Running Red light

[Timeh]

Best have a look at http://www.bluelightaware.org.uk.

 

Interesting video, informative too. Thanks.

[Eater Sundae]

I have actually picked up a habit now of stopping short enough at traffic lights so that I still have room to pull over without going through a red light even if somebody is close behind me.

 

I sometimes do the same, although I wouldn't think twice about going through a red light if I needed to to let an emergency vehicle through. I recall being on Holme Lane and approaching the traffic lights at Hillsborough Corner. There was a fire engine a long way back, but with its lights flashing. The lights changed to red, so I stopped well short of the lights in case the engine wanted to go straight on, the same as me. The driver behind me was peeping and waving for me to move forward up to the line. Maybe if they had bothered to keep an eye on their mirror, they would have seen why I didn't. When the fire engine overtook everyone and was able to pull back in front of me and go through the red light, then I had a smug internal glow.

 

Oddly enough, I've had reason to do the same on another occasion at the same junction. This time I was one back from the lights, but left a gap in front of me. The fire engine was able to pull in in front of me. The driver at the red light pulled forward and to the left to straddle Middlewood Road, so the fire engine could pass. I hope he didn't get ticketed. He didn't deserve to. (I don't know if there are any cameras that would record this).

 

I always leave try to leave a space in front of me when queuing in rush hour traffic, eg Penistone Rd, Netherthorpe Road on my daily commute. It is quite common for Ambulances or Paramedic estate car rapid responder to come through, and a few cars leaving a small space makes it much easier for everyone to get out of the way.

[hyper]

this is one of those instances where the law really is an ass.

 

You did the right thing, yet stand to be punished

 

I have a newspaper article somewhere - it's a few years old and from the motoring section of the Star where the reporter quotes a case identically to yours (the driver having been fined) and the official police answer is tough titty, you shouldn't go through a light full stop. I recall the headline is "Fined for doing the right thing"

 

So sympathies if you get done, hopefully you find something good in the fact that you have contributed to someones health and wellbeing

Edited September 30, 2015 by hyper
added stuff

[Cyclone]

You did do the right thing. Make sure you keep the video evidence in case it goes to court, and, if you lose the case, make sure you keep the video so you can post it on youtube and show everyone that due to an incorrect law, you were punished for helping an ambulance do it's job.

 

---------- Post added 29-09-2015 at 22:08 ----------

 

 

And here we see the consequences of these stupid little laws.

 

The law being, you must stop at red lights and only a constable can override that...

It's an entirely reasonable law, and was written before red light cameras and dash cams were even dreams.

 

---------- Post added 30-09-2015 at 08:51 ----------

 

 

Its like its done deliberately. I mean what a conflicting pair of laws. I think if it was an oversight it had been fixed by now, as it is its a revenue stream.

 

A revenue stream, don't be daft. It probably affects about 10 people in a year!

 

Don't go through the red light, you could only be convicted for obstruction if there were somewhere to go that was legal.

 

---------- Post added 30-09-2015 at 08:53 ----------

 

On the subject of blue lights, the number of people that just stop dead when they see lights behind them is unreal.

And I've also been sat at traffic lights, people trying to move out of the way, AFTER they went green. But the people at the front wouldn't set off, which would have made it much easier for the ambulance to progress.

[Timeh]

A revenue stream, don't be daft. It probably affects about 10 people in a year!

 

Don't go through the red light, you could only be convicted for obstruction if there were somewhere to go that was legal.

 

Its the law thats daft, not me

[Cyclone]

It's clearly not any kind of revenue stream. That law has existed since long before cameras. And there is no conflict between the laws.

[PeteMorris]

Its the law thats daft, not me

 

You did entirely the right thing!...I mean, even if you did go over the white line to allow the ambulance to progress, you didn't actually carry on and cross the red lighted junction I presume? There's always enough space in front of the white line to move into, and stop, and still not interfere with potential traffic coming from the left or right.

 

If it came to it, I'd actually go to court too, and argue the case, armed with the video evidence. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

[Timeh]

You did entirely the right thing!...I mean, even if you did go over the white line to allow the ambulance to progress, you didn't actually carry on and cross the red lighted junction I presume? There's always enough space in front of the white line to move into, and stop, and still not interfere with potential traffic coming from the left or right.

 

If it came to it, I'd actually go to court too, and argue the case, armed with the video evidence. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

I appreciate that, thanks. Im thinking i may upload the footage later and let people have a look but no, there was no left to right traffic as theyd all stopped. Im hoping they all stopped because the light for them had changed to red in which case i was on green at some point anyway.

One thing im banking on saving any points is the fact i initially crossed the white line on Green.

[alchresearch]

One of many stories:

Driver gets £60 fine after moving a yard through red light to let police van on 999 call pass

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1204944/Driver-gets-60-fine-moving-yard-red-light-let-police-van-999-pass.html

 

From Sussex Police's website:

 

What should I do when an emergency vehicle (ambulance, police

car or fire engine) is flashing its blue lights?

 

Your first instinct will be to try to get out of the way as quickly as possible in order to let the vehicle pass, and this is what most of us would do, but is it the right thing to do?

The Highway Code indicates that you should look and listen for ambulances, fire engines, police cars and any other emergency vehicles, whenever you are on the road.

The important thing to remember at this point is not to panic. Above all, remember that you are responsible for your own actions on the road, regardless of the presence of an emergency vehicle, so you should move out of the way when it is safe and appropriate for you to do so without contravening road laws, or endangering yourself or anyone else in the area.

[RootsBooster]

One of many stories:

Driver gets £60 fine after moving a yard through red light to let police van on 999 call pass

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1204944/Driver-gets-60-fine-moving-yard-red-light-let-police-van-999-pass.html

 

From Sussex Police's website:

 

Based on that statement, this part in particular...

 

"you should move out of the way when it is safe and appropriate for you to do so without contravening road laws, or endangering yourself or anyone else in the area."

 

...it could be argued that you couldn't do one without failing to do the other.

ie, if it turns out that any extra delay would have cost a patient in an ambulance their life, you would be endangering that person by not going through the red light (if that was the only option for letting the ambulance through).

Not sure if a court would see it that way though.