Feel very annoyed with myself - got a NIP for "running" (?) a red light. Apparently I was 1.31 seconds into a red light. remember it well - came towards lights, in a 50 limit, clear road so doing 45 - 50 ish (careful!!! speed cameras also) and as I approached lights changed from green. One of those situations - shall I brake harshly or shall I go on - decided to go on - obviously a mistake. Probably the 1.31 seconds it took me to make the decision. Ironically, I am so often the one to be at the front of the queue that my wife mocks me about it and I have been known to stop at green lights because I assume they will always be red for me. Ironically 2 - a mate was done at the same lights exactly a week before - for running the lights by ..........1.31 seconds.
Last time I was done was in 1970 for doing 45 in a van limited to 40 on a deserted dual carriageway at 3am sometime in 1969.
Ah well - better pay upand take the points - no chance of my previously good record being taken into account.
Thanks for letting me get my annoyance (with myself for poor judgement) off my chest.
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Sorry to hear that Phil....I may have been pinged coming off the M6 Toll last week - watching the Post at the moment.
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Bad luck Phil !
Speaking of the M6 toll.....you know it goes from 70 to 50 to 30 limits as you approach the toll booths, well I notice that more or less no one takes any notice of those countdown speed limits. If I slow down everything comes bowling past. Wonder if they camera that area ?
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Wonder if they camera that area ?
No. But if you're approaching Norton Canes........;)
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Ah that's you is it ???
;-)
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No. Far to cold for an old 'un to stand on the bridge! :)
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Wonder if they camera that area ? >>
Yes they do, there was a thread about it a while back.
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...no chance of my previously good record being taken into account...
Hopefully your insurance company might when deciding if any premium hike is required.
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Apparently I was 1.31 seconds into a red light.
>>a mate was done at the same lights exactly a week before - for running the lights by ..........1.31 seconds.
I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but that does sound a bit odd.
Perhaps the timing is done in some non-standard unit of time (eg. X multiples of a CPU clock frequency) with not very high precision, so for example anything in the range 1.03 to 1.67 comes out as 1.31 or something like that.
Or of course it could just be coincidence.
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wouldnt want to be on a bike tho crossing on green...OUCH!!!
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Sympathies, I've done the same years appx and its only a matter if time before I do something similar. No good pleading previous good driving, you made a mistake sure but the punishment dosen't fit the crime.
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why does jumping a red light only carry the same penalty as getting done for slightly speeding ? the potential concequences are far more devestating surely?
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This is why I hate traffic light cameras and now actually go out my way to avoid them. Its why you never never get me down the east lancs until October.
Phill in your case it sounds like the only thing you could be guilty of is slightly panicing. There was nearly a crash yesterday in Oxford Road because somebody was driving down not paying full attention suddenly noticed the lights had gone to amber and then follows the most awful screach ever. There was a traffic light camera behind him.
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Don't worry too much about 3 points affecting your insurance. There are 10 million drivers with three points and the industry can't afford to antagonise that many people! Depends on your insurer perhaps? L/V weren't bothered about mine and AA/HSBC weren't bothered about my partner's ones either.
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...Don't worry too much about 3 points affecting your insurance...
Brother had a similar experience.
He was left with the impression his insurance company regard the occasional camera three points as par for the course.
Just means he can't 'afford' another three for a year or two.
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"wouldnt want to be on a bike tho crossing on green...OUCH!!! "
"why does jumping a red light only carry the same penalty as getting done for slightly speeding ? the potential concequences are far more devestating surely?"
Good points - though the bike would have had to be pretty quick off the mark to be crossing the lights 1.31 secs after red the other way.
Same penalty - well I was only "slightly" running the red light! - but I take your point. Wonder where the camera takes the picture - is it when you cross the line or when you "exit" the red zone?
As I said - annoyed with myself with making such a stupid mistake - and it did cross my mind that a 1.31 second error while driving could have had far more devastating consequences. Suppose in a way I have been lucky this year - done about 80k miles.
