16 October 2010

Possibility of getting a red light camera fine?

| Ringer
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Hi everyone, I am wondering if anyone could give me advice on my worries that I might be getting a red light camera fine.

I was driving across the intersection of Northbourne Avenue and Barry Drive. When the traffic light turned amber, I was too close to the intersection and was unable to pull up safely in time. So, I accelerated to cross the intersection. I saw the red light camera flashed, just before I got to the other end.

It could be two reasons:
– The traffic light turned red before I crossed the intersection; or
– My speed was over limit

It was an uneasy judgment when the traffic light changed so soon. I tried to avoid a panic stop which may cause the car behind running into my back. I wasn’t sure whether I’ve go over the speed limit cause it was heavily raining and I was a bit panic.

I am worried that I may be getting a ticket next week.

Does anyone know how much does the fine usually cost for running a red light camera? Will it cause any demerit points?

Thanks very much.

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Traffic lights turn orange, then it is another 3 seconds before it will turn red, then you need to worry.
if you crossed before the three seconds, you will be fine

No, let’s not spend millions catering to those who can’t handle traffic lights and haven’t worked out yet that sneaking a peek at the ambient light in the shades of traffic lights often gives them their amber countdown to green.

It’s a red light. You’re not going anywhere. Knowing the countdown isn’t going to change that. And yet you want to spend taxpayer money to save the time taken for a signal to travel from your eyes to your brain and then down to your foot?

So then people will rush to beat the clock.

Take a chill pill. Why overcomplicate a system which works so people can count the seconds.

Mr Gillespie said :

The timer system I propose (which you reject outright as just kidding/serious delusion) would not just be for how long a light stays green, but also how long a light stays red, for like when you are sitting at an intersection just guessing and guessing and guessing as to how long the lights will stay red before they suddenly go green. The timer would let you know when you can get ready to go after sitting at a red light for so long.

A timer on a green light would let you know if the light is about to go amber, and as such would save you having to panic or rush through.

Agree with this suggestion. The timer doesn’t have to on constantly, but could come on 10-15 seconds prior to the lights changing. There is at least one intersection in Canberra where a system like this already operates – it has permanent bike-crossing lights installed – once the red bike/pedestrians flashes you know that the green light is about to change to amber.

I’m with Mr Gillespie

Totally Canberra should have these installed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7dZj0n0LOw

Some other countries have them installed…

Special G said :

A little clock – you have to be kidding – or just seriously deluded. This is exactly what an amber light is.

Amber light – stop unless unsafe to do so.

Locking up brakes to stop = unsafe. duh.

Speeding up to get through the intersection = had time to stop safely at the amber light.

Can’t work out what to do at an amber light = shouldn’t have your licence.

It’s not actually that far out an idea. I’ve seen these in parts of Asia eg Thailand. They count downthe green, then the amber, then the red.

Where it really becomes useful is when you are crossing the road in Bangkok. You know how fast to run before you get mowed down by a hundred scooters (scooters always sneak to the front at intersections).

But it does become a bit of a drag race 😀

A countdown to the light turning green would be welcomed by the dragway lobby, no doubt.

Putting aside the fact that the time between lights isn’t constant or predictable at many intersections, this would render worthless my years of involuntary research into traffic light patterns at various intersections around Canberra. As such, I oppose it on human rights grounds.

Mr Gillespie11:52 am 18 Oct 10

Special G said :

A little clock – you have to be kidding – or just seriously deluded. This is exactly what an amber light is.

Amber light – stop unless unsafe to do so.

Locking up brakes to stop = unsafe. duh.

Speeding up to get through the intersection = had time to stop safely at the amber light.

Can’t work out what to do at an amber light = shouldn’t have your licence.

Not as black and white as that.

The timer system I propose (which you reject outright as just kidding/serious delusion) would not just be for how long a light stays green, but also how long a light stays red, for like when you are sitting at an intersection just guessing and guessing and guessing as to how long the lights will stay red before they suddenly go green. The timer would let you know when you can get ready to go after sitting at a red light for so long.

