Phone the emergency number that should always accompany temporary traffic lights. Failing that call the police and tell them, they will send an officer to direct traffic until the lights can be seen to.
Driving offences and court
- Thread starter Beerbaron
- Start date
Phone the emergency number that should always accompany temporary traffic lights. Failing that call the police and tell them, they will send an officer to direct traffic until the lights can be seen to.
Does you Dad drive a BMW by any chance?
no
the driver in front of my dad went nuts at the police officer saying she has waited at the lights for 20 mins previously. he said she is allowed to drive through them slowly.
Don
There's a set of traffic lights near me that has a handy guide to the nearest public phone box a couple of miles away for phoning the police in the event of traffic lights failure. The only thing is, if you're on the otherside of the lights, how are you going to get there?
Sorry, but I call BS. Not to you, but the police officer who said that. Crossing a stop line at a red light is an 'absolute offence', which is why you see people getting prosecuted for moving through reds for an ambulance running on blues and twos.
There is, by definition, no defence to an 'absolute offence'; so "I rolled through slowly after waiting ten minutes for it to change, m'lud" doesn't cut it. I'm not saying that doesn't fly in the face of common sense, but there you go.
You can only cross a red light/stop line at the direction of a constable in uniform. Hence being prosecuted for doing it for an ambulance, fire engine etc.
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Trafficlights tend to fail 'safe', so they would all be out and you would treat it as a give way.
Don
But as Rainmaker says, you're committing an offence in doing so.
Don
Well, yeah if the lights are out, but they also stick to red on many occasions.
Caporegime
People don't get prosecuted for crossing the line in that scenario rainmaker. The camera will show the blue light and the logs of the service will match the route for proof.
I thought that.
Soldato
Have you not seen news items and paper reports of people being prosecuted for it? i have.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...g-yard-red-light-let-police-van-999-pass.html
If i was stuck at the front with an ambulance or fire engine behind i would move to the side but not cross the line. Im not facing points and fines because the police and CPS are dimwits.
As above. People HAVE been 'done' before now. Mostly it's because there was a red light traffic camera on the set, but once the flash goes off there's no defence later, the ticket can't and won't be revoked, and you WILL have to pay. I can recall several newspaper articles about this, and indeed the judges on 5ive-o confirmed it's an absolute offence and you can't move through them even for ambulances or fire etc. Only on the direction of a constable in uniform. 
Caporegime
In that article it states why he was still fined. Cases are looked at if brought to the attention of the people dealing out the fine, in one example an automated fine was withdrawn.
Caporegime
As above. People HAVE been 'done' before now. Mostly it's because there was a red light traffic camera on the set, but once the flash goes off there's no defence later, the ticket can't and won't be revoked, and you WILL have to pay. I can recall several newspaper articles about this, and indeed the judges on 5ive-o confirmed it's an absolute offence and you can't move through them even for ambulances or fire etc. Only on the direction of a constable in uniform.
Fines can't be revoked? Read the article linked...
But there's nothing that says it's not an absolute offence, except, for the third time, on the direction of a police constable in uniform. The guy in that article moved for the POLICE. For an ambulance, fire appliance, blood van etc you'd have no defence. Meaning, the ticket office would "look at it" and say "yep, no defence - pay up nao". See?
Read MY posts first. He moved for a POLICE OFFICER. How many times?
Caporegime
More instances of being fined (and it not being revoked) for crossing the line for an emergency vehicle please.
Soldato
For an ambulance, fire appliance, blood van etc you'd have no defence. Meaning, the ticket office would "look at it" and say "yep, no defence - pay up nao". See?
Just because the ticket office says "pay up" does not mean you should IF you have a reasonable excuse, such as allowing an emergency vehicle through.
The ticket office is NOT judge, jury and executioner, you go to court for that.
Caporegime
Exactly, it's an automated process sending out the ticket
OK, just for you.
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Motorist-counting-cost-of-good.1087412.jp
http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/free-press-news/MOTORIST39S-ANGER-AT-BARMY39-ROAD.1084700.jp
As I said, there ARE others. You MUST stop at a red light and NOT pass. It's a strict liability offence basically. The only exception is if you are on the direction of a police constable in uniform. So if a police car comes blaring behind you, and the passenger is waving his arms yelling "out of the ******* way!", you can cross the line. If it's an ambulance, fire appliance, blood van, bomb disposal etc, you can't.
Exactly, it's an automated process sending out the ticket
But they're checked by a person first. See my post above. *sigh*