Safe Speed Forums

Hi there, quick question. I was turning right today at some lights, and the oncoming traffic qwas keeping the car in front of me fronm turning right so we both got stuck past the red light line but on a pedestrian crossing( not zebra) the ones with those silver studs. by the time he could pull away to turn right the lights had gone back to red. I was behind him but am sure my back wheels wouldve been over the red light line.

Is this fine

Regards,

Rob

I think you did two things wrong there.

1. You stopped on a pedestrain crossing.

Statutory Instrument 1997 No. 2400 section V

Prohibition against the stopping of vehicles on crossings
18. The driver of a vehicle shall not cause the vehicle or any part of it to stop within the limits of a crossing unless he is prevented from proceeding by circumstances beyond his control or it is necessary for him to stop to avoid injury or damage to persons or property.

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1997/240001-a.htm

2. You ignored a stop signal.

In what way did he ignore a stop signal? From his description he had gone past the lights when they were still green.

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

The car in front was a circumstance beyond his control preventing him from proceeding.

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

He could see the light.

Now I get you that the light jumping offence is to pass the white line whilst the light in on red, but IIRC if you can't see the line the red light still means stop.

I think you have completely misread what had been described.
The OP never said he crossed the line on red or gave any hint that he ignored a red.

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Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

you can't just stop dead in the middle of a busy junction holding up traffic coming from the other side roads no matter how many red lights you can see.

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

The light was well in front of the line so I could see the light even though I had passed the line. I hate that junction to death because its so narrow. I understand now that its ok to stop on those crossings when turning right waiting for oncoming traffic, as the green man couldnt be going anyway?

Dont red light cameras claculate your speed etc anyway when working so as to determine whether its a minor nothing error like that or an actual red light jumper?

Once a vehicle is past the stop line, it's impossible to carry out the instruction indicated by the red light "subject to sub-paragraph (b) ... the red signal shall convey the prohibition that vehicular traffic shall not proceed beyond the stop line;" so once you're past the line, you can proceed with your move (providing it's safe of course )

He wasn't in the middle of a busy junction, he was sitting on the pedestrian crossing, just over the line.

Nonsense. Doesn't take much to work out you shouldn't enter the crossing until there's enough space to get right over it.

bear in mind this wasnt a zebra crossing, my instructor told me only zebras are the onesyou have to keep clear at all times ( of the pedestrian crossings) granted that was 2 years ago now.

You misunderstood him, or he told you wrong.

I tell you, it's all I can do to stop myself walking over the bonnets/roofs/boots of people who lazily pull up and stop on a ped crossing.

I try to treat ped exings like box junctions, if I can't cross them I won't.

Me too, but still sometimes one does get caught out, but most people I see stop in them have just pulled over them and sat there with no forethought whatsoever.

I remember I was in New Zealand once, a guy had stopped on a crossing, nearly every single person thet walked round his car remonstrated with him, wish we saw more of that here.

Weepy -stay with us ..Think I said that ,NOT Adam L.-Altzheimers kicking in - I sincerely hope not ,but if so ,you have my sympathy .

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

So am I likely to ge called up on this error then?

I don't think so.
Pedestrian crossings aren't enforced by camera (yet).
If it was a proper traffic light controlled junction, I believe your vehicle has to be in motion when the photos are taken for the penalty to stick (be in different positions within the two photos), otherwise there is no way to differentiate between someone who got stuck and a proper jumper.

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Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

Can you give us a google map reference for the junction. I find it hard to believe that there a studded crossing point after the lights, surely this would make it actually in the junction itself and very dangerous.

_________________
My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

I am in trouble again?