Passing Red Light by 0.9 seconds

MagicBoy · 28 Jul 2021 at 11:49

Given OP is pleading not guilty claiming the reaction time is incorrect, can't see that applying. OP'll get crushed in court as amber means stop.

Quartz · 28 Jul 2021 at 11:52

rcm2ceo said:
I have pleaded not guilty on the basis that considering the reaction time, there was not sufficient to apply brakes and stop safely behind the signal.

What were you driving? If you were driving a sports car, no dice, but if you were driving a fully laden 40-foot lorry and it was wet then that's another matter. Video evidence that the traffic lights were obscured by other traffic might help.

Greebo said:
Amber lights are on for 4-6 seconds.

3 seconds, actually, and as low as 2.75 seconds is acceptable.

Schedule 14 said:
Traffic light signals

4.—(1) Sub-paragraph (2) applies to the red, amber and green light signals shown in the diagram in column 3 of the Part 2 sign table at each of items 1 to 4 (types of traffic light signals), including, for items 1 and 3, when, as described in paragraph 2(6), the green signal is a green arrow.
(2) The order of illumination for the light signals must be as follows—
(a)red;
(b)red and amber together;
(c)green;
(d)amber.
(3) The duration of the period when the red and amber light signals are illuminated together must be 2 seconds.
(4) The duration of the period when the amber light signal is illuminated on its own must be 3 seconds.
(5) The requirement in sub-paragraph (3) or (4) is to be treated as having been met if the duration is 0.25 seconds more, or less, than that specified.

rcm2ceo · 28 Jul 2021 at 11:56

Thanks your replies are most helpful.

rcm2ceo · 28 Jul 2021 at 11:59

MagicBoy said:
Given OP is pleading not guilty claiming the reaction time is incorrect, can't see that applying. OP'll get crushed in court as amber means stop.

Amber does not mean stop. It can also mean pass with caution if not possible to break safely.

MagicBoy · 28 Jul 2021 at 12:05

rcm2ceo said:
Amber does not mean stop. It can also mean pass with caution if not possible to break safely.

Highway Code for clarity :

Screenshot%202021-07-28%20at%2012.01.59.png

Which is where Quartz's point about a full laden artic in slippery conditions comes in. Outside of that sort of circumstance, you gambled and lost. Especially if you were speeding at the time.

Given you got caught 0.9s after it changed to red, unless you we're doing significantly below the speed limit I don't' hold out out much hope.

bJN · 28 Jul 2021 at 12:06

rcm2ceo said:
Amber does not mean stop. It can also mean pass with caution if not possible to break safely.

No. Amber does mean stop. Literally look in this thread.

chanjy · 28 Jul 2021 at 12:07

rcm2ceo said:
Amber does not mean stop. It can also mean pass with caution if not possible to break safely.

You should have seen amber and been slowing down well before the lights turned red. Can’t see any mitigation really being accepted if that’s your argument

Greebo · 28 Jul 2021 at 12:07

Quartz said:
What were you driving? If you were driving a sports car, no dice, but if you were driving a fully laden 40-foot lorry and it was wet then that's another matter. Video evidence that the traffic lights were obscured by other traffic might help.

3 seconds, actually, and as low as 2.75 seconds is acceptable.

Thanks I blame google as the first results were 4-6 seconds lol

My point still stands though. There is ample time, esp in towns, for everybody to stop and that is using just gentle braking.

Hotwired · 28 Jul 2021 at 12:07

In any case he's not being done for the ~3s of amber light but the 0.9s of red light he jumped

BUDFORCE · 28 Jul 2021 at 12:09

Quality thread, 10/10 would read again.

Greebo · 28 Jul 2021 at 12:10

Hotwired said:
In any case he's not being done for the ~3s of amber light but the 0.9s of red light he jumped

But that is the point. He had 3.9 seconds of time to stop. The only mitigation allowed would be for a valid reason as to why almost 4 seconds wasn't enough time to stop. As suggested already, a fully ladened artic in the wet or ice might have mitigation.

MagicBoy · 28 Jul 2021 at 12:13

Hotwired said:
In any case he's not being done for the ~3s of amber light but the 0.9s of red light he jumped

Exactly. From memory I put my foot down to catch the lights before they changed. I knew the camera was there. Stupidly, I failed. Caught the red by 0.4s. At 43mph in a 30mph zone. Cause it detects the speed as well. Got the NIP the same day I got told I was likely being made redundant.

Took the TS10, nothing was mentioned about the speed.

My bad, not done it since.

dlockers · 28 Jul 2021 at 12:22

Anyone suggested this guy should lube up yet?

MagicBoy · 28 Jul 2021 at 12:26

dLockers said:
Anyone suggested this guy should lube up yet?

Try Post #2.

GravyMonster · 28 Jul 2021 at 12:36

TheVoice said:
What mitigating circumstances?

Really, really, really needed a poo.

Nasher · 28 Jul 2021 at 12:45

What if you sneezed and hit the accelerator?

People have got away with running someone over using that excuse

Greebo · 28 Jul 2021 at 12:50

Nasher said:
What if you sneezed and hit the accelerator?

People have got away with running someone over using that excuse

Yes and no. It is possible to use that as an excuse but you have to prove other things

https://www.thesun.co.uk/motors/405...him-to-lose-control-of-hgv-in-motorway-crash/

Dis86 · 28 Jul 2021 at 12:51

Minstadave said:
Butter up your butt hole.

You kinky minx.

MagicBoy · 28 Jul 2021 at 13:49

Nasher said:
What if you sneezed and hit the accelerator?

People have got away with running someone over using that excuse

I've never had a sneeze that didn't give me at least 3 seconds warning*, as you'd get from an amber STOP light. Plenty of time to cover the brake and assess my surroundings.

* I went away last weekend and forgot my hayfever medication, so have plenty of recent experience!

chroniclard · 28 Jul 2021 at 13:55

Lesson learned..............buy a faster car.