Red light cameras - a query
Red light cameras - a query
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V8S

Original Poster:

8,582 posts

267 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
You're in a traffic jam that has to pass through a pedestrian crossing.

While the green light is on, and you think the queue in front is going to move away, you stop right on the crossing.

Someone presses the button to cross and the lights change to red.

The traffic ahead moves off.

You move off and thus no longer block the crossing, but are you going to receive a nice letter in the post offering you points on your licence.

How are the red light cameras triggered? Can they be triggered if the object enters under green but does not move from the space until the red.

I ask this as I observed someone yesterday do exactly this and wondered whether they are going to be penalised for what was very bad judgement.

puggit

49,820 posts

278 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
AFAIK, if you are stationary on a junction covered by a red light camera, and then move off while the lights are still green you'll get tickted.

If you stay stationary and move once the lights are green, you'll be ok!

7db

6,060 posts

260 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
Obviously it's an offence to be stopped on the crossing in its pedestrian phase so it would be well earned...

Trigger for most redlight cameras is a pressure strip or induction loop below the road, just over the white line. Take a look and you'll see two or three thin trenches have been dug and filled to accomodate the strips.

simonprelude

118 posts

250 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
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Indeed, as for the mechanics behind it, I think it's only activated when lights are red, then the pressure sensors become active. So if you have gone over the strips before it's gone Red then you should be OK.

They flash anyway so you should know.

7db said:
Obviously it's an offence to be stopped on the crossing in its pedestrian phase so it would be well earned...

Trigger for most redlight cameras is a pressure strip or induction loop below the road, just over the white line. Take a look and you'll see two or three thin trenches have been dug and filled to accomodate the strips.

V8S

Original Poster:

8,582 posts

267 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
Red light cameras flash?

As far as I could see they didn't flash at this car in front of me, but then it was quite sunny.

V8S

Original Poster:

8,582 posts

267 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, am I confusing everyone here.

I don't mean the gatso-like boxes that are at some junctions. I'm talking about the, what I presume to be, cameras usually affixed to the top of the traffic lights - little black things.



Edited by V8S on Thursday 29th June 16:21

miniman

30,125 posts

292 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
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That's just a sensor to detect whether there's any traffic waiting / approaching the traffic light.

puggit

49,820 posts

278 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
miniman said:
That's just a sensor to detect whether there's any traffic waiting / approaching the traffic light.


So they can turn the camera red and increase congestion

smeggy

3,241 posts

269 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
V8S said:
While the green light is on, and you think the queue in front is going to move away, you stop right on the crossing, you stop right on the crossing

Not sure if that's actually an offence but you'll certainly fail your driving test for it.

V8S

Original Poster:

8,582 posts

267 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
Ah right.

So it's likely that the person I described will not be getting a letter as there were no gatso type cameras at this crossing.

But, if the sensor is only for approaching traffic, why do they mostly point down at the crossing or junction instead of at the direction of traffic?

rewc

2,187 posts

263 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
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I was going through a junction with a red light camera which has a yellow box which starts 6 feet or so after the lights. I had passed the lights at green but the traffic then stopped and I waited for the box to clear. Before it had cleared the lights turned to red and I was stuck straddling the stop line with my front wheels 2 -3 feet pass it. The camera never flashed and I never heard anything about it. I did think though what the actual situation is as far as the law is concerned.

esselte

14,626 posts

297 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
V8S said:
Ah right.

So it's likely that the person I described will not be getting a letter as there were no gatso type cameras at this crossing.

But, if the sensor is only for approaching traffic, why do they mostly point down at the crossing or junction instead of at the direction of traffic?


I think that there are types of pelican crossings which actually look to see if anyone is waiting to cross.I think they're called :

Puffin (Pedestrian User-Friendly Intelligent crossings)

Honest.....

xxxxxxrich

188 posts

275 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
rewc said:
I was going through a junction with a red light camera which has a yellow box which starts 6 feet or so after the lights. I had passed the lights at green but the traffic then stopped and I waited for the box to clear. Before it had cleared the lights turned to red and I was stuck straddling the stop line with my front wheels 2 -3 feet pass it. The camera never flashed and I never heard anything about it. I did think though what the actual situation is as far as the law is concerned.

Done this the other day on the hanger lane roundabout, there is a set of lights after you come off the A40 West that have a very short Green phase and a red light camera! I was so busy watching the lights I didn't notice the cars stopping in the yellow box. I stopped between the white line and the beginning of the yellow box then the lights went red. All ok but had I have not been worrying about the lights changing I might have noticed the cars stopping and not overshot the white line.

tvrgit

8,490 posts

282 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
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7db said:
Obviously it's an offence to be stopped on the crossing in its pedestrian phase so it would be well earned...

