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Thread: Red Light Traffic Camera - any advice?

  1. #1
    Registered User Chicklet's Avatar
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    Red Light Traffic Camera - any advice?

    Peeps, I'm wondering if anyone (or anyone's friend ) might have been in this situation and have any advice.

    I recently approached a cross junction traffic light that has a right hand green filter arrow light that comes on after the ordinary green.

    I moved over the white line into the middle of the junction, in the right hand lane to wait for the green filter light, which has ALWAYS lit on the hunners of times I have driven that route.

    It didn't light.

    I HAD to turn right anyway to get out of the way of the cross traffic.

    I now have a letter from the plod saying I owe then £60 and they want to write on my license.

    Should I fight this?
    Have I leg to stand on?
    What if this didn't actually happen and / or I'm not remembering it properly?
    ( the more I think about it the more scared I get that maybe I've made it up in my head)

    Do they have to show me the tape if I ask?

    Any advice very gratefully received.

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    Papa Smurf
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    Re: Red Light Traffic Camera - any advice?

    thats illegal? i do that all the time so its news to me. In fact once i didnt move forward enough and got beeped from behind, and this is on a right turn where it only lights the right arrow seemingly half the time - as i only go through when the main light is green and only have to wait to turn right if there is traffic I never considered it an issue. I can't come to any conclusion other than they think you physically drove through a red light, if you didn't then fight it, but ask for evidence first.

    If you went through green they are wrong according to the highway code
    from here : Green filter arrow. This indicates a filter lane only. Do not enter that lane unless you want to go in the direction of the arrow. You may proceed in the direction of the green arrow when it, or the full green light shows. Give other traffic, especially cyclists, time and room to move into the correct lane.
    and theres another Conversation about it here

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    Registered User frodo's Avatar
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    Re: Red Light Traffic Camera - any advice?

    Quote Originally Posted by Chicklet View Post
    ...

    Should I fight this?
    Have I leg to stand on?
    What if this didn't actually happen and / or I'm not remembering it properly?
    ( the more I think about it the more scared I get that maybe I've made it up in my head)

    Do they have to show me the tape if I ask?

    Any advice very gratefully received.
    Perhaps it is different in Scotland.

    The difficulty may be in getting the evidence before accepting or rejecting the conditional offer. I don't think they have to give it to you first, but possibly in Scotland they may be happier than down South to do so.

    One other avenue, if you haven't yet identified the driver, can be asking for a picture to help indentify the driver, as that picture might give you more confidence as to having remembered it correctly.

    As I understand it, it is only money and time you're risking by not accepting the conditional offer as the penalty points are the same.

    Given there is a lot of doubt as to whether any offence occurred risking some money against keeping insurance premiums down sounds sensible.

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    Not a spoon! Lou's Avatar
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    Re: Red Light Traffic Camera - any advice?

    Have a look on http://www.pepipoo.com/

    They have lots of good advice about road traffic laws & fighting unfair tickets, etc. Their forum might be able to help you. Hope you get it sorted!

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    Registered User stewart38's Avatar
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    Re: Red Light Traffic Camera - any advice?

    Quote Originally Posted by Chicklet View Post
    Peeps, I'm wondering if anyone (or anyone's friend ) might have been in this situation and have any advice.

    I recently approached a cross junction traffic light that has a right hand green filter arrow light that comes on after the ordinary green.

    I moved over the white line into the middle of the junction, in the right hand lane to wait for the green filter light, which has ALWAYS lit on the hunners of times I have driven that route.

    It didn't light.

    I HAD to turn right anyway to get out of the way of the cross traffic.

    I now have a letter from the plod saying I owe then £60 and they want to write on my license.

    Should I fight this?
    Have I leg to stand on?
    What if this didn't actually happen and / or I'm not remembering it properly?
    ( the more I think about it the more scared I get that maybe I've made it up in my head)

    Do they have to show me the tape if I ask?

    Any advice very gratefully received.
    Very simple

    Don’t pay it

    Ask for photo graphic evidence, suggest it isn’t you car (colour etc). If you go to court you have a legal right for the tape.

    Loads of things you can do

    They want £60 not a ‘fight’

    My friend got off a red light and 3 speeding tickets (although one of those did go to court)

    He would of got off another when he was stop by a office duty police officer (But he couldn’t be bother to go down the easy route for that one)

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    Registered User stewart38's Avatar
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    Re: Red Light Traffic Camera - any advice?

    Quote Originally Posted by frodo View Post
    The difficulty may be in getting the evidence before accepting or rejecting the conditional offer. I don't think they have to give it to you first, but possibly in Scotland they may be happier than down South to do so.

    They wont 'give it to you first' as they want £60.

    If you contest then they have to.

    They usually dont but its all game you just need to learn the rules.

    Ps my friend who went to cour got all his expenses paid for.

