Ran a red light today....

[twoblacklines]

Before you get your knickers in a twist PH let me explain.

Sitting at busy traffic lights in outside lane at front.

Ambulance comes up from behind whirling and flashing...

I cross the white line whilst they are still on Red and move infront of the nearside car to let it go past/through.

If I get 3 pts and a £60 fine for doing this how do I prove I was moving over for the ambulance?

Or do I just take it and pay and take the pts?

I don't want to wait in case I need cctv or something so it doesn't get overwritten.

There is no traffic light speed camera at the junction but there is normal CCTV right there.

Thx

[randlemarcus]

You pay up and smile while doing so, sadly.

The only get out for the absolute offence is "if directed by a police officer". And there wasn't one.

If it makes you feel better, you did the right thing, though from previous Emergency Services posters, they would not have wanted or expected you to break the law to make space for them.

[DaveGoddard]

I saw exactly this happen today in Birmingham - OP, you weren't in a white Citroen DS3 were you? If so, I was in the right turn lane virtually next to you.

[twoblacklines]

Nah, this was on the Wirral.

[Cold]

You won't get 3 points and a £60 fine for that.




It's a £100 fine these days.

[MMT]

From the sticky above.
http://www.bluelightaware.org.uk

[PorkInsider]

twoblacklines said:

If I get 3 pts and a £60 fine for doing this how do I prove I was moving over for the ambulance?

Or do I just take it and pay and take the pts?

As said above, it doesn't matter what proof you have that you were making way for an ambulance. You can/will still be done for the offence, unfortunately.

[cmaguire]

PorkInsider said:

As said above, it doesn't matter what proof you have that you were making way for an ambulance. You can/will still be done for the offence, unfortunately.

Perhaps next time he'll stay put and sign the death warrant for the old fart in cardiac arrest in the back of the ambulance. After all, he's probably doing us a favour, the old guy was only going to be a drain on the NHS anyway.
If what you say is true, yet another example of what is wrong with this country nowadays.

[HustleRussell]

This exact scenario happened to me. I knew the junction had cameras so I regretfully had to sit there like a lemon and wait for the lights to change. It was an uncomfortable 30 seconds but I wasn't going to be taking points and a fine.

[Glasgowrob]

Saw a similar situation a couple of weeks ago in glasgow cars not moving but rather than finding a way through the ambulance driver sat sounding his horn gesturing at the cars in front to move.

[cmaguire]

Glasgowrob said:

Saw a similar situation a couple of weeks ago in glasgow cars not moving but rather than finding a way through the ambulance driver sat sounding his horn gesturing at the cars in front to move.

I would move, and have done previously at lights that didn't have cameras. They can be morally wrong but I won't.
If I did the same and did get a TS10 there's absolutely no way I'd suck that up without kicking up a stink.

[Biker 1]

I've seen this in other countries also. Appears to be the same across the board pretty much: do not jump a red light under any circumstances, unless a copper specifically directs you. Moral or not....

[0000]

You did the right thing.

But if there's an opportunity to rinse you for a few quid don't expect them to give up on it.

[HustleRussell]

cmaguire said:

I would move, and have done previously at lights that didn't have cameras. They can be morally wrong but I won't.
If I did the same and did get a TS10 there's absolutely no way I'd suck that up without kicking up a stink.

Ultimately though, you would have to suck it up- albeit in the knowledge that you apparently have the 'moral high ground'?

Do you not consider that perhaps the thing which is 'morally wrong' here is heaviliy fining and awarding points to well-meaning motorists who do 'the right thing'?

[surveyor_101]

Still see many emergency vehicles bullying people through redlights! Its dangerous some people panic.

Bluelightaware!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btRHvQEIkcU

[Starfighter]

Worth a letter back with the NIP to detail the circumstances? Did the blue light trigger the camera as well? If the did then that would back up why you did cross the line.

I don't get how it can pass the public interest test for a prosecution.

[Geekman]

Traffic light offences cannot be enforced from standard CCTV. So unless a policeman saw you and chose to report the offence (highly unlikely) you'll be fine. For future reference, you're not supposed to pass a red light to let an emergency vehicle pass unless specifically directed to by a police officer.

[MorganP104]

Hold on... I don't think the OP has been done for anything.

He's concerned he MIGHT get done for it.

If there were no red light cameras on that particular junction, I'd say the OP is almost certainly going to be OK.

[matchmaker]

MorganP104 said:

Hold on... I don't think the OP has been done for anything.

He's concerned he MIGHT get done for it.

If there were no red light cameras on that particular junction, I'd say the OP is almost certainly going to be OK.

That's what I was thinking.

[PorkInsider]

cmaguire said:

I would move, and have done previously at lights that didn't have cameras. They can be morally wrong but I won't.
If I did the same and did get a TS10 there's absolutely no way I'd suck that up without kicking up a stink.

You wouldn't be the first to kick up a stink over it, but there isn't much evidence of courts/authorities showing much compassion to the motorist who tried to do the right thing.

There are even examples of people being fined for pulling over into a bus lane to let an ambulance past.

No it's not right, and you'd be hard pushed to find anyone who thought it was, but them's the facts.