Should I take the fixed penalty

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so if you get to a light that is defective and stays on red permanently, what do you do?
 
after waiting for 20mins you may probably think it was broken. especially when you cross it everyday to go home and it takes about 92secs to change
 
but if you don't wait, how do you know it's stuck on red - it may change to green just after you decide to cross it :)

Oh nooooooooooooooo, I hate those questions. Does a tree make a noise when it falls, if you're not there and all that :crazy: ;)

Anyway modern SCOOT systems have extremely tight gaps between Amber and Red/Amber on opposing lights - the system controls the wait itself (Yes I know a human makes that happen, but my point is it's self-learning :eek: )

The SCOOT/UTC systems are becoming more commonplace
 
after waiting for 20mins you may probably think it was broken. especially when you cross it everyday to go home and it takes about 92secs to change
Hi Recycled,
Your a very, naughty, naughty, naughty boy :devil: :D :D
Your out to try tricking folks but here you go.

If you are CONVINCED (legitimately) then proceed SLOWLY WITH EXTREME CAUTION and please contact the relevant authority. If it is temporary lights then there will be a contact number on either the lights, or control box.



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regarding our camera's in Red light areas :devil: :D


someone suggested or hinted these camera's do not catch speeding motorists so they might not count when we are discussing detecting other offences.

I disagree with this position but................................... On some of the traffic light camera's we have here in Devon they take two pictures and there is a measured distance on the roads surface. These markings have at least two uses. (there are more) but the two I will discuss are firstly to catch those folks that try the pathetic excuse of,

'I went through the lights because there was an emergency vehicle behind me!'

If this were true then obviously the emergency vehicle will be snapped, plus of course the speeds will be recorded and it may be deemed acceptable to creep forward a little just to allow passage for the emergency vehicle (I see nothing wrong with the idea of creeping forward and moving to one side)

The second use we can discuss is the actual offence of speeding. Two pictures taken at a pre determined time over a measured distance will be an accurate indication of speed and if a car goes through a red light at high speed then I am all in favour of the book being hurled at the driver.

Hopefully I have managed to answer your very sensible question and plainly lights DO stick on red and if we use common sense there will not be a problem. If you get snapped, there are two pictures and it will be blatantly obvious that the driver is moving very slowly.
and you will not be alone in getting 'snapped' :)
Regards
John
 
Wow, Ive read all the threads and im impressed. We have people blatantly admitting offences and trying to justify, having been caught, why they should not be prosecuted. Im a bog standard patrol officer who has to deal with this stuff every day. What's not mentioned are the incidents that go horribly wrong. For example, as stated in one post a driver jumps the green light in one direction and another jumps the red from the other direction..bang and they both blame each other. We do not get any financial reward for prosecuting motorists, in fact its a a pain in the bum and represents only paperwork, we are measured on 'detections' and apart from dangerous driving (and even that needs the permission of CPS), all other motoring offences are not 'detectable'

I have a task for you all. When you are driving tommorow, make an effort to watch other road users, particularly at traffic light controlled junctions. Look at every driver coming towards you, when you are stationary look at evey one around you, make the effort and you will see lots of offences being commited. Who wears seatbelts nowadays? Mobile phones are still being used. At our nick we joke that a red light means 'oh go on then just two more cars' In general, the UK's roads are unpoliced, its only due to the majority of road users obeying the highway code that things run reasonably smoothly. Come back and tell me Im wrong!
Traffic cars are all equipped with video, whether its on at the relevant time is a different matter.
The biggest single thing people gripe to me about (apart from yobs) is other peoples bad driving.
FACT. most officers I know, ignore most traffic offences...its not worth the bother. It bothers me unfortunately.

Valid points made - I am curious though... Do you think that all of these situations are described by discruntled individuals just because they got caught, or do you think that there are occassions where an Officer is looking to "Do" someone? - I only mention this because I have three Officers in the family, one retired and two active - Met and TVP and they are of the opinion that the attitude of policing is changing and the newer, more aggressive (sorry!) proactive activities are driving a a change in policing styles for the worse. By policing styles I mean the attitude of the Bobby when dealing with Jo P. Sorry if this is a bit direct, but you seem like the reasonable type. Wondered if you have an opinion on it?

