Amber

PhysiologyRocks

I've passed my test and drive rather a lot.

I generally don't come upon any major troubles.

I'm just wondering how to gauge whether or not it's safe to stop at amber.

I know it's dangerous to stop if there's someone tailgating me.

I was always told to keep going if you're near the lights and your foot is on the accelerator.

For example, if I'm turning left at lights and I gear down as I approach them and they're green, but then hit the gas once I'm in second (at a wide junction) and then they turn amber, do I keep going?

I mean, is it 'unsafe' if I'm thrown a bit forward, even if there's nobody too close behind? I would say unsafe, but would a garda agree?

Does it count as 'going for it' even if I'm in second gear?

Is there anywhere I can get more info on this than 'unsafe to do so'?

Thanks in advance!

Random

you could have left the question and answer there for others to benefit from !

PhysiologyRocks

Restored, but turns out info I found was incorrect...

Still feel my question is a little bit thick!

MascotDec85

Bascically if the lights turn green and you can safely stop then stop.

You should try and anticipate what the lights will do on the approach and get prepared to stop. Your ability to do this properly will improve with experience but if you can see the lights from a long way back you'll have an idea (if you are familiar with the area) what the light sequence is like, that helps.

For example, if I'm turning left at lights and I gear down as I approach them and they're green, but then hit the gas once I'm in second (at a wide junction) and then they turn amber, do I keep going?

I mean, is it 'unsafe' if I'm thrown a bit forward, even if there's nobody too close behind? I would say unsafe, but would a garda agree?

Unless the light turns amber when you are right on top of them then stop. In 2nd gear you are not going at breakneck speed so stopping should be pretty easy. Your seatbelt will stop you being "thrown forward" but realistically there won't be much force in it. You should also try an avoid stopping so that you are sitting blocking the area where pedestrians could want to cross.


The aim here is to try to anticipate what the lights will do, not to react to them. Hope that helps

PhysiologyRocks

It sorts a lot out. Thank you very much for replying.

Still, often I find myself slowing when coming to lights that have been green for a while, and they remain green long after I've passed them.

Other times, they're green for such a short while that it's very hard to anticipate when they might change.

My instructor never said I had a problem with it, but it's harder when there's nobody in the car to tell me I'm getting it right!

I've stopped in second (from 'foot on gas') close to an amber when there was nobody around. It just felt significantly more like an emergency stop than I would have liked!

I'm just wondering where the legal line is drawn.

MascotDec85

PhysiologyRocks wrote: »

It sorts much out. Thank you very much for replying.

Still, often I find myself slowing when coming to lights that have been green for a while, and they remain green long after I've passed them.

Other times, they're green for such a short while that it's very hard to anticipate when they might change.

My instructor never said I had a problem with it, but it's harder when there's nobody in the car to tell me!

I've stopped in second (from 'foot on gas') close to an amber when there was nobody around. It just felt significantly more like an emergency stop than I would have liked!

I'm just wondering where the legal line is drawn.

"Legally" it can depend totally on the Gardai in question. I was in court one day and a woman was brought up for running a light. She was adamant it was amber. The Judge (a notoriously harsh one) said, "Ah so you're an Amber Gambler are you?" She said she was scared that the person behind would crash into her. Her case was dismissed. Another Garda might not have brought the case. My sister last week, in Glasgow, got a £30 fine for turning right on her PUSHBIKE on a red light just before her light went green (she knew the lights well).

If you can stop (without goin into a skid or someone piling into the back of you) then do.

You could try, depending of the road (uphill/downhill etc), you can ease your foot off the accelerator on the close approach without losing speed and affecting progress and have your foot hovering over the brake

OP if you are approaching lights I would have a glance in my mirror again to see the position of the car behind me. If it's a long approach and the light has been green a while you might just take your foot off the accelerator and be prepared to brake. That way you're not braking coming up to a green but still prepared!

I've tried the "amber gambler (brilliant term )" a few times due to bad judgement and I wouldn't do it again tbh, more cautious now. A lot of people tear through them though.

PhysiologyRocks

MascotDec85 wrote: »

"Legally" it can depend totally on the Gardai in question. I was in court one day and a woman was brought up for running a light. She was adamant it was amber. The Judge (a notoriously harsh one) said, "Ah so you're an Amber Gambler are you?" She said she was scared that the person behind would crash into her. Her case was dismissed. Another Garda might not have brought the case. My sister last week, in Glasgow, got a £30 fine for turning right on her PUSHBIKE on a red light just before her light went green (she knew the lights well).

If you can stop (without goin into a skid or someone piling into the back of you) then do.

You could try, depending of the road (uphill/downhill etc), you can ease your foot off the accelerator on the close approach without losing speed and affecting progress and have your foot hovering over the brake

Thank you!

I'm very, very careful and I can control the car. I still much rather dealing with black and white situations!

