Red Light Cameras

[Berbatov]

Does a red light camera pick you up/flash straight away when the traffic lights go red or does it happen after a few seconds? Do red light cameras flash?

Can all the red light cameras pick up what speed your doing and flash if your over the speed limit?


(I haven't done this, just wanted to know)


Cheers

[Wayfair]

So in answer to your questions, active straight away / some do / no, only some can.

Traffic light cameras are triggered either by using ground loops that are cut into road surface or radar technology. When using loops, as the traffic lights turn red the system becomes active, any vehicle passing over the sensor in the road after this time is then photographed. Radar based traffic light cameras work in the same manner as fixed Gatso speed cameras.

A news story that appeared in the Daily Mail newspaper reported that the Home Office plan to turn over 1,000 traffic light cameras into speed cameras. "More than 1,000 traffic-cameras used to catch drivers jumping red lights are to converted so they can also trap speeders".

The traffic light camera was originally used to measure red light offences. Nowadays the camera can also be used in combination with speed measurement, similar to that of a Gatso speed camera. So you could end with a speeding offence as well as a traffic light offence, if you go through a red light camera!

Points and Penalties

Being prosecuted in the UK by a traffic light camera can result in a minimum of 3 penalty points and a £60 fine. This fine amount is currently under review by the government and may increase in near future.

Ref: http://www.speedcamerasuk.com/

[Derek]

Originally Posted by Berbatov

Does a red light camera pick you up/flash straight away when the traffic lights go red or does it happen after a few seconds?

Straight away. Amber means stop, thats why you get a few seconds so you can go through if slamming the anchors on might cause an accident.

[heero_yuy]

I believe the phrase is "Stop unless it is unsafe to do so" after all if you've got anti-lock brakes and guy behind you hasn't he could plough into the back of you. But really if you're approaching lights particularly on a fast dual carriageway it's best to slacken off the speed, I usually drop down to around 50 in a 70 limit especially if the lights have been green for sometime.

[Derek]

And if you are pulled over for going through on red telling the cops you thought it was a 'dodgy amber' isn't likely to get you off a ticket.

[Rob]

On Sunday I stopped so hard at a set of lights, because there was a camera, in a 50 mph limit, the car thought there must have been a crash or something. I'm left there with hazard lights going and all sorts

[Graham M]

I'd say personally that's where it's a stupid idea to have a red light camera, they've replaced the ones on the bottom of the Holes Bay Road in Poole with the ones that double as speed cameras as well, money making if you ask me, the speed limit goes to 50 from 30 straight after the lights

[haydnwalker]

Originally Posted by Rob

On Sunday I stopped so hard at a set of lights, because there was a camera, in a 50 mph limit, the car thought there must have been a crash or something. I'm left there with hazard lights going and all sorts

Some cars have this silly Hazards on thing now if you break really hard... as you ARE the hazard

---------- Post added at 11:54 ---------- Previous post was at 11:52 ----------

Originally Posted by Graham M

I'd say personally that's where it's a stupid idea to have a red light camera, they've replaced the ones on the bottom of the Holes Bay Road in Poole with the ones that double as speed cameras as well, money making if you ask me, the speed limit goes to 50 from 30 straight after the lights

That IS rather sneaky... We have the Traffic Signal & Speed Cameras on the main road in Doncaster. Luckily though the limit is 40 all the way down.

[Kymmy]

My view is that the lights are there as a legal requirement, if you obey them then a camera there or not isn't gonna make any difference at all The same with Speed limits, bus lanes, box junctions...etc...

[Hom3r]

Originally Posted by Derek S

Amber means stop, thats why you get a few seconds so you can go through if slamming the anchors on might cause an accident.

The last time I looked Amber means prepare to stop.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Hom3r

The last time I looked Amber means prepare to stop.

What was the last thing you looked at? Here's the Highway Code:

RULE 175: You MUST stop behind the white ‘Stop’ line across your side of the road unless the light is green.

That seems pretty clear to me. Any light that's not a green light is a stop light.

The rules give you a special dispensation to cross a junction on an amber light only if:

you have already crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to stop might cause a collision

Nothing there at all about 'prepare to stop'.

[Kymmy]

I've always taken Amber as a "Stop unless it is unsafe to do so through speed or road conditions"

[Damien]

I recently passed my test and worry about cameras as I can only get 6 points in the next two years otherwise my licence is revoked.

I think I am ok as I mostly keep within the limit. It can be hard to do so on roads which are, inexplicably, 30 but are wide and have no schools/homes and such on the sides and the cars behind you are getting aggravated and really close to you behind.

I don't like coming up to a yellow at speed. When it changes when your an awkward distance from the lights. Working out which is the safest decision is a bit of a judgement call. Slow down quite fast, or carry on...

[Kymmy]

Try riding a motorcycle on such roads, everyone thinks you should be going faster and I've had front bumper less than a foot from my rear tyre with the cars headlights on full beam

[Derek]

Yes the highway code says 'Stop, unless it is unsafe to do so'

Sadly most drivers, and I'll hold my hands up to being occasionally in this category, take it meaning 'Floor it and you might be able to get through before it does go red.