Discussion
Assuming you had time to stop before they hit you it'd be the other driver's fault.
If you did an emergency stop - without checking behind you - then you may be slightly culpable.
Whenever I've run an amber it's because I've seen a car behind me who is going too fast or has gambled on me going through and is therefore in no position to stop without ramming me.
If you did an emergency stop - without checking behind you - then you may be slightly culpable.
Whenever I've run an amber it's because I've seen a car behind me who is going too fast or has gambled on me going through and is therefore in no position to stop without ramming me.
We know this surely. Amber means stop. Nearly like red. There is a stat defence for running an amber regarding the safety (or otherwise) of stopping.
However, what I see is not what I was taught all those years ago. I was taught that when coming to lights you lifted, nay slowed so you could stop if they changed to amber. These days it seems to be just go for it and when you get an amber, provided you don't go past the red too long after it has appeared, you will be ok.
Bert
However, what I see is not what I was taught all those years ago. I was taught that when coming to lights you lifted, nay slowed so you could stop if they changed to amber. These days it seems to be just go for it and when you get an amber, provided you don't go past the red too long after it has appeared, you will be ok.
Bert
BertBert said:
We know this surely. Amber means stop. Nearly like red. There is a stat defence for running an amber regarding the safety (or otherwise) of stopping.
However, what I see is not what I was taught all those years ago. I was taught that when coming to lights you lifted, nay slowed so you could stop if they changed to amber. These days it seems to be just go for it and when you get an amber, provided you don't go past the red too long after it has appeared, you will be ok.
Bert
Agree, suppose approaching a set of lights in a 40, no point in bowling right up to the lights at 40 because you probably won't stop in time.However, what I see is not what I was taught all those years ago. I was taught that when coming to lights you lifted, nay slowed so you could stop if they changed to amber. These days it seems to be just go for it and when you get an amber, provided you don't go past the red too long after it has appeared, you will be ok.
Bert
It's nigh on impossible to realistically avoid ever going through a light while it's on amber.
As your distance from the line approaches zero, the speed you need to be going at in order to stop if it instantly changes to amber also will approach zero.
On a fast road where lights may well stay green for a minute, should we really slow to sub 10mph as we get to 5m from the line, just in case they change?
What about when we are 1 metre from the line with the lights still green? What speed should we now be doing?
As your distance from the line approaches zero, the speed you need to be going at in order to stop if it instantly changes to amber also will approach zero.
On a fast road where lights may well stay green for a minute, should we really slow to sub 10mph as we get to 5m from the line, just in case they change?
What about when we are 1 metre from the line with the lights still green? What speed should we now be doing?
I think at the dawn of traffic lights all sets were amber at the same time to help traffic flow whereas now everywhere's red sometimes for a few seconds before the opposite side gets a turn.
My own opinion is too many folks in traffic planning wishing to punish drivers and cause delays to justify various more draconian anti car measures.
The result of this in London at least is everyone takes every last millisecond of amber and perhaps even red, knowing that there's no way anyone's likely to be on even amber before you're safely across the junction.
I guess the highway code isn't changed though so stopping at amber is correct and as always crashing into the back of someone is your own fault.
My own opinion is too many folks in traffic planning wishing to punish drivers and cause delays to justify various more draconian anti car measures.
The result of this in London at least is everyone takes every last millisecond of amber and perhaps even red, knowing that there's no way anyone's likely to be on even amber before you're safely across the junction.
I guess the highway code isn't changed though so stopping at amber is correct and as always crashing into the back of someone is your own fault.
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