Red light cameras - direction?

Nazbit · 25 Jan 2010 at 14:40

Hi,

Just a quick question about red light cameras, can they monitor an entire junction or do they only work in one particular direction?

Today I was driving down a dual carriage way with an island in the middle. There was a red light camera facing me from the island on the other side of the junction. I crossed on red but it did not flash.

Yellow dot is the camera and the green arrow is my car and direction of travel.

Could it have got me or will it only be watching traffic coming in the opposite direction?

Thanks!

Burnsy2023 · 25 Jan 2010 at 14:42

It's in one direction only because the picture needs to include the stop line for evidence purposes.

theo · 25 Jan 2010 at 14:47

I've always wondered how sensitive these cameras are. For example do you need to go all the way across or are they going to penalise you for stopping two foot over the line?

Sorry for the side track and being such a driving newbie, it's just something i've wondered and never remembered to ask anyone.

[TW]Fox · 25 Jan 2010 at 14:48

Sadly you got away with it this time. Is the concept of red means stop alien to you?

OllyM · 25 Jan 2010 at 14:50

theo said:
I've always wondered how sensitive these cameras are. For example do you need to go all the way across or are they going to penalise you for stopping two foot over the line?

Sorry for the side track and being such a driving newbie, it's just something i've wondered and never remembered to ask anyone.

Depends on where they've put the induction loop I guess? It must be fairly close to the stop line otherwise it could be triggered by cars crossing the carriageway from the left/right at some junctions.

Nazbit · 25 Jan 2010 at 14:59

[TW]Fox;15816383 said:
Is the concept of red means stop alien to you?

Nope, not at all. I'm the first to slam people who cross red lights, its dangerous and stupid.

Today I made a mistake, failed to anticipate the road ahead and its my fault entirely.

At no point did I say that I was proud of my actions or that running red lights is a good idea.

Lum · 25 Jan 2010 at 15:05

They are one direction and the shot will include both the stop line AND the red light.

To be honest I think if the camera showed a green light in the direction it's monitoring then it's a reasonable conclusion that your car went through a red, unless the lights were faulty, however it's not going to get your numberplate is it?

They are pretty sensitive. I have seen a taxi driver stop 2' over the stop line, setting it off, reverse back over the line setting it off again, and then set of on amber rather than red setting it off a 3rd time. It amused me.

taximike · 25 Jan 2010 at 15:26

[TW]Fox;15816383 said:
Sadly you got away with it this time. Is the concept of red means stop alien to you?

When the light is red and I want to turn left and there is very little traffic on the road then yeah - a red light is pretty annoying and I keep getting the urge to ignore it and treat it as a stop sign!

mjt · 25 Jan 2010 at 15:27

taximike said:
When the light is red and I want to turn left and there is very little traffic on the road then yeah - a red light is pretty annoying and I keep getting the urge to ignore it and treat it as a stop sign!

you're not in north america any more

jaysus · 26 Jan 2010 at 09:40

[TW]Fox;15816383 said:
Sadly you got away with it this time. Is the concept of red means stop alien to you?

You're halfway there. Amber means stop - unless unsafe to do so. Something most people don't honestly know, and something which annoys the living p**s out of me some days.