red light camers!

i think i may have been caught by 1 yesterday. i was going at the speed limit i know that for sure, but the lights turned yellow and red to quick for me 1 stop. i know i pasted pasted the line while the lights were red.
does any1 know if they flash? ho wlong it takes to come through to tell me ive bin done? and how many points n the fine ill get?

cheers guys

jay

Traffic light cameras are a bit of an ass as they invariably go red just as you get beyond the point of no return. However i have had a few questionable red lights and nothing from govt/plod.

Anyhow doesn't the highway code state you only stop if its safe to do so, or something similar? That obviously wont save you if you were doing 60 in a 40, but if your obeying the limit i would think you should be OK. It all depends on how long after the lights changed you crosed the line.

yh just abit!!
it was less than a second. i was trying to brake but by the time i got close enough to relalise i aint gonna stop.

Personally I think red light cameras are great idea.
They should have them at every single set of lights.
Lost count of the times I've nearly been t-boned by some numpty who's jumped a red light.

I'm not having a go lads, but you should be slowing down to a speed where you can safely stop in time if the light turns red (when its currently green).

I'll get out of the pulpit now

Originally Posted by tricky

Personally I think red light cameras are great idea.
They should have them at every single set of lights.
Lost count of the times I've nearly been t-boned by some numpty who's jumped a red light.

I'm not having a go lads, but you should be slowing down to a speed where you can safely stop in time if the light turns red (when its currently green).

I'll get out of the pulpit now

Your probably right and i agree with you....however a few lights in Windsor in particular always pick on me!

Originally Posted by tricky

Personally I think red light cameras are great idea.
They should have them at every single set of lights.
Lost count of the times I've nearly been t-boned by some numpty who's jumped a red light.

I'm not having a go lads, but you should be slowing down to a speed where you can safely stop in time if the light turns red (when its currently green).

I'll get out of the pulpit now

I'm also with this, I've had too many close calls at lights with cars and white vans skipping. whats worse was today my cage instructor was encouraging me to go through a red light because its safer than hard braking, we agreed to disagree, but he said I was more likely to get points on my test for the brakeing as I was going too fast to stop. I know that this is true (and also stupid), but I dont make up the rules.

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by tricky

I'm not having a go lads, but you should be slowing down to a speed where you can safely stop in time if the light turns red

but then what if you're closer and it goes red?

slow down even more?

then what if you're even closer and it goes red?

if you always assumed the light was going to turn red and slowed down accordingly you'd stop at the white line, at some point you have to commit and just go through the light even if it turns to amber, it's just that this point is further away the faster you are going. if a light is green and the junction is clear just drive through it at a normal speed, if you know how long it takes your vehicle to stop you'll start to get an instinct for the point of no return and stop having those stop go moments that are probably the worst thing you can do.

be confident, if you are travelling within the limit and the light turns when you don't have time to stop you *will* have time to go through it without getting busted...

edit: smiley added to reduce the soap box quota for this post...

This has been something I have a hatred for for some time now. I agree that they are a great idea because I too have had too many close calls with people racing the red light (especially on the Hayes by pass roundabouts).
If I ever get caught out by one which I think didn't give me enough time from green to amber to red, I would be inclined to go back to that light and time the sequence. If the lights changed at a speed that didn't allow enough time to stop as per the highway code I would strongly contest any ticket received.
I like the German method, they have double sets of lights so if you got through the first at green and you are not speeding then you will go through the ones at the juncion on green. If you go through the first set at amber then you have plenty of time to stop safely within the remaining distance.

I really wouldn't worry. They give you a fair bit of grace when it comes to jumping the red light.
Give it 28 days, and if there's no nasty official looking post you got away with it

And further to my last - you get £60 and 3 points if you run a red light and get caught.
They also don't flash if I recall correctly - gatsos flash twice (and take two pics) to measure your speed, but these just have to check you went through a red light.

Or something like that.