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Vauxhall Astra - Red Light Dilemma - Ginnyfizz
Hello all, newbie here!

OK so a couple of months ago, after about 30 years blemish free motoring, a red light camera (Nuthall Island, A610 near Nottingham) got me bang to rights (on way home from work in Nottingham, brain clearly elsewhere) 1.2 seconds into red. No disputing it, admitted to being driver, paid £92 to go on a Driver Aware Course which I completed successfully and will therefore not incur the fixd penalty and three points.

Last night, on way home from work in Nottingham, same camera and set of lights. As you can imagine I am now totally paranoid and if in doubt, ie if on amber, on go the anchors. Lights were definitely green, I am in no doubt about that, and the guy in the lane next to me also went through, he must have seen them green too! But the traffic already on the island was not moving, he and I were already stopped just the other side the lights, then the traffic started coming from the other direction and "our" light as it were must presumably have been red by now. This other guy and I stayed still until the other stream of traffic was stopped by "their" lights, then went on our way.

Am I likely to get a ticket for this do you think? I would not say the lights were green when I went through if that were not so. They changed at some point after the other guy and I went through and while we were held up trying to drive onto the island. Just would be a shame as I will have to take the three points this time. Or would the camera just not trigger in a case like this? I saw no flash (and these cameras definitely do flash when you get zapped.)
Vauxhall Astra - Red Light Dilemma - Bromptonaut

I think you'd be unlucky in extreme. Camera usually takes two shots to show clearly that you crossed line after the red was showing. Anchors for amber is what you should do. Amber means stop too but there is a defence available aling lines that it it was unsafe to do so.

Only other thought is whether you infringed and yellow box markings on the junction. Think there's little if any camera enforcement of these outside London though.

Vauxhall Astra - Red Light Dilemma - RT

The offence is one of crossing the line when it's not green so the technology should sort out the fact that you crossed on green but were unable to clear the junction.

Although yellow box junctions have a specific offence attached to them, it's just as much an offence to block any junction - obstruction.

Vauxhall Astra - Red Light Dilemma - Ginnyfizz

Ah, this sounds quite hopeful then. The other bloke and I did not block the junction as a stream of cars, large artics and a Nottingham City Transport bus were able to pass by our front ends without hindrance or swerving. We most probably were not on the box junction, and as the previous responder noted, enforcement of box junctions is almost unknown except in London.

Ironic as it seems, I can see the point of the cameras on this junction (apparently the most prolific in the entire country) every time I am stuck in a snarl up at the junction near home, which is camera free. After coming north up the M1 from Nottingham, I go up the slip to the island and I am heading for a B road, the second exit. The first exit is the A38. Now if there has been a smash on the M1 just North of this junction (which means in practice every Friday night...), the traffic from the A38 queues on the island and getting stuck is commonplace. The truckers in particular do not seem to give a monkeys about red lights or blocking the boxes, especially the B road that I want. I have seen fisticuffs almost break out when they do not respond to honking of horns and hand gestures, and one likely lad getting out his car and clambering up to a lorry cab to express his opinion. Now that is an island that could do with cameras.

Vauxhall Astra - Red Light Dilemma - bathtub tom

Highway code rule 176 states:

Only go forward when the traffic lights are green if there is room for you to clear the junction safely or you are taking up a position to turn right.

You could be bang to rights.

Vauxhall Astra - Red Light Dilemma - Ginnyfizz
Now I don't know how usual this is, but I looked as I went past on my way in to work today and there don't appear to be box junction markings on the particular traffic island in question.

I went through on green following a stream of traffic, which then stopped on the island due to some kind of hiatus. It left me and the other guy stranded the wrong side of the lights but luckily not blocking the passage of traffic.

In a rush hour traffic type world I don't think you would ever see an island as busy as this with all exits totally clear. And I suspect that if you got into the habit of stopping too long at green lights you might also attract the attentions of the police for that. I know what you mean with that section of the highway code though. There is a junction on my route where I go through on green and then have to wait for a green right filter. The day after I received my ticket for the offence in May, I was waiting for the said filter, when the woman behind me totally lost the plot, mouthed obscenities at me and then proceeded to drive around my left then weave across my front and through the oncoming traffic in order to turn right. Accompanied by the screeching of brakes and some aghast expressions from drivers and pedestrians alike. There are, naturally, no cameras at this set of lights to capture that sort of driving horror.