British respect of red lights

[Jag_NE]

In today’s world of limited policing, the roads are host to all manner of illegal behaviour due to a perception that it’s highly unlikely you will ever get busted by a traffic cop. Finding myself at a particularly tedious set of traffic lights the other day it struck me that I never (ever) see people jumping reds when it would clearly be feasible to do so. I wonder why this is? Speed, use your phone, ride a scrambler with no plate, drive like an idiot, you see it every day. But everyone sits compliantly at red lights!

I’m not including “amber gambling” in this which is obviously extremely popular!

[untakenname]

In London it seems it's acceptable to go through Reds a couple of seconds after they have changed, very rarely see people jumping lights early though.

[anonymous-user]

I saw at least three cars go through obvious (amber long gone) red lights today.

[meatballs]

Lots of people amber gamble some progress to jump red lights when they are changing. Very few will drive through one that is red when they arrive.

They key thing I suspect is it is binary at that point. Speeding is a spectrum, amber gambling is a decision call, but a red light is fairly definitive.

It's also completly mindless at things like pedestrian crossing where the pedestrian has already crossed before the lights change and there is clearly noone in the vicinity. There are laws in the DPA to prevent arbitrary decisions being made by computers based on your data, but nothing to prevent some GCSE level electronic timer from making you sit for absolutely no reason for 30seconds.

We should make more use of part time symbols or amber flashing lights

[blueST]

It’s standard practise to jump red lights here in Rochdale. See it at least once a week. Often on the wrong side of the road to jump a queue, or cutting up the left empty lane to turn right across the front of the queue waiting for a filter. It doesn’t even make angry any more. The cops round here are pulled out dealing with other things, traffic is the least of their concerns.

[silverfoxcc]

OP

Sit by Temp light roadworks. You will see hundreds

[Jag_NE]

I’m not talking amber gambling. Literally just sat there at a regular red and someone one just thinking fk it I’m off. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen it.

[pits]

Think it is more the idea of
drink, speed, phone, cut people and drive like a tt, I have gotten away with it for so long, it wont happen to me, why would I crash?

Vs

Red light, hmmmm I could get hit here, it's dangerous.

[VAGLover]

Come to Manchester. All the little sts on mopeds think red lights don't apply to them.

However cyclists also think the same. The number of bikes I've nearly crashed into as they jump a red and I'm crossing the road. idiots!

The other day I pulled away from the lights and a guy in a corsa jumped a red on the filter lights to go across my lane. he sh*t himself when I pulled off a lot faster than he expected. Never seen someones face go so white as my car got closer to his.

[Pothole]

I got pulled for it last November.

[Red 4]

Off- topic but an excuse for failing to conform to a red ATS once went like this;

Police Officer "I've stopped you because you've just gone through a red light".

Motorist "Oh, er, sorry about that officer. I'm not from around here, you see ..."

Police Officer "Really Sir ? What colour are red traffic lights where you come from ?"

Motorist - looks at officer blankly realising the excuse isn't going to wash ...

Derek Smith mode off.

Edited by Red 4 on Monday 2nd September 22:04

[Durzel]

silverfoxcc said:

OP

Sit by Temp light roadworks. You will see hundreds

+1

Sit at any 3 or 4 way lights, or even just ones that take forever to cycle back, and you'll see lots of people following the car in front through a red that's been on for several seconds.

[Pothole]

Durzel said:

silverfoxcc said:

OP

Sit by Temp light roadworks. You will see hundreds

+1

Sit at any 3 or 4 way lights, or even just ones that take forever to cycle back, and you'll see lots of people following the car in front through a red that's been on for several seconds.

there's been some temporary lights near my house for a few weeks. You can see the other end from either direction. If it looks safe, I don't wait.

[Initforthemoney]

Pothole said:

Durzel said:

silverfoxcc said:

OP

Sit by Temp light roadworks. You will see hundreds

+1

Sit at any 3 or 4 way lights, or even just ones that take forever to cycle back, and you'll see lots of people following the car in front through a red that's been on for several seconds.

there's been some temporary lights near my house for a few weeks. You can see the other end from either direction. If it looks safe, I don't wait.

The same for permanent lights as well?

[Gary C]

Jag_NE said:

I’m not talking amber gambling. Literally just sat there at a regular red and someone one just thinking fk it I’m off. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen it.

Lol

Go to Manchester (or West Yorkshire)

People overtaking queuing cars, wrong side of the road, driving at oncoming traffic to turn left at red lights in front of the stationary traffic, not exactly frequent, but enough that people dont even bat an eye at it.

Audi's or white Mercs every time.

[irc]

And why not? I have now and then treated a red light as a stop sign at 6am with no other cars in sight.

[VAGLover]

Gary C said:

Jag_NE said:

I’m not talking amber gambling. Literally just sat there at a regular red and someone one just thinking fk it I’m off. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen it.

Lol

Go to Manchester (or West Yorkshire)

People overtaking queuing cars, wrong side of the road, driving at oncoming traffic to turn left at red lights in front of the stationary traffic, not exactly frequent, but enough that people dont even bat an eye at it.

Audi's or white Mercs every time.

+ Birmingham/West Midlands

[sim72]

There's a new road being built near us that has resulted in a traffic-light controlled crossroads. The new road crosses the existing one, but is not complete or open yet. During the day, there is the possibility of works traffic using the new road. In the evening, the new road is closed off with metal fencing to prevent anyone entering the construction site.

This leaves you, from 5pm to 8am, with a one-way road with (permanent, not temporary) lights on it, still functioning for no reason.

Very large numbers of people just completely ignore them.

[Countdown]

Pothole said:

Durzel said:

silverfoxcc said:

OP

Sit by Temp light roadworks. You will see hundreds

+1

Sit at any 3 or 4 way lights, or even just ones that take forever to cycle back, and you'll see lots of people following the car in front through a red that's been on for several seconds.

there's been some temporary lights near my house for a few weeks. You can see the other end from either direction. If it looks safe, I don't wait.

That’s pretty much the attitude of everybody who jumps red lights. Nobody jumps them thinking “hang on I might get t-boned by a HGV or something”. And most of the time people get away with it whilst everybody watching assumes they’re a bit of a twunt.

[witko999]

Countdown said:

That’s pretty much the attitude of everybody who jumps red lights. Nobody jumps them thinking “hang on I might get t-boned by a HGV or something”. And most of the time people get away with it whilst everybody watching assumes they’re a bit of a twunt.

If someone with eyes can see that there's literally no possible source of danger whilst carefully passing a red light, then why is it a problem? (I'm not talking about people going through 2 seconds after at rush hour). There seems to be a growing amount of brainwashing lately that all rules must be blindly adhered to and common sense must be cast aside. Those that break the rules must be punished regardless of any danger present. This attitude makes things worse for everyone.

See the Operation Dashcam thread for examples.