lovegroova

Well, not me. On another forum I frequent, a chap has been photographed jumping a red light and has received an NIP. He freely admits he tried to "sneak through on amber" and didn't know that Amber means stop if safe to do so.

He then asks if he can plea mitigating circmstances "it was only just red".

Next up, another poster advises this course of action

"Put the letter in the bin. The police are currently only chasing up about 5% of NIPs sent out due to lack of resources. Be as difficult a "customer" as possible and there is a good chance this will just go away."

I then expressed my disappointment at the effective condoning of traffic light jumping and got a fair bit of abuse for it.

Then another poster gives link to Pepipoo and indicates how to get out of it.

Not one other person has indicated that they think the OP has been fairly punished for an offence that he freely admits.

Am I going mad, or do lots of people now think that it's acceptable behaviour to jump the lights?

eSeM

They certainly think it is OK to do so in London

(Those fecking cyclists are by far the worst for it)

lovegroova

I mean in principle, I know that it happens in London, and anything on two wheels is usually the culprit, but I'm interested in attitudes. If most of these people are caught by a camera, will they try to get out of it?

corgi_watkins

It's a fair cop IMHO... he should pay the fine and accept the points.

To me it's a binary thing, the light was either red or it wasn't. As far as not knowing that amber means stop. If he doesn't know that rule of the road what other rule doesn't he know?

Also, ignorance of the law is not in itself a defence against it.

Starlight

Boo hoo he was caught doing something he should not have, he should have the balls to accept the punishment.

If the traffic ahead had suddenly stopped and he was in the junction when it changed and then drove out of the junction I would have said fair enough see what you can do about mitigating circumstances, but going through when you know you will get caught is stupid because round here most people do not wait for the change from amber to green before crossing through a junction and this would create a nice impact in the junction.

I have to say some peoples driving is quite idiotic, near where I live there is a round about on the exit to a university campus, the outside lane is for going left / straight on only, the inside lane for going right / back the other way.

In solid queued traffic with box junction markings a ford Ka comes out of the University exit wanting to turn right and go into the straight on traffic I am in, with a clear view that the traffic is solid, there is a wideish exit from the roundabout, so he goes round on the inside, cuts into the exit where the traffic is nose to tail, squeezes past the stopped cars and a traffic island into the now 1 lane each way bit and barges into a half car space.

I expect he was most pleased with himself for such a clever move and saving about 10 car lengths while he had to then sit in slow moving traffic for the next 300 yards to the next junction.

If he had stopped in the wide part I am sure someone would have let him in, not too fussed about that, but barging past to become exposed to oncoming traffic and so forcing other motorists to let him in to prevent an accident / blocked road is idiotic and dangerous and it was only 20 yards to a pedestrian crossing.


and breath........

Dracoro

Talking of ignorance of the law, Amber does NOT soley mean stop. Here's the highway code quote:

175
You MUST stop behind the white

lovegroova

[QUOTE=Dracoro,Oct 15 2008, 02:52 PM] Talking of ignorance of the law, Amber does NOT soley mean stop. Here's the highway code quote:

175
You MUST stop behind the white

GarethB

In London Red increasingly means "carry on", and amber definitely means "accelerate"

I'm constantly amazed by the number of drivers who go through lights as they change. Pedestrian crossings are the worst. Many drivers seem to think if it changes to red you're still ok to drive through as long as you don't kill anyone.

Bus drivers seem particularly adept at this. I suspect the person who sticks the sign saying "warning this bus is 18m long" on the back of the bendy bus should also stick one on the dashboard so the driver doesn't forget!

Lastly, I got flashed for going through a red light once, 3 years ago. As I was approaching a junction I saw the lights changing and checked the mirror as I eased up. Approaching at a silly speed was a lad on a hairdryer (scooter). Because of the speed he was going I judged it safer to go than to stop and went through the lights as they changed from amber to red. Cue flash.

He followed me through the lights and got flashed too which was a relief. The NIP never arrived but if it had I had my defence right there.

Spuffington

- I too am completely mystified as to when it suddenely became acceptable (it seems) to run red lights. Not just even on the turn, but a good 5 secs after they've turned red.

I work in Liverpool St. vicinity and almost daily (when I'm in the country) walking to the office I see cops ticketing cyclists. Hopefully it'll eventually work.

corgi_watkins