Pieman2

At a roundabout sliproad I stopped about five feet over the white line at a set of red lights (yes - I know!) and got flashed by a camera. What punishment can I expect?
I did stop and reverse safely back behind the line (there was no-one behind me) and the place was deserted.

Mr.M

3 points i think

MarksWRX

IMHO I would be extremely annoyed if it happened to me and anything came of it. You didnt run the light so why should you be done for it. Dont these cameras usually take 2 photos to prove you actually went through the light and not just overshot the line slightly and then stopped

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

"Overshot the line" = ran the lights. How far past would they "allow" before an accident was caused? Ask any train driver. Past the signal = SPAD.

3 points, dunno if there's a fine, but my guess would be £60

GrollySTI

A bit harsh? Sounds like they stopped to me.

Johnny50

All the same, unfortuantely, he still crossed the line with the lights at red.

Unless the camera takes two pictures, it's gonna be hard to prove that you stopped.

Good luck !

Senior_AP

I'd go to the local LAPD and explain, atleast that way it's recorded. You could reference that if/when you get a letter.

Would have been worth a go?

TaviaRS

I thought it was 4 points for traffic light offences?

ajm

You can expect the "SN kangaroo court" and "holier than thou" alliance to find you guilty, patronise you and tell you how naughty you have been!

the moose

Usual disclaimers apply: this is my understanding only, and whatever I say will almost certainly be disproved by someone who's done the diametric opposite!

Firstly, you may never hear from the police - you're assuming the camera was live, which a surprisingly high number are not.

Let's assume you DO hear from them. If you've gone through the light at more than a few mph and a picture is then taken, you're automatically guilty. You failed to stop for a red light, therefore the case is clear. You're asked to plead either 'guilty' or 'not guilty', and clearly the latter is inappropriate.

The red light warns you to stop at the indicated place (i.e. the white line), and you didn't do that, albeit you reversed back to the correct position.

Personally, I'd not risk going to the magistrates court to try and get out of a £60/3 point problem - I'd be truly astonished if you got off, because despite your best intentions, you ARE guilty of the crime. Not being sanctimonious here, just stating fact.

It'll have marginal (perhaps no) impact on your insurance, so I'd just chalk it up to experience.

Andy Hall

If he's already got 9 points it'll make a difference!
If you do get a letter, I'd go and least try and explain. If you just pay the fine & take it on the chin, it shows you must have been guilty.
A mate of mine did exactly this and never heard anything, when the second flash went off he was reversing back, which presumably they could tell from his rev lights, and the fact he had moved back not forward.

Good luck

lewis_junior

The question is why weren't you prepared to stop in case the light changed to red.

Hopefully this will make you think a bit more carefully in future, drive with due care and attention.

Lum

I saw someone else do this, as he was reversing back the camea detected movement and flashed again.

This would probably have been enough to get him off, except he then shot off while the lights were on red+amber and got flashed a third time!

OTOH, someone at a camera partnership told me red light cameras don't count below 10mph (or was it 20?)

Pieman2

Thanks for the advice. Sounds like 3/4 points and a fine. I feel really silly. My licence is currently clean and it only happened because I was confused by two different sets of traffic lights at an unfamiliar roundabout. Realised my mistake too late and stopped. Camera only flashed once though.

lewis_junior

I believe traffic light cameras only flash once and there is no speed calculated.

Pieman2

Why do they only flash once?

fatherpierre

The standard for this is 3 points and a £60 fine.

Keep your fingers crossed that the film in the camera was full or it wasn't loaded.

Lum

Not true, they need to prove you were moving across the line.

wez_sti

they do record speed (from personal experience)

i got 3 points and £60 fine


hopefully you'll be more lucky mate

Lum

Yes they do, but if you are in an area with yellow speed cameras, then the speed+red cameras must also be yellow. They can still have red light only cameras and these are often not yellow.

wez_sti

think it must be time for bed because i didn't understand that at all...

Johnny50

TonyG

They do take two photos - workmate of mine went through one some months ago, and they recorded his speed as being 18mph. 3 points and a £60 fine. He moaned sooo much about how the light was amber when he went through that, to shut him up, I timed a few traffic lights as they changed while on the way to work. The amber is on for two seconds before the red light comes on, and I was also told (by another workmate who's a special constable) that the camera only becomes active after the light has been red for two seconds.

Jap2Scrap

WTF?

That was enough to confuse the hell out of me....

Red lorry, yellow lorry. Red lorry, yellow lorry..

Lum

Ok, I will try to put this a bit better.

This only applies to areas that get to keep some of the revenue from the cameras in exchange for painting them yellow.

ALL cameras that measure speed must be painted yellow.
Red light cameras are not affected and will usually remain grey.
Some red light cameras also measure speed and are therefore affected, as a result they will be painted yellow.

In other words, be very careful if you intend to run a red light as even if all the other cameras are yellow, the one at the junction you are at may not be.

If you intend to speed throuh a junction on green and you see a grey camera, it is unlikely to do you for speeding.

Is that clearer?

Jap2Scrap

Much. Thanks

Leslie

I think they are tight in that as soon as you have passed the line by a pretty short distance, the photo gets you and they will leap into action to take your money as ever!

I think there have been cases of people getting out of an ambulance's way and still being "done" even though it was for a very good reason and the car did not go any further past the lights.

It seems very unfair and it is worth a word to the authorities just in case you find someone who will be sympathetic. Hope you do.

Les