A timer on a green light would let you know if the light is about to go amber, and as such would save you having to panic or rush through.

Can’t work out what to do at a RED light = shouldn’t have your licence.

No trolling, sounds like the OP is not a very good or experienced driver and probably shouldn’t be in charge of a vehicle.
What Special G said.

troll-sniffer10:31 am 18 Oct 10

imarty said :

I hope you get pinged for both running a red light and speeding.
If you’re driving too fast to pull up at an amber light then you’re driving over the speed limit, and in the rain??? Hope you lose your licence.

sniff… sniff, yep, definitely the rather putrid scent of troll here. Ok people, nothing to see here, move it on, move it on, nothing to see here…

imarty said :

I hope you get pinged for both running a red light and speeding.
If you’re driving too fast to pull up at an amber light then you’re driving over the speed limit, and in the rain??? Hope you lose your licence.[/quote}

I hope you will never get a fine then. Mr. Prefect.
and it is just a bit annoying having people like you talking on riot.

Holden Caulfield7:35 pm 17 Oct 10

imarty said :

I hope you get pinged for both running a red light and speeding.
If you’re driving too fast to pull up at an amber light then you’re driving over the speed limit, and in the rain??? Hope you lose your licence.

I hope you get laid.

A little clock – you have to be kidding – or just seriously deluded. This is exactly what an amber light is.

Amber light – stop unless unsafe to do so.

Locking up brakes to stop = unsafe. duh.

Speeding up to get through the intersection = had time to stop safely at the amber light.

Can’t work out what to do at an amber light = shouldn’t have your licence.

Mr Gillespie2:59 pm 17 Oct 10

imarty said :

I hope you get pinged for both running a red light and speeding.
If you’re driving too fast to pull up at an amber light then you’re driving over the speed limit, and in the rain??? Hope you lose your licence.

I hardly think that is fair or reassuring. If the driver had to stop suddenly in the rain because the lights SUDDENLLY changed at the most dangerous and inconvenient time, his wheels would lock and he’d be stuck in the middle of the intersection. Either that, or risk a fine, which is time and time and time again described as “voluntary” but I beg to differ.

What really needs to happen is for a little clock to display how long it will be before the lights change, to save you from having to worry about such risks, or would that put a dent in the Government’s coffers through loss of revenue through fines or expense of installing such timers?

(I am not joking by the way)

Rangi said :

…who sucked the red off your lollypop…

well, damn; if that ain’t the finest quote of the week… 😀

switch said :

Is there any way to check your current points count online?

no but I believe you can phone the RTA and ask – but I don’t believe they won’t give it out over the phone for privacy reasons. You may have to do something extra to get the info.

luther_bendross12:41 pm 17 Oct 10

Lolz @ Pork Hunt. Here comes a……NOTHER ONE!

imarty said :

I hope you get pinged for both running a red light and speeding.
If you’re driving too fast to pull up at an amber light then you’re driving over the speed limit, and in the rain??? Hope you lose your licence.

Wow, imarty, who sucked the red off your lollypop, the op never said they were speeding up to the lights, they said they were too close to stop safely, then that they may “might” of unintentionaly sped up in the intersection. So you hope they lose their licence because they either took reasonable action or because their judgement call in a split second situation was maybe not perfect, what a charming, charitable person you sound like.

Wouldn’t it be a lovely world if every one always made the exactly spot on choice all the time, curse those flawed humans…maybe you could hold some classes, so we can all be perfect just like you. The class motto could be “There are 3 ways to do things, the right way, the wrong way and the imarty way, which the same as the right way, but even more corrector.

Apparently research done overseas shows that red light cameras result in an increase in nose to tail accidents – but they reduce the number of accidents where people are t-boned by idiots running red lights. If you had to chose, you’d probably prefer to have somebody ram you from behind (not that there’s anything wrong with that!) than run into your driver’s side door.

Is there any way to check your current points count online?

I hope you get pinged for both running a red light and speeding.
If you’re driving too fast to pull up at an amber light then you’re driving over the speed limit, and in the rain??? Hope you lose your licence.

