Mojo

Folks,

Last night on my drive home from work I went through a set of traffic lights on amber, which turned to red as I passed through (stradling the line possibly). It was then that I realised that it had a blasted camera on it.
As far as I remember I wasn't speeding and didn't consciously attempt to beat the lights. I simply thought I was committed to passing through already and carried on.
Does anyone on here have any experience of these things? Anyone know how strict they are?

Cheers

Mojo

ian_sadler

If the camera flashed then you've been got.

Your only hope is if the film has run out.

Ian

Mojo

it wasn't one of those that flashes though... it was one of the ones with the double lense. I presume they don't flash and I think they're digital too aren't they?

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

Most of the cameras - the ones that look like CCTV - are just there to detect the presence of traffic, in an attempt to make the lights work in a slightly more sophisticated way than just having them on a timer. They help traffic flow more smoothly, or as slowly as possible, depending on the political situation

The dangerous ones look very like Gatso speed cameras (although they're usually grey rather than yellow), and they flash. Usually they're mounted by the road just before the traffic lights themselves on a separate pole. If you didn't get flashed, you're OK.

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

(Duh, bit slow typing this morning!)

Sounds like you're describing a 'Truvelo' type camera, although I've never seen one being used on traffic lights before. The second 'lens' in this case is actually an infra-red flash, which you won't see.

Nothing to do except wait and see

Mojo

Andy,

Yeah, it looked like one of the newer ones. Oh well, I guess I wait and see then.

Cheers

dan4

Mojo,

As has been said, it was poboably just a traffic camera, which sense cars and decide when to change the colour of the lights. If it was a camera designed to catch people jumping lights, pleading that the road was wet and it would be more dangerous to try and stop as there was a risk of skidding etc has helped someone I know get off the hook before. Good luck.

Dan

Stu_WRX

They have 14 day's to send you with Notice of Intended Prosecution. No NIP = No get done!!

If you do get one just send it back with a covering letter explaing that it could have been either you or your wife who was driving - you don't remember.

Mojo

it was one of these:

certainly not a traffic flow camera
do these things flash?
the road was wet actually and according to the highway code

"AMBER means 'Stop' at the stopline. You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident"

guess I wait a couple of weeks then.

Cheers guys

Gizmo555

Has anyone worked out that -

If you appproached the lights (when they were green) at the legal speed limit (on a wet road) and then the lights turned amber does the time interval between amber & red allow you to stop before the line when the light is at red (using wet highway code stopping distances) ?

Too early in the morning to do the Maths.

If it isn't then the whole traffic light camera thing is a farce.

Thought I read somewhere (don't quote me) that the camera gets triggered if you cross the line 1 second (may have been 0.75 secs) after the light has gone to red.

Good luck

Cheers

Mark

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

cross your fingers and hope. If you were just crossing the line when they went red you should be ok.

Dracoro

They certainly couldn't do you for speeding but driving without due care and attention they would.

Good driving dictates that you would slow down (exp in the wet) in anticipation of the lights changing and ALSO in case there are idiots about coming from either side who have ignored the lights/or are jumping the reds. It is a crossroads/juntion you know.

Mojo

Dracoro,

I see your point, but in my case I would say that at the time I was in a line of traffic all wondering through (5.30 you know how it is), if a car had jumped the lights from the other side they would have ploughed into a chain of cars. I was simply the last one to go through and you know what it's like?, you get to a point where you are commited to going through, short of any emergencies like ambulance wanting to get through etc, so that's what I did.
Had anything major happened, like an idiot fly in from the side, I would have been able to stop on a dime, but not so sure about the guy behind. Which in that case it would be his fault I know, but for the sake of a few seconds last night I decided it would be safer to simply drift through and risk getting rear endded.

Mojo

Dracoro

The way I explained is the correct/best way but I sometimes go through a little late as we all make misjudgments

I've lost count of the number of times in my driving history where I've gone through late(not on red though) and seen a number of other cars following me STILL going through!

Mojo

exactly, last night mine was one of those "little late" times
and now I can't help wondering how strict they are, cos it seems like such a petty thing to get done for.
I can think of far more fun ways to earn 3 points

[Edited by Mojo - 1/3/2003 2:26:38 PM]