Safe Speed Forums

I was on from about 9:25 until 9:50 talking about their new red light cameras.

It was a phone in show. A Police Inspector spoke first, talking about traffic lights. He said 'Amber means prepare to stop'. You what?

Amber means 'Stop, if it is safe to do so'. I shall investigate further...

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Amber on the 'going to green' phase means, roughly something like 'prepare to go' (but still stop).

Amber on the 'going to red' phase cannot possibly mean 'prepare to stop'! Prepare how exactly? Batten down all loose fittings, warn the wife and kids?

Yep, it can only mean stop if its safe otherwise continue.

Listen again for a week at;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/noscript.sht ... /nolan_wed

About 30 minutes into the programme.

Very good discussion.

Red means Stop

Amber means stop

Amber & Red Means Stop

Green means go (or prepare to stop!)

I've just had one of my strange thoughts:


Agreed. So does red mean stop at all costs, even if it's unsafe to do so?

They all mean stop (apart from green)

but I was taught, quite correctly IMO, that approaching a green is the most hazardous an that you should treat it as 'prepare to stop'

IMO the reason that amber exists at all to give the driver advice about risk. If on Amber the Risk of stopping may be greater than the risk of passing. If on Red the opposite etc.

But in all normal circumstance everything but green means STOP.

Actually, I thought along those lines too.

Red means stop. If its unsafe to do so then you, or someone behind you (the general 'you') have made a major observational error and failed to notice the pre-red sequence. If you proceed you'll need to have a good explanation ready if you get seen because other traffic is about to receive, or has received, a green and it may get even more unsafe.

Yeah, it does. But that's not as mad as it seems. These is where the 'absolutist' position that the law must take clashes with safety or common sense.

OF COURSE we should not stop at red if it dangerous to do so, but we should reasonably expect to be punished if we put ourselves in such a position.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

I would say, the absolutist way that the law is applied.

There must be a defence in law.

Can anyone transcribe the the exchange between the Police Oficer and I about the meaning of the amber light?

I have a lazy journalist to interest.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Paul, have you had any volunteers yet??

Nah. Are you up for it?

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

. . . . . . Yes; when do you need it.

I tried to capture the recording on my PC yesterday with a view to transcribing it, I failed miserably. There's no podcast for that portion of the show either.

Can anyone recommend decent freeware for recording streaming media?

If anyone has made a recording, could they email a copy to Paul, to forward on to me for transcription. Or email directly to me if you already have my email address.

The listen again doesn't have any rewind facilities to repeat the last few words, which makes transcription directly from that a bit difficult.

I've captured it and I did start to transcribe it but had to give up.

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Useless laws weaken necessary laws.

If possible, could you please email a copy of your recording to Paul, psmith@safespeed.org.uk , to forward onto me, and I will have a go at transcribing it.

What did you use for making the recording ??

I use a package called Roxio Creator 7, the capture is part of that package.

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Useless laws weaken necessary laws.

Pleased to see someone has got it, I was about to say I can record it, no need now.

Although not free I can highly recommend total recorder, I've been using it for about 2 years now and I've had fairly regular free updates to the latest version.

It allows you to record any sound emitted by your PC from any source and gives you a lot of control (probably too much for me) over the output.

When I got it it cost $10 (IIRC) although it's now $17.95, still not bad value for money especially considering the current exchange rates.

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It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his job depends on not understanding it.

Upton Sinclair

Sorry, forgot to say I've emailed the file to Paul. I've had to zip it because it's quite large (19.8mb).

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Useless laws weaken necessary laws.