PhysiologyRocks

bluewolf wrote: »

OP if you are approaching lights I would have a glance in my mirror again to see the position of the car behind me. If it's a long approach and the light has been green a while you might just take your foot off the accelerator and be prepared to brake. That way you're not braking coming up to a green but still prepared!

I do all this!

Even in the scenario listed, I would have geared into second.

My problem is that it's not black and white - the person behind me, even if a fair bit behind, might speed up to get through.

I also don't want to end up stopped in the middle of a crossing.

I wish to avoid smoky screechy tyres!

But I also wish to do everything by the book.

MascotDec85

PhysiologyRocks wrote: »

I do all this!

Even in the scenario listed, I would have geared into second.

My problem is that it's not black and white - the person behind me, even if a fair bit behind, might speed up to get through.

I also don't want to end up stopped in the middle of a crossing.

I wish to avoid smoky screechy tyres!

But I also wish to do everything by the book.

If they try that given the situation you've described then they are totally in the wrong. You can't begin to 2nd guess the possibility of someone behind making a terrible decision to accelerate from "a fair bit behind"

Keep yourself right using your own judgement

PhysiologyRocks

I'm one of those people who overthink driving!

I imagine every possible scenario, and most never happen...

Thanks for all the replies.:)

MascotDec85

PhysiologyRocks wrote: »

I'm one of those people who overthink driving!

I imagine every possible scenario, and most never happen...

Thanks for all the replies.:)

TBH it's great that you consider what other folk might do, it's a key skill in being able to anticipate things. Just try not to over-analyse stuff too much. It sounds like you've learned some good practices so my advice is to try and drive as naturally as you can. Trusting your instincts is usually a v good idea

DriveSkill

There is no simple exact answer to this but it does sound like you are doing everything right and it improves with experience and using a common sense approach.

Try and pick a spot as you approach and the lights are green which is the 'point of no return' - i.e. you are committed to the junction at that stage. How far from the lights that spot is will depend on your speed on approach - if you are very slow then it could be 1-2 car lenghts but if you are on a 50 km/hr main road it could be 5-6 car lenghts if you are approaching around 40-50 km/hr. The main thing is that you must be able to stop before the stop line in a controlled and safe fashion so if it is feeling like an emergency stop then you should probably kept going (or else you are braking unnecessarily hard). You should NEVER slam on the brakes for a light that has just turned Amber - its much safer to continue through if you are that close to it.

As you've said being aware of others behind also has an influence on your decision but main rules are :

• You should never speed up to get through an Amber light! If you have time to accelerate then you should have time to stop.
• If you end up crossing the STOP line after the light has gone from AMBER to RED then you definitely had time to stop on the Amber.

You cannot be prosecuted for going through on a Amber light, you can only be prosecuted for going through on a Red - that being said if its a tight call its your word against the guard and in those situations its usually a case that you should have been able to stop in time.

Posy

DriveSkill wrote: »

You should never speed up to get through an Amber light! If you have time to accelerate then you should have time to stop.

That particular one is a good way of clarifying (to me anyway) what to do at an amber light, thanks.

PhysiologyRocks

DriveSkill wrote: »

There is no simple exact answer to this but it does sound like you are doing everything right and it improves with experience and using a common sense approach.

Try and pick a spot as you approach and the lights are green which is the 'point of no return' - i.e. you are committed to the junction at that stage. How far from the lights that spot is will depend on your speed on approach - if you are very slow then it could be 1-2 car lenghts but if you are on a 50 km/hr main road it could be 5-6 car lenghts if you are approaching around 40-50 km/hr. The main thing is that you must be able to stop before the stop line in a controlled and safe fashion so if it is feeling like an emergency stop then you should probably kept going (or else you are braking unnecessarily hard). You should NEVER slam on the brakes for a light that has just turned Amber - its much safer to continue through if you are that close to it.

As you've said being aware of others behind also has an influence on your decision but main rules are :

• You should never speed up to get through an Amber light! If you have time to accelerate then you should have time to stop.
• If you end up crossing the STOP line after the light has gone from AMBER to RED then you definitely had time to stop on the Amber.

You cannot be prosecuted for going through on a Amber light, you can only be prosecuted for going through on a Red - that being said if its a tight call its your word against the guard and in those situations its usually a case that you should have been able to stop in time.

Thank you - loving how precise this post is! I've been driving through green lights the past few days and calculating my 'point of no return'.

tenchi-fan

If it will be red by the time you arrive at the lights, you definitely stop!
If you know you will make it through while it's still orange you should go.

daveharnett

MascotDec85 wrote: »

If you can stop (without goin into a skid or someone piling into the back of you) then do.

Safe = Smooth

Put a soft drink bottle on its side in the passenger/rear seat. If the bottle ends up on the ground at an amber light, you should have kept going.