Is it? Which offence is that? I thought it was a specific offence on zebras but not on pelicans

7db

6,060 posts

260 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
tvrgit said:
7db said:
Obviously it's an offence to be stopped on the crossing in its pedestrian phase so it would be well earned...

Is it? Which offence is that? I thought it was a specific offence on zebras but not on pelicans


No specific offence that I can dig up at the mo, but sufficient for obstruction or inconsiderate.

tvrgit

8,490 posts

282 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
7db said:
tvrgit said:
7db said:
Obviously it's an offence to be stopped on the crossing in its pedestrian phase so it would be well earned...

Is it? Which offence is that? I thought it was a specific offence on zebras but not on pelicans


No specific offence that I can dig up at the mo, but sufficient for obstruction or inconsiderate.

I accept that - but I think that stopping on a zebra IS a specific citable offence but stopping on a pelican isn't.

7db

6,060 posts

260 months

Friday 30th June 2006
quotequote all
tvrgit said:
7db said:
tvrgit said:
7db said:
Obviously it's an offence to be stopped on the crossing in its pedestrian phase so it would be well earned...

Is it? Which offence is that? I thought it was a specific offence on zebras but not on pelicans


No specific offence that I can dig up at the mo, but sufficient for obstruction or inconsiderate.

I accept that - but I think that stopping on a zebra IS a specific citable offence but stopping on a pelican isn't.


Stopping on the zebra zigzags certainly is except for traffic and to yield way. You need a copy of the zebra and pelican regs, which I don't have to hand, and unless tomorrow is particularly boring, I'm not likely to dig out, I'm afraid...!

vonhosen

40,597 posts

247 months

Friday 30th June 2006
quotequote all
7db said:
tvrgit said:
7db said:
tvrgit said:
7db said:
Obviously it's an offence to be stopped on the crossing in its pedestrian phase so it would be well earned...

Is it? Which offence is that? I thought it was a specific offence on zebras but not on pelicans


No specific offence that I can dig up at the mo, but sufficient for obstruction or inconsiderate.

I accept that - but I think that stopping on a zebra IS a specific citable offence but stopping on a pelican isn't.


Stopping on the zebra zigzags certainly is except for traffic and to yield way. You need a copy of the zebra and pelican regs, which I don't have to hand, and unless tomorrow is particularly boring, I'm not likely to dig out, I'm afraid...!


It's Zebras, Pelicans & Puffins.

The legislation is the Zebra, Pelican and Puffin Pedestrian Crossings Regulations 1997.

Reg 18 makes it an offence for the vehicle or any part of it to stop within the limits of a crossing (on the actual crossing)

Reg 20 makes it an offence to stop a vehicle or any part of it in a controlled area except where an exemption applies (within zig zags).

streaky

19,311 posts

279 months

Friday 30th June 2006
quotequote all
vonhosen said:
7db said:
tvrgit said:
7db said:
tvrgit said:
7db said:
Obviously it's an offence to be stopped on the crossing in its pedestrian phase so it would be well earned...

Is it? Which offence is that? I thought it was a specific offence on zebras but not on pelicans


No specific offence that I can dig up at the mo, but sufficient for obstruction or inconsiderate.

I accept that - but I think that stopping on a zebra IS a specific citable offence but stopping on a pelican isn't.


Stopping on the zebra zigzags certainly is except for traffic and to yield way. You need a copy of the zebra and pelican regs, which I don't have to hand, and unless tomorrow is particularly boring, I'm not likely to dig out, I'm afraid...!


It's Zebras, Pelicans & Puffins.

The legislation is the Zebra, Pelican and Puffin Pedestrian Crossings Regulations 1997.

Reg 18 makes it an offence for the vehicle or any part of it to stop within the limits of a crossing (on the actual crossing)

Reg 20 makes it an offence to stop a vehicle or any part of it in a controlled area except where an exemption applies (within zig zags).
VH, you're wrong. It's Reg 16 that states: "The driver of a vehicle shall not cause the vehicle or any part of it to stop within the limits of a crossing ..." and it GOES ON to say (which you omitted): "unless he is prevented from proceeding by circumstances beyond his control or it is necessary for him to stop to avoid injury or damage to persons or property" [my emphasis]. Another vehicle stopping ahead is, by definition, "beyond [his] control". You then misquote Reg 20 ... this is actually the overtaking prohibition.

Streaky

Edited by streaky on Friday 30th June 15:07

7db

6,060 posts

260 months

Friday 30th June 2006
quotequote all
Thanks VH.