What can my dad do?

Sirrel Squirrel · 21 May 2006 at 22:41

There is a lot of irony though that I've never seen him run a red light so he has to be very unlucky that the 2 times he decides to chance it when it's amber on the approach and then red as he clears the line that there is a pretty camera there to take his picture.

Trickle · 21 May 2006 at 22:42

[TW]Fox said:
Sorry, but get him off the road asap

I'm not that impressed with the mention of the red light cam, but lets say all his other points were from exceeding the speed limit by only 5mph each time. I think my moral conscience could live with 'perverting the course of justice' - as you guys put it, for avoiding a job threatening driving ban.

Lots and lots of threads discussing whilst necessary, speed limits and cameras can sometimes be a little illogical and unjust on this forum. Sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands to... manage your way through these times of camera madness.

We arnt talking perverting the course of justice by lying and harbouring murderers and child molesters here.

[TW]Fox · 21 May 2006 at 22:47

It's not the act but the whole mentality.

Here we have a guy who runs red lights (twice that we know of, how many more times where there wasnt a camera?), and despite being constantly caught for speeding and KNOWING his job depends on his license... continues to get caught, even at the same places :/

MuvverRussia · 21 May 2006 at 23:30

Get a good lawyer. That said, there's only so much a lawyer can do, so you might be better off just going without and taking the fall, rather than trying to fight the case and possibly losing.

On the other hand this isn't exactly a one off incident (this will probably go against you in court), so maybe he's not suited to the roads?

Sirrel Squirrel · 21 May 2006 at 23:45

If he wasn't suited for the roads he wouldn't be able to drive round London, he'd bash into things, hold up traffic, drive dangerously by undertaking and overtaking dangerously, drive without insurance, tax or MOT, tailgate people, take out his anger on other cars and be a menace to the roads.

Just because he gets caught going through some speed cameras and a red light camera because he goes thorugh whilst its amber but changes to red does not make him unsuitable for the roads no matter how stupid he was in getting caught.

agw_01 · 21 May 2006 at 23:45

Don't red light cameras normally activate about 1/2 second after the light has changed to red?

Sirrel Squirrel · 21 May 2006 at 23:47

agw_01 said:
Don't red light cameras normally activate about 1/2 second after the light has changed to red?

Not too sure how they work, do they go off when you cross the line or if you are still in the middle of the junction?

[TW]Fox · 21 May 2006 at 23:48

Sirrel Squirrel said:
Not too sure how they work, do they go off when you cross the line or if you are still in the middle of the junction?

If you cross the line 0.5 seconds after the light goes red, afaik.

agw_01 · 21 May 2006 at 23:48

I would have thought as you crossed the line.

I do know there's a short delay after the light has gone red though.

edit... Fox got it first.

So unless he was steaming along at 60mph, he would have crossed the line after the light changed to red.

Cyanide · 21 May 2006 at 23:48

agw_01 said:
Don't red light cameras normally activate about 1/2 second after the light has changed to red?

But if it's been on amber long enough for it to be 1/2 a second away from changing you should be stopping anways... 'Tis what the law says, even if most people don't do it

agw_01 · 21 May 2006 at 23:49

Cyanide said:
But if it's been on amber long enough for it to be 1/2 a second away from changing you should be stopping anways... 'Tis what the law says, even if most people don't do it

Read my edit

Kamerad · 21 May 2006 at 23:50

Sirrel Squirrel said:
If he wasn't suited for the roads he wouldn't be able to drive round London, he'd bash into things, hold up traffic, drive dangerously by undertaking and overtaking dangerously, drive without insurance, tax or MOT, tailgate people, take out his anger on other cars and be a menace to the roads.

Just because he gets caught going through some speed cameras and a red light camera because he goes thorugh whilst its amber but changes to red does not make him unsuitable for the roads no matter how stupid he was in getting caught.

Stop kidding yourself, if hes facing 21 points them something serious has gone wrong with him.

Sirrel Squirrel · 21 May 2006 at 23:51

If you've been in a car with him you'll know he's a very safe driver but obviously no one on here will know that.

[TW]Fox · 21 May 2006 at 23:51

Sirrel Squirrel said:
If he wasn't suited for the roads....

... he would be facing a big ban for getting loads of points by doing daft stuff like running red lights.

Oh wait..

Safe drivers dont go through red lights or fail to learn where the GATSO is after the first time it nicks them.

Sirrel Squirrel · 21 May 2006 at 23:57

[TW]Fox said:
... he would be facing a big ban for getting loads of points by doing daft stuff like running red lights.

Oh wait..

Safe drivers dont go through red lights or fail to learn where the GATSO is after the first time it nicks them.

If he always ran red lights then he'd have been caught loads of times as there are loads of red light cameras in and around London. Maybe the camera timings were messed up on this particlar camera or something so the amber to red cycle is quicker but who knows (not trying to argue it on this point but could be the case).

Cyanide · 21 May 2006 at 23:57

Safe: Condition of exposure under which there is a "practical certainty" that no harm will result in exposed individuals.

Speeding and skipping red lights - increases the risk of accident and/or injury and thus, by definition, not safe.

[TW]Fox · 22 May 2006 at 00:01

Sirrel Squirrel said:
If he always ran red lights then he'd have been caught loads of times

Twice isnt exactly 'not very often'?

Maybe the camera timings were messed up on this particlar camera or something so the amber to red cycle is quicker but who knows (not trying to argue it on this point but could be the case).

Yea or maybe he's just an impatient driver who runs red lights and is finally getting his come-uppance?

Sirrel Squirrel · 22 May 2006 at 00:03

I hardly think going a few mph over the limit is unsafe, misjudging when a red light is going to change by a split second isn't that unsafe either since lights take a few seconds to cycle from red to green in case something like that does happen, not that I think you should be doing that though. He can't be that bad if he drives about 30,000 miles a year, has been driving for 30 years or so and has never been in a crash or been in danger of crashing, I think that says he is a good driver to me but then what do I know, he has only been driving me around for 20 years as well so I can see what his driving is like.

Rich1988 · 22 May 2006 at 00:04

Sirrel Squirrel said:
I hardly think going a few mph over the limit is unsafe, misjudging when a red light is going to change by a split second isn't that unsafe either since lights take a few seconds to cycle from red to green in case something like that does happen, not that I think you should be doing that though. He can't be that bad if he drives about 30,000 miles a year, has been driving for 30 years or so and has never been in a crash or been in danger of crashing, I think that says he is a good driver to me.

going over the limit at all in an urban setting like london is wrong at all it my book, in the coutry or on a motorway yes, but where there could be pedestrians etc around no.

Sirrel Squirrel · 22 May 2006 at 00:06

Should just point out that the speed camera is on the approach to London, either on or just off the A13 can't remember the exact location, I don't think it's possible to speed in central London anyway