Drive carefully
regards
Phil
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Interesting points about insurance - not thought of that.
Offence was not committed on my insurance - was driving on plates. But then I guess insurance co's do not ask if it was committed on "your own insurance" but whether you have points on your licence. Must remember to declare it.
Phil
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Looked at another way, had you pulled up sharpish, you might have been rear-ended by a gung-ho amber gambler behind you.
...Suppose in a way I have been lucky this year - done about 80k miles...
Phil,
Some distance, that.
How do you find the time to eat and sleep?
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bad luck PhilW
anyone and everyone who drives has had the same dilemma and got away with it that time
maybe me tomorrow?
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"How do you find the time to eat and sleep?"
Before anyone else says it - "by going through red lights"!!!
Only kidding - have to be very careful at all times - so many red light/speed cameras these days, road works, conjestion - can't relax for 1.31 seconds .......... on the other hand, if you got annoyed at every little delay/incident you'd have a heart attack every 1.31 seconds!
By the way - it is a driving job so it's not as if I drive that far and do a day's work on top!!
Stay safe
Phil
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For heaven's sake PhilW
Why don't you take the bus?
You've just lost your virginity
At 57+*
It doesn't help your dignity
To howl and scream and cuss.
Just lie back and enjoy it
Like all the rest of us.
*Rough calculation based on the thread title
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You're not the EU President are you Lud ?
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What, Mynheer Rumpy Pumpy? No fear.
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From the OP sounds as if that camera is dodgy. Hope you argue and get away with it. I'm on your side really of course. But we're all criminals really, and should be proud of it.
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Dare I say that 45-50 mph is a bit on the fast side for approaching traffic lights.
Re following traffic ..... if you are able to stop for a red light, the car behind you certainly should be able to.
Edited by Sofa Spud on 26/11/2009 at 22:46
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"For heaven's sake PhilW
Why don't you take the bus?
You've just lost your virginity
At 57+*
61 actually Lud! (Always was a bit of a slow starter!) - and as for taking the bus - I am doing!!
Had to go from Kingswinford to Mickleton (don't ask!!) for a car today - 3 buses and a train (Senior Railcard!) and a 2 mile walk and took from 11.15 until 4 pm - probably about 40 miles! Total cost £3.95 for the train.
Damn good value those bus passes!!
I was "the man on the Clapham omnibus" at one stage yesterday! On way from Norbury to Benfleet - must have gone through Clapham?
I do quite enjoy the buses, especially if not in a rush and even more when I am the youngest person on it by at least 10 years as is often the case during the day.
Phil
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QUOTE:..."""But we're all criminals really, and should be proud of it. """ I'm not, I've never had any motoring convictions in 37 years of driving.
I'm not averse to the occasional bit of trespassing when I'm out hiking, though!
Edited by Sofa Spud on 26/11/2009 at 22:50
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Must say its working, I am having to go to Warrington a lot lately, I could easily drive but I just so much prefer to take the train because of the fear of all the cameras. Mind you it takes me 50 minutes by train which involves a car > tram > train and it probably wouldn't be a lot quicker just to drive all the way but the train is far more relaxing.
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why not appeal, might save yu the 3 points
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Must say its working I am having to go to Warrington a lot lately I could easily drive but I just so much prefer to take the train because of the fear of all the cameras.
Or you could stick to the speed limit and stop at red lights :-)
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This is why I hate traffic light cameras and now actually go out my way to avoid them.
How the heck do you avoid them? Do you have a list of all of them in the whole country?
Honestly Rattle, you worry far too much!!
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Honestly Rattle you worry far too much!!
>>
Rattle, as you are a techno geek why dont you get a satnav with camera warnings?
You could slow down to 20mph ready for an emergency stop at the first hint of amber. :-)
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If Rattle really is a techno geek he'll be able to hack into the system and shut it all down just like in the Italian Job remake.
;-)
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