnt safe so you'd carry on.

So in the future I should carry on driving even if there's a traffic light camera? Does the traffic light camera work according to the high way code, ie "Amber is stop if safe to do so"? Or it will catch anyone who cross the stop line after the light turns to red? Coz, if I didn't stop, I'm sure I wouldn't be on the other side of the junction when the light turned red.

[Swervin_Mervin]

Prizam said:

AMBER means ‘Stop’ at the stop line. You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident

Edited by Prizam on Thursday 10th December 11:28

No it doesn't. Amber mean "stop unless it's not safe to do so". Screeching to a halt with your back wheels over the stopline would suggest stopping was probably the less safe option.

[herewego]

loveice said:

CaptainMorgan said:

If you're doing 40mph and so close to the stop line you couldnt stop before it carry on, amber is 'stop if safe to do so' 90% over the line isnt safe so you'd carry on.

So in the future I should carry on driving even if there's a traffic light camera? Does the traffic light camera work according to the high way code, ie "Amber is stop if safe to do so"? Or it will catch anyone who cross the stop line after the light turns to red? Coz, if I didn't stop, I'm sure I wouldn't be on the other side of the junction when the light turned red.

Have you thought about doing a "Pass Plus" course?

[loveice]

herewego said:

Have you thought about doing a "Pass Plus" course?

No. How would Pass Plus answer the question I'm asking? If I was few metres further from the stop line when the amber light turns, then I wouldn't be in this situation. And if the junction is smaller, I wouldnt worry about not being able to drive cross it before the light turning full red. If anything, shouldn't the amber light be set according to the size of the junction and the speed limit. I mean if the junction is bigger, it should stay on for longer than the smaller ones? Anyway, I did some research on this. It seems amber lights last 3 seconds in this country no matter how big or small the junctions are, whatever the speed limits are.

[Beetnik]

It's an 'absolute offence' so even if you're stopped, if your vehicle straddles the line, it's a collar.

I found this out to my cost a few years ago in pretty much the circumstances you describe. I stopped, front tyres just over the line, whilst a car flew past me on the outside lane. I knew I'd stopped and the picture I requested showed it to be so. I coughed up but all the while wondered if it was the other car who'd triggered the camera.

Bad news on the insurance front, I'm afraid, running a red light is frowned upon.

</Job's comforter>

[vonhosen]

loveice said:

herewego said:

Have you thought about doing a "Pass Plus" course?

No. How would Pass Plus answer the question I'm asking? If I was few metres further from the stop line when the amber light turns, then I wouldn't be in this situation. And if the junction is smaller, I wouldnt worry about not being able to drive cross it before the light turning full red. If anything, shouldn't the amber light be set according to the size of the junction and the speed limit. I mean if the junction is bigger, it should stay on for longer than the smaller ones? Anyway, I did some research on this. It seems amber lights last 3 seconds in this country no matter how big or small the junctions are, whatever the speed limits are.

The size of the junction has nothing to do with it. The offence is crossing the line (not the junction) whilst the signal is red. That's what the camera looks at.

[SS2.]

Beetnik said:

It's an 'absolute offence' so even if you're stopped, if your vehicle straddles the line, it's a collar.

Not so.

[loveice]

Beetnik said:

It's an 'absolute offence' so even if you're stopped, if your vehicle straddles the line, it's a collar.

I found this out to my cost a few years ago in pretty much the circumstances you describe. I stopped, front tyres just over the line, whilst a car flew past me on the outside lane. I knew I'd stopped and the picture I requested showed it to be so. I coughed up but all the while wondered if it was the other car who'd triggered the camera.

Bad news on the insurance front, I'm afraid, running a red light is frowned upon.

</Job's comforter>

Well, in my case the car on the outside lane was slightly in front of me when the amber light turned on. I guess that's why it drove on. It shouldn't have triggered the camera. I just want to know if I could have triggered camera. Coz when I stopped, most of my car was in front of the stop line. But I think I stopped before the light even turned red.

[SS2.]

loveice said:

I just want to know if I could have triggered camera. Coz when I stopped, most of my car was in front of the stop line. But I think I stopped before the light even turned red.

A red light offence is committed if any part of the vehicle proceeds beyond the stop-line when the red light is showing.

No offence is committed if the vehicle is stopped astride the line as or before the light changes to red and doesn't move forward until the light changes back to green.