Road Traffic lights stuck on Red - what to do?
Discussion
I came across a set of workmen traffic lights this 6am, both sets stuck on red. The road is a major A road 30mph with street lights here & there. The section of road roads was about 50 metres long & the road long and straight. You could see the traffic the other side of the lights. I arrived and waited, like the car on the other side. Nobody moved for a full minute. In the end I flashed my lights and the other car flashed back. We both slowly started to make a move, but I stopped. He came through the roadworks slowly.
I then noticed a cop car behind him at the lights. It flashed its lights and came through, the remaining 4 cars followed the cop car. When the cop car reached my car I waved my arm out of the window, & the WPC stopped. I said the lights are stuck on RED. she agreed and said "nothing to do with me" and drove off!
Questions are: Surely the police should do something?(I hate to think what happened around 8am with the school traffic), Inform the company concerned(?). And what about the offence of driving through a red light?
I then noticed a cop car behind him at the lights. It flashed its lights and came through, the remaining 4 cars followed the cop car. When the cop car reached my car I waved my arm out of the window, & the WPC stopped. I said the lights are stuck on RED. she agreed and said "nothing to do with me" and drove off!
Questions are: Surely the police should do something?(I hate to think what happened around 8am with the school traffic), Inform the company concerned(?). And what about the offence of driving through a red light?
Well, if you switched them off you could apply a commonsense approach ... but you might get charged (I guess) with causing criminal damage (but it's probably only trespass). Mind you, there is probably some law specifically forbidding this with a draconian punishment attached - Streaky
A road is a right of way and temporary traffic lights are not sanctioned by elected representatives so have no legal status regardless of road type. When the daft council blocked both ends of the road I live on and the workmen directed me to park my car on the street 200 yards from home I simply moved the cones and drove through. I have a right of access and there was nothing they could do.
WPC seemed a bit sniffy though she should have switched them off and turned them away IMO.
WPC seemed a bit sniffy though she should have switched them off and turned them away IMO.
Good question. I can't offer an answer, but can recant a similar tale of my own.
About 8 years ago, 1.00am, in Leeds. Stopped at a set of reds (permanent ones - not the roadworks type you mention) and sat there for a good 2 minutes. A police car drew up alongside me (dual carriageway) and stopped as well. Time ticked by, lights didn't change, no other cars in sight, and they opened their window to inform me that the lights were obviously broken therefore I should proceed on through them. Being cautious, I suggested that they should go first and I would follow. They weren't impressed by this, and told me that I should do as instructed unless I wanted "A ticket". I told them that I would follow their example, which they (eventually) set - i.e. drove through the lights. I followed, thinking a lot of unpleasant things about authority figures ... !
Oli.
Oli.
About 8 years ago, 1.00am, in Leeds. Stopped at a set of reds (permanent ones - not the roadworks type you mention) and sat there for a good 2 minutes. A police car drew up alongside me (dual carriageway) and stopped as well. Time ticked by, lights didn't change, no other cars in sight, and they opened their window to inform me that the lights were obviously broken therefore I should proceed on through them. Being cautious, I suggested that they should go first and I would follow. They weren't impressed by this, and told me that I should do as instructed unless I wanted "A ticket". I told them that I would follow their example, which they (eventually) set - i.e. drove through the lights. I followed, thinking a lot of unpleasant things about authority figures ... !
Oli.
Oli.
Rodney, in answer to your question.
Yes, the fact that the lights were on red were the WPC's problem.
If she had a 'job' to go to then she would have been unable to stay at the location, however would have assumed she called the control room who usually get straight in touch with the owners of the traffic light systems or council.
If between jobs, to aid traffic flow then usually we (she) would revert to good old manual traffic direction. It's a pain in the arse, but if it is mayhem then that's all you can do.
I would like to think she informed the control room who in turn telephoned the council who in turn dealt with the situation.
Yes, the fact that the lights were on red were the WPC's problem.
If she had a 'job' to go to then she would have been unable to stay at the location, however would have assumed she called the control room who usually get straight in touch with the owners of the traffic light systems or council.
If between jobs, to aid traffic flow then usually we (she) would revert to good old manual traffic direction. It's a pain in the arse, but if it is mayhem then that's all you can do.
I would like to think she informed the control room who in turn telephoned the council who in turn dealt with the situation.
The look on her face, also said to me, I dont want to do anything and why bother me. As they were not blues and twoing, I bet they were on they way back to the station. They had nobody in the back. I could not see the face of the other PC.
As for getting out and standing there to direct traffic, come off it -it was 6am and cold this morning..
As for getting out and standing there to direct traffic, come off it -it was 6am and cold this morning..
greenv8s said:
You refused to drive through the lights when the police ordered you to? Surely that's just asking for a ticket. Why did you refuse? I can't believe you seriously thought they were setting you up to book you for driving through the red light!
Worse happens, they're not all angels helping old ladies across the roads !
rodney59 said:
The look on her face, also said to me, I dont want to do anything and why bother me. As they were not blues and twoing, I bet they were on they way back to the station. They had nobody in the back. I could not see the face of the other PC.
As for getting out and standing there to direct traffic, come off it -it was 6am and cold this morning..
Rodney, I've done my fair share of 6am traffic direction.....
I suppose it's no wonder she ran for cover.
Just another example of "commitment to road safety" then.
Four weeks ago I reported large nails across the roadway of A560/M56 Sharston roundabout. My cousin also reported this. Some are still there! The rest probably ended up in someone's rubber!
Also reported cyclist cycling down the wrong way of dual carriageway (Altrincham Road, Sharston) - headlong into on-coming traffic on overtaking lane. Cop was in car further up the road (presumably setting speed trap!). When told about this, he did not want to know! Asked whether or not he had seen him - answer was no "because he was on his radio!"
Suppose things would have been different if I'd driven past him at 31mph though! (Or driven through a red light, or displayed a parking ticket upside down, or let my car straddle either the cycle lane or the bus lane 0r.......!*)
Four weeks ago I reported large nails across the roadway of A560/M56 Sharston roundabout. My cousin also reported this. Some are still there! The rest probably ended up in someone's rubber!
Also reported cyclist cycling down the wrong way of dual carriageway (Altrincham Road, Sharston) - headlong into on-coming traffic on overtaking lane. Cop was in car further up the road (presumably setting speed trap!). When told about this, he did not want to know! Asked whether or not he had seen him - answer was no "because he was on his radio!"
Suppose things would have been different if I'd driven past him at 31mph though! (Or driven through a red light, or displayed a parking ticket upside down, or let my car straddle either the cycle lane or the bus lane 0r.......!*)
andygo said:I believe it depends on whether there is an "Order" properly raised.
I thought temporary traffic lights were advisory only and not governed under law as such, making it ok to drive thru.
rodney59 said:
Seems that builders are building some houses and part of the deal is to part an island in the middle of the road.
This is increasing. Part of the grant of planning authority now appears to include changes to access roads ... and some (read 'many') of these appear to be so-called "traffic calming" measures even when not previously justified and certainly not overtly described as such.
Streaky
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