#3 is the go. First photo checks the state of the intersection the moment the light goes red. If you went through on amber due to stopping distance safety, and you weren’t speeding then you’ll be fine.

I think there’s a red-light support group that meets fortnightly on Thursday evening in one of the brothels in Fyshwick.

Firstly:

Everyone is suppose to stop at a amber light (Unless it is unsafe to do so).

Secondly:

You only go through a red light if the light is red before you cross the white stop line.

Thirdly:

If people drove with a little more caution (prepared for the unlikely. ie emergency vehicle, another car running a red light, drunk pedestrians, cyclists etc) and approached intersections safely and were well aware of their surroundings, there would be no need to speed up or panic.

Why wait – just go to the RTA and pay $271 and ask to have the 3 points deducted.

bd84 said :

The cameras take a picture automatically at every red light no matter whether someone runs it.

If you did the crime, you pay the fine.

Not all, some have two induction sensors just past the stop line. To be done you need to break both after the light has gone red.

The ‘worry’ for the OP won’t be weather they get a red light ticket but a speed ticket, as all the ACT red light cameras double as speed cameras to discourage people from speeding up to get through.

Red light fine is north of $200 and 3 demerit points.

I Like traffic lights.
I Like traffic lights.
I Like traffic lights,
No matter where they’ve been.
I Like traffic lights.
I Like traffic lights.
I Like traffic lights.
I Like traffic lights.
I Like traffic lights,
But only when they’re green.

He likes traffic lights.
He likes traffic lights.
He likes traffic lights,
No matter where they’ve been.

He likes traffic lights.
He likes traffic lights.
He likes traffic lights,
But only when they’re green.

I Like traffic lights.
I Like traffic lights.
I Like traffic lights.
That is what I said.

I Like traffic lights
I Like traffic lights
I Like traffic lights,
But not when they are red.

He likes traffic lights.
He likes traffic lights.
That is what he said.

He likes traffic lights.
He likes traffic lights.
He likes traffic lights.
He likes traffic lights.
He likes traffic lights,
But not when they are red.

I Like traffic lights.
I Like traffic lights.
I Like traffic lights,
Although my name’s not Bamber.

I Like traffic lights.
I Like traffic lights.
I Like traffic lights.
I– Oh, God!

I think you’d be ok with it on the red light front as long as you entered the intersection while it was still amber. I’ve had a couple of times where I thought it might have been a bit touch and go about getting a fine and so far haven’t (touch wood) – and in the sort of circumstances you mentioned, wet weather and not wanting to stop hard with a car right up my arse.

As for the speeding, well that depends how much you accelerated.

I doubt you will get one. That has happened to me a couple of times and no ticket came.
In theory if the light turns red while you are in the intersection then you are in the wrong.
But if you enter the intersection as the light just turns orange that shouldn’t happen.

What georgesgenitals said. It can be easy to misjudge lights if you’re not paying attention or going a little to quickly, but don’t worry about the driver behind you – it’s his/her responsibility to make sure that s/he leaves enough space to stop if you hit the anchors.

The cameras take a picture automatically at every red light no matter whether someone runs it.

If you did the crime, you pay the fine.

Samuel Gordon-Stewart4:38 pm 16 Oct 10

Most (all?) of the red light cameras take a photo as soon as the light turns red for comparison with photos taken later on if the camera believes it has detected an infringement. If it only flashed once, you’re probably safe.

Running a red light attracts three demerit points according to http://www.rego.act.gov.au/infringements/infringedemerit.htm although I don’t know how large the fine is.

troll-sniffer4:30 pm 16 Oct 10

Running a red light camera and speeding in the rain is not going to be cheap. $390 for the red light, $190 for low range speed, tripled in wet and windy conditions, plus the Friday surcharge, looks like it’ll be not far short of $1800, plus all twelve points off your licence, and next time you’re up for rego your third party premium will also triple. Next time slow down in the wet and anticipate.

However there may be mitigating circumstances, scroll down:

Just pullin’ yer leg.

georgesgenitals3:30 pm 16 Oct 10

If you get a ticket, pay it and move on.

A TIN is hardly the end of the world.

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