Discussion
Hi All,
Totally my fault and kicking myself for this big time.
Earlier this evening I was driving down on to the Redbridge underground station roundabout to go from I think it's the A406 (coming from the M11) on to the A12 towards Stratford and went over the lights too late...I think they had turned red just as I went over. Cue a police car which had been waiting at the lights on my right to rightly pull me over. My sincerest apologies didn't make any difference but totally fair enough - I should have slammed on the anchors and not tried to cross the red light...split second error of judgement after a very long day.
I asked the officer if it would be a drivers awareness course or 3 points and he said it wasn't his decision and would go to the Met to decide and could be either. It's a real longshot but not sure if others have driven round this particular roundabout? The reason I ask is the lights change very quickly so as to help traffic flow quickly round such a busy roundabout. With that in mind, I know that the cars waiting on the right of me (eg the police car) see green almost immediately once my exit is red (way quicker than it happens where I live) so am not sure if my error falls within the 3 second rule the Met police seem to apply for such transgressions.
Real needle in a haystack asking if anyone has driven on this road but by chance, very keen to know if the PH folk think that the time of lights changing might mean I am within the 3 second rule? The Met site says it's all recorded by the officer, which it was, but I am presuming they slow it down to go second by second to see exactly how long after my lights turned red that I went through them? If it's 3 points then that's fine, it was totally my misjudgement and not been pulled over for over 20 years so very frustrating I was so stupid!
Totally my fault and kicking myself for this big time.
Earlier this evening I was driving down on to the Redbridge underground station roundabout to go from I think it's the A406 (coming from the M11) on to the A12 towards Stratford and went over the lights too late...I think they had turned red just as I went over. Cue a police car which had been waiting at the lights on my right to rightly pull me over. My sincerest apologies didn't make any difference but totally fair enough - I should have slammed on the anchors and not tried to cross the red light...split second error of judgement after a very long day.
I asked the officer if it would be a drivers awareness course or 3 points and he said it wasn't his decision and would go to the Met to decide and could be either. It's a real longshot but not sure if others have driven round this particular roundabout? The reason I ask is the lights change very quickly so as to help traffic flow quickly round such a busy roundabout. With that in mind, I know that the cars waiting on the right of me (eg the police car) see green almost immediately once my exit is red (way quicker than it happens where I live) so am not sure if my error falls within the 3 second rule the Met police seem to apply for such transgressions.
Real needle in a haystack asking if anyone has driven on this road but by chance, very keen to know if the PH folk think that the time of lights changing might mean I am within the 3 second rule? The Met site says it's all recorded by the officer, which it was, but I am presuming they slow it down to go second by second to see exactly how long after my lights turned red that I went through them? If it's 3 points then that's fine, it was totally my misjudgement and not been pulled over for over 20 years so very frustrating I was so stupid!
I have never heard of "the 3 second rule" but there you go. Something new every day.
There is 3 seconds at play at a traffic light junction. That applies to the single amber light that warns you for 3 seconds that the red light is about to come on and stop the traffic.
There may be an additional timer applied to an automatic camera that adds some time onto the red light time, but it will not be as long a 3 seconds.
If a police officer has taken the time to pull you over the red would have probably been on some considerable time before they would take time out of their day to bother with you.
Your fate will depend upon what the officer who stopped you has put in the report that goes back to the central ticket office. It is there that the policy on light timing and your transgression will be applied. From my understanding, the red time is going to be well under 3 seconds and probably under 1 second for some action to be taken.
There is 3 seconds at play at a traffic light junction. That applies to the single amber light that warns you for 3 seconds that the red light is about to come on and stop the traffic.
There may be an additional timer applied to an automatic camera that adds some time onto the red light time, but it will not be as long a 3 seconds.
If a police officer has taken the time to pull you over the red would have probably been on some considerable time before they would take time out of their day to bother with you.
Your fate will depend upon what the officer who stopped you has put in the report that goes back to the central ticket office. It is there that the policy on light timing and your transgression will be applied. From my understanding, the red time is going to be well under 3 seconds and probably under 1 second for some action to be taken.
AddyT. said:
Hi All,
Totally my fault and kicking myself for this big time.
Earlier this evening I was driving down on to the Redbridge underground station roundabout to go from I think it's the A406 (coming from the M11) on to the A12 towards Stratford and went over the lights too late...I think they had turned red just as I went over. Cue a police car which had been waiting at the lights on my right to rightly pull me over. My sincerest apologies didn't make any difference but totally fair enough - I should have slammed on the anchors and not tried to cross the red light...split second error of judgement after a very long day.
I asked the officer if it would be a drivers awareness course or 3 points and he said it wasn't his decision and would go to the Met to decide and could be either. It's a real longshot but not sure if others have driven round this particular roundabout? The reason I ask is the lights change very quickly so as to help traffic flow quickly round such a busy roundabout. With that in mind, I know that the cars waiting on the right of me (eg the police car) see green almost immediately once my exit is red (way quicker than it happens where I live) so am not sure if my error falls within the 3 second rule the Met police seem to apply for such transgressions.
Real needle in a haystack asking if anyone has driven on this road but by chance, very keen to know if the PH folk think that the time of lights changing might mean I am within the 3 second rule? The Met site says it's all recorded by the officer, which it was, but I am presuming they slow it down to go second by second to see exactly how long after my lights turned red that I went through them? If it's 3 points then that's fine, it was totally my misjudgement and not been pulled over for over 20 years so very frustrating I was so stupid!
As a "how can I get out of this?" thread, not bad so far.Totally my fault and kicking myself for this big time.
Earlier this evening I was driving down on to the Redbridge underground station roundabout to go from I think it's the A406 (coming from the M11) on to the A12 towards Stratford and went over the lights too late...I think they had turned red just as I went over. Cue a police car which had been waiting at the lights on my right to rightly pull me over. My sincerest apologies didn't make any difference but totally fair enough - I should have slammed on the anchors and not tried to cross the red light...split second error of judgement after a very long day.
I asked the officer if it would be a drivers awareness course or 3 points and he said it wasn't his decision and would go to the Met to decide and could be either. It's a real longshot but not sure if others have driven round this particular roundabout? The reason I ask is the lights change very quickly so as to help traffic flow quickly round such a busy roundabout. With that in mind, I know that the cars waiting on the right of me (eg the police car) see green almost immediately once my exit is red (way quicker than it happens where I live) so am not sure if my error falls within the 3 second rule the Met police seem to apply for such transgressions.
Real needle in a haystack asking if anyone has driven on this road but by chance, very keen to know if the PH folk think that the time of lights changing might mean I am within the 3 second rule? The Met site says it's all recorded by the officer, which it was, but I am presuming they slow it down to go second by second to see exactly how long after my lights turned red that I went through them? If it's 3 points then that's fine, it was totally my misjudgement and not been pulled over for over 20 years so very frustrating I was so stupid!
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