    37mph , camera

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    Re: Red Light Traffic Camera - any advice?

    You can request to see the photograph taken by the camera. there should be a number to phone on the summons. They are very clear and show a lot of detail, including your Reg No. and how fast yoiu were moving. From what you describe, the filter probably only works at peak times. it probably depends how far over the white line you were when the lights changed to red. if you had to travel forward a bit before turning, it would flash because you were moving straight ahead after the light turned red.
    you could contest it, but to be honest they must think their evidence is water tight to have sent you the summons. could end up costing you more too. Sare Tae bear pal, but thems the breaks

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    Re: Red Light Traffic Camera - any advice?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dance Demon View Post
    You can request to see the photograph taken by the camera. there should be a number to phone on the summons. They are very clear and show a lot of detail, including your Reg No. and how fast yoiu were moving.
    I had this a few years ago. My daughter was driving my car so it all came to me. We weren't even certain if it was my wife or my daughter driving at the time. We asked for a picture and it was very clear. As they had different coloured hair at the time we could even tell who was driving!

    People do fight these tickets and some of them are successful. If it was me I would pay it if I had a clean licence and fight it if I was going to get a ban.

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    Re: Red Light Traffic Camera - any advice?

    Well, I'm no expert, but I'd say it depends on the type of lights.
    I've seen two types:
    1. One complete set of lights, with an extra single green filter right light attached. In this case, personally I would say that you were in the right, after all if the filter light was defective there would be no way of knowing therefore the main light must take precedence.
    2. Two complete sets of lights where the right set has a green arrow in place of the green disc. In this case, you would be in the wrong as the filter right lights have their own red light which you must obey.


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    Registered User Chicklet's Avatar
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    Re: Red Light Traffic Camera - any advice?

    Thanks all.
    Gav, it was the first type, not a whole separate set of lights.
    Have been pondering hard and am going to make a final decision tomorrow.
    I was in court last month on a jury and found the whole thing very depressing and sad so not sure if I want to be back in that atmosphere again so soon.
    Then again, I really don't think I was in the wrong so I am trying to think of something good and worthy that I can convince myself my £60 will be spent on - doesn't have to be even remotely near the truth, just something I can hold on to to ease the pain.

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    Re: Red Light Traffic Camera - any advice?

    When I took my CBT(motorcycle test) recently the examiner mentioned something regarding the green filter on a main set of lights (Gavs first suggestion)and he said that it was the only time that it was ok to go on the main green light if the filter was not showing.
    I would be inclined to ask for clarification of the offence they are charging you with.You have every right to ask and they are obliged to give you an explanation.

  12. #12
    Registered User stewart38's Avatar
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    Re: Red Light Traffic Camera - any advice?

    Quote Originally Posted by Chicklet View Post
    Thanks all.
    Gav, it was the first type, not a whole separate set of lights.
    Have been pondering hard and am going to make a final decision tomorrow.
    I was in court last month on a jury and found the whole thing very depressing and sad so not sure if I want to be back in that atmosphere again so soon.
    Then again, I really don't think I was in the wrong so I am trying to think of something good and worthy that I can convince myself my £60 will be spent on - doesn't have to be even remotely near the truth, just something I can hold on to to ease the pain.
    At the end of the day if you want to fight it you will get off it

    There are books written on the subject

    If its not worth the hassle pay the fine

    My friend went to court twice over speeding fines and found it fun (the chance of you going to court is about 10% )

    Ps photos are never clear and can hardly ever identify the driver

    If you want to go down the route yes that me its my dress hair etc the I would suggest pay the fine

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    Not a spoon! Lou's Avatar
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    Re: Red Light Traffic Camera - any advice?

    Quote Originally Posted by stewart38 View Post
    If you want to go down the route yes that me its my dress hair etc the I would suggest pay the fine

    You are Andy McGregor and I claim my five pounds

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    Registered User frodo's Avatar
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    Re: Red Light Traffic Camera - any advice?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dance Demon View Post
    you could contest it, but to be honest they must think their evidence is water tight to have sent you the summons. could end up costing you more too.
    I do wonder about this. A computer can pretty much automatically generate these, though I think they're meant to be reviewed by a human.

    Notts police sent multiple speeding tickets for a parked car, so a proper preview clearly doesn't always happen.

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    Registered User stewart38's Avatar
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    Re: Red Light Traffic Camera - any advice?

    Quote Originally Posted by frodo View Post
    I do wonder about this. A computer can pretty much automatically generate these, though I think they're meant to be reviewed by a human.

    Notts police sent multiple speeding tickets for a parked car, so a proper preview clearly doesn't always happen.
    Its all computer generate garbage

    They rely on the fact 90% of people pay without question

    That’s parking, speeding and all sort of tickets

    Can I make an appeal ‘ the computer says no’

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