:)
 
Wrong - I have has successful prosecutions where my light has been green and a car has driven across my priority!

If my light is Green - yours will be red! its that simple.

Traffic cop for 5 years!

Thats not absolutely correct - My previous co provides Highways Infrastructure technology. I/O systems can fail. The more complicated the junction the more difficult it is to map the lighting patterns. These do fail (less than 1% of the time), but all failures are centrally escalated to the Highways Regional Offices Control Rooms (not to be confused with Police Control Rooms). Moreover, the hardware can fail too. Lights can get jammed on so all three lights are showing. Clearly you would address this at the scene, but errors do occur.

If you believe you are the victim of such errors and have been prosecuted you have the right to appeal. You don't have to accept the ticket. There is stacks of evidence available to back you (if you are right) and corroborative evidence is then the weaker form in prosecution. CPS will drop it like a ton of bricks.

VERY IMPORTANT - Officers are generally correct. They are experienced and observant in the main, and to top it off, won't put their pensions at risk by fabricating evidence to prosecute a traffic light innocent for which they have no gain other than to correct bad driving, which if it ain't bad, why woudl they do it?!

Technical Failures are rare as hens teeth - but the statement needed correcting - Sorry!
 
FYI - I don't have anything against the Police - though my two replies above may look otherwise.

I have been stopped a few times. Some I felt were fair, some not. Provided you are able to be objective and hold your hands up to your mistakes I think you'll generally be ok. You have to be accountable for your actions/inactions and excuses don't cut it. I got stopped on the way to a funeral for speeding. Black ties etc gave some legitimacy to my reason for speeding. I was happy to take my medicine, but officer understood and sent me on my way with tail between my legs (and no more than 70mph) - Number plate fines - Paid those and changed plate accordingly, but nice whilst it lasted.

Moral of my story - Defensive driving always a good idea. But don't go so slow or be too cautious that you are more of a hazard than someone zipping around too fast or skipping lights. Can we get to my "More prosecutions for middlelane hoggers" - Gonna start a campaign thread now... ;-)
 
after waiting for 20mins you may probably think it was broken. especially when you cross it everyday to go home and it takes about 92secs to change

Is this a junction controlled by red ken I wonder!!!!!
 
This morning I went through a red? amber? light at a junction. Traffic cops were the second car at the junction wating for the green light so they could turn right.

They said it was red, I said it was amber. They were not behind me so how could they tell? They issued me with a fixed penalty and threatened that if I appealed they would recommend a charge of dangerous driving.

I felt a bit hard done the rest of the car journey to the office. When I looked at the fixed penalty I noticed that the police officer had stated the wrong street name on the form.

Is it worth taking a chance?( I have no points on liscence)

Also If I accept the fixed penalty(3 points and £60) am I admitting guilt?

What would you do? Thanks.

Craig

Did you take the fixed penalty on this or are you waiting for court action?
 
Having had time to think this through fight it. The CPS will probably drop it if the ticket had the wrong name on it. If its just your word vs them there is too much doubt, not enough factual evidence.
 
Agreed, they make too much easy money with no recourse. If you have a case, fight it. Good luck.
 
There is another flaw here. The OP said tthe charges would be ramped out if he contested it in court to careless driving. Why, the offense is the same whether prosecuted at court or through a FPN.

Police scaremongering tactics to extract cash (as they have targets now). Contest it, make some pigs look silly, and feel good.
 
There is another flaw here. The OP said tthe charges would be ramped out if he contested it in court to careless driving. Why, the offense is the same whether prosecuted at court or through a FPN.

Police scaremongering tactics to extract cash (as they have targets now). Contest it, make some pigs look silly, and feel good.

Firstly if found guilty at court the court may add court charges and in my experiance the penalty is likley to be higher... the courts view it as a waste of their time for people who are found guilty to have turned down a fixed penalty.

Secondly I find your post offensive and will be reporting it.
 
. Contest it, make some pigs look silly, and feel good.
Hi ***,
I will not report this message because hopefully you will reflect and hopefully modify your language? T'aint nice :eek: :eek: t'aint clever.

Kind regards
John
 
. Contest it, make some pigs look silly, and feel good.

Methinks you really are quite an offensive person :(
 

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