27 October 2010

Red Light Cameras and failing to turn right

| Solidarity
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Hi all,

I tried a search, but no luck.

I got flashed by a red light camera yesterday.

Lights are green to go forward, but red to turn right.

I was in the right hand turning lane, changed my mind, turned on my indicator, and went straight ahead.

Several flashes.

So is going straight from a right hand turn lane an offense or not? If it is, i’ll just… pay the fine I guess, but i’d like to know if I need to stash a way a few pennies or not.

Thanks

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if you get a fine, request the photo, and go to court. It will show your wheels heading down the street. No use getting worked up over it.

troll-sniffer10:25 am 28 Oct 10

Gobbo said :

Solidarity, you do realise that if you had left when the light indicated to do so the lady in the car behind you might also have been able to leave.

By not moving you caused her to have to put up with the agro pedestrian for longer than necessary.

Well done.

Ah yes, geographical awareness… some of us have it, some don’t. Either that or some people don’t bother to read and absorb the presented material.

Gobbo said :

Solidarity, you do realise that if you had left when the light indicated to do so the lady in the car behind you might also have been able to leave.

By not moving you caused her to have to put up with the agro pedestrian for longer than necessary.

Well done.

Different lanes, there was nobody behind me, nor anybody in front of her, hence her proceeding to go straight, and me going straight from a turning lane.

This happened to me some years ago. Sitting at Hindmarsh/ Yamba waiting for green arrow so I could turn right to TCH, I saw the main traffic light go green and instinctively started to pull out, realising after about 2 metres that it was still a red arrow I hit the anchors and reversed back to where I was but got pinged.
Had to pay $200+ and was at work too which sucked

Solidarity, you do realise that if you had left when the light indicated to do so the lady in the car behind you might also have been able to leave.

By not moving you caused her to have to put up with the agro pedestrian for longer than necessary.

Well done.

Solidarity, you can argue necessity. But first, just argue you didn’t actually turn right and make no comment about the “changing lanes in an intersection” thing.

Remember that if you admit to an offence, you need to notify your motor insurance company. If you’ve not told them, they may refuse to pay up if you later need to make a claim.

JessicaNumber6:59 pm 27 Oct 10

And what did the police say? Surely if that actually happened, you called the police, right? Their report should be evidence enough of mitigating circumstances, I’m sure!

creative_canberran said :

This is a wind up right?
You went straight from the wrong lane = illegal. Do the crime, pay the fine.
The lane you were in had a red light so under a purposive interpretation, you still ran a red light.

More to it.

So, my and my mate were driving along, and intended to turn right.

As we were slowing down towards the light, there was a guy who tried to cross the road in front of us… Pedestrian.

We stop, the pedestrian (visibly agitated) crosses the road behind us, and walks up to the car of a woman driving a black Lexus SC. He starts banging on her window (she locked the door) meanwhile our arrow turns green.

We aren’t going to let some phycho go off at some woman without at least seeing whats up (this guy is shouting, etc at her) and then she opens the door, gets in, keeps shouting at her. My mate yells oi to him as she’s upset.

Anyway our arrow turns red again, and then the light to go straight (towards Manuka) goes green and they take off at some speed, so we follow them. This guy still going off his nut and this girl upset. It’s almost as if he’s ordered her to drive or something.

They did a loop after the shell servo, back to the way they were coming and took off up Canberra Ave, but my car, foot to floor, couldn’t keep up.

If i’m up for a fine i’ll write to the traffic office, and explain the situation, but if there is to be no fine, I won’t.

georgesgenitals4:56 pm 27 Oct 10

Why are we all so scared of a TIN? Either pay it, or go have a discussion, write a letter, whatever. Many people spend more per month on booze, FFS.

You will need to wait to see what comes in the mail – if you get fined for running a red light, then write them a letter to explain – i think (guess!) the fine for changing lanes in an intersection is less than the fine for running the red. The cameras take a series of pics as the car goes though the intersection in case there is a collision, so they will have photos of you going stright ahead rather than running the red.

creative_canberran4:06 pm 27 Oct 10

This is a wind up right?
You went straight from the wrong lane = illegal. Do the crime, pay the fine.
The lane you were in had a red light so under a purposive interpretation, you still ran a red light.

troll-sniffer3:58 pm 27 Oct 10

Sounds to me like an offence under the strict application of the law. A right turn lane is just that, and going straight ahead is a change of lane.

You could however argue that as there is no lane delineated on the roadway at that point (according to Google Earth) ie no defining broken lines after the stopping line, that you did not in fact change lanes and no lane was marked. I would be taking that tack if any.

You might not even get a ticket, the department might decide the camera didn’t actually ping you for what was intended.

Chaz said :

no, it would only be an offence if you indeed turned right on the red signal.

No, its illegal to go straight from a right turn lane. Regardless if you change your mind after getting there.

Solidarity said :

Yeah that’s what triggered the camera, but it would do that for if I was breaking a red light. I’m asking if i’ll get a fine for… changing lanes through an intersection.

Technically you have proceeded when arrow red, even if you eventually went straight instead. You moved off from that lane, that has a red light.

It sounds like the camera did flash because you moved away from the right hand lane on a red, making the camera think you had run the red light.

Have you got a picture? Does you car look like it’s going straight ahead, cause if not, the RTA will agrue there is no proof that you didn’t turn right.

Pay the fine, ACT revenue need the money

Had the same. Stopped at red arrow, took an enternity to change, green light straight ahead so I indicated left and proceeded straight instead.

Got a ticket a few days later. Wandered down to the Motor Reg, as I hadn’t committed the offence of turn against signal. They pulled out the photo, we had a discussion. The photo showed my indicator of left with me pulling into the lane to proceed straight with the green light, they withdrew the ticket.

“Well, it is illegal to change lanes through an intersection”

Guess the above puts pay to that bollocks line doesn’t it

Clown Killer2:55 pm 27 Oct 10

My guess is that you’ll only be fined for entering against a red signal.

Was the flashing light behind you or in front of you, it could have been going off to catch anyone coming opposite just as their loght changed?

Yeah that’s what triggered the camera, but it would do that for if I was breaking a red light. I’m asking if i’ll get a fine for… changing lanes through an intersection.

Clown Killer2:11 pm 27 Oct 10

Could be that you got pinged for entering the intersection against a red signal. Once you crossed the white line you would have triggered the camera.

BenMac said :

Well, it is illegal to change lanes through an intersection, which sounds like what you’ve done. You were first in the que to turn right, and instead crossed the intersection from the right turning lane, correct?

Which intersection/red light camera was it, cause I didn’t think red light cameras targeted right turning lanes, just cars going straight through.

Canberra Av/Captain Cook Cres, Telopea Bound.

no, it would only be an offence if you indeed turned right on the red signal.

Well, it is illegal to change lanes through an intersection, which sounds like what you’ve done. You were first in the que to turn right, and instead crossed the intersection from the right turning lane, correct?

Which intersection/red light camera was it, cause I didn’t think red light cameras targeted right turning lanes, just cars going straight through.

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