Pulled over for going through an amber light...

seamus wrote: »

Except to watch out for traffic which may cross your path. It doesn't matter that you have a green light, there's still a (microscopic) chance that someone coming from the left or right will break them, or that an oncoming vehicle will turn across your path.
I know nobody really slows down for lights (unless you're barrelling along), but that's the officially correct way to approach it. This is why you'll never see the meaning of a green written as just "Go".

Ah yeah, I know that it doesnt just blanketly mean "go" alright (take everything I say on here with the suffix "when safe to do so" :P), but if the lights have been green when approaching them (ie they havent just turned green) and you are in a flow of cars then, in my opinion anyway, its perfectly safe to proceed at normal speed, obviously being aware of the traffic on the other roads of the junction, and watching for emergency vehicles, but with a reasonable degree of caution there should be no need to slow significantly (or at all) when travelling thru a green light.

seamus wrote: »

I'm afraid it is. An amber means "Stop, unless it is unsafe to do so". An amber should be treated as a red unless you would be unable to stop before the white line or stopping would create a danger to other traffic (by jamming on in the wet for example).

Exactly; its not illegal to pass thru an amber light

Were on the same wavelength I think, Im just wording it differently. You only stop for an amber light if it turns amber when you are far enough back for you to safely do so. Amber is not the same as red tho in that its illegal to pass thru a red light regardless of the circumstances. There are circumstances however that make it perfectly legal to pass thru an amber light.

RoverJames wrote: »

In fairness amber is to be treated as a red light unless you cannot stop safely, being anal one should approach a green light slowing down to 20 / 25 mph ish with the expectation to stop if it changes to amber.

Gah .. thats just annoying and causes traffic jams.

They setup the Green wave systems to avoid that sort of thing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_wave

The ring road around where I live was a total disaster before they brought it in.

k_mac wrote: »

If you did you'd probably would find yourself in court facing up to 5 years for dangerous driving causing serious injury. But I'd say thats just the talk of an internet warrior anyway.

Now that's a load of tripe if ever I saw it. All drivers are to maintain a safe distance and drive with enough attention to allow for the car in front to perform an emergency stop.

If there was a siren going off behind you, some people's reaction is to stop instantly and not look for a safe place. I've seen it happen in towns especially.

Anyway, what if a cat/dog/fox/football (followed by a small child) ran infront of the leading car?

seamus wrote: »

"You always stop for an amber unless it would be unsafe to do so."

I can see and you can see how both of those statements are effectively saying the same thing, but can you see the implication of each wording and how the attitude comveyed in the wordings differ?

Your wording (which would be most people's attitudes to amber lights, including mine) reduces the priority of the need to stop for an amber light to something which is only necessary in certain circumstances - it basically says, "You don't have to stop unless". The wording I give above increases the priority of the need to stop to mean that "You have to stop, unless".

The disconnect here is that a Garda will use the wording I have above, whereas most people will have your wording in their head.

Youre right, I completely agree with you. And to be honest this morning is the first time in about ten years that I actually read the ROTR wording regarding amber lights, and the way it is worded is different from how it is worded in my head (despite having the same meaning), and Im sure the way a lot of drivers have it in their head.

I have to admit its rare that I would ever stop dead at an amber light, more so for fear that the person behind me most likely wouldnt expect me to do so and would run up my arse, but its something Ill have to be more vigilant about.

This forum forces me to think about one bad driving habit almost every day; its bloody fantastic

RoverJames wrote: »

Yes it is proven.

See my previous post, when you slow down you cause a ripple effect , in some cases for a few kilometers. This is where phantom traffic jams come from.

I.E. You brake, the guy behind you brakes more than you do and so on, until traffic comes to a complete standstill at some point behind you. This keeps going on until there is a sufficient distance between cars for them to proceed at a constant speed.

The green wave is a method that combats this by setting a speed target rather than a speed limit. The speed target being 70 for example and the lights being timed so that if everyone is travelling at 70 then they will hit a green light every time for that particular route.

RoverJames wrote: »

for a start the thread is about urban traffic lights in 50kph zones (I presume). Approaching one of them with the expectation it won't go amber then red is simply looney. In the urban situation folks slowing from 50kph to 40kph on the approach to these lights won't create any phantom traffic jams.

Also advanced driving techniques include slowing down a tad approaching green lights and to have a peak across the junction to see is there anyone breaking the red light. If we all did it accidents would be more or less eliminated at red lights.

If you reduce your speed to 40km/h, then the person behind you has to as well.

It ends up looking like this:


The speed your travelling at is irrelevant, its the variation in speed that causes the jam.

Voodoomelon wrote: »

What i find head wrecking on a semi-related note, it how long it takes everyone to move off from a red light changing to green.

In my area, if you're 10 cars back, you can expect to wait 10 seconds before you even get a chance to move once the lights turn green. Drives me mad, especially at lights that change red again in an instant.

One of my pet hates. What are these idiots doing in their cars that they are not ready and waiting for the lights to turn green?

Ush1 wrote: »

I said what I meant. If he believed I was going to cause an accident and was a disgraceful driver, then I would assume he would do his job and uphold public safety.

We as society have granted them to make the judgement call.

So he was either power tripping and/or asserting dominance, or, he was in massive dereliction of duty believing someone to be a disgraceful driver and bound to cause an accident, then telling them to drive on.

Will you learn anything from the ear bashing he gave you on your driving?If you do then fair do's,he made the right decision.If you dont then you deserved to get the book thrown at you.I really hope something good comes out of it.:)

Guard was dead right, in this country, amber light means put the hammer down and red light seems to mean 3 more cars!

Ush1 wrote: »

Learn anything from being told you're a disgraceful driver and going to cause an accident? Hmm yes, I've learnt something. People will try anything to maintain themselves on a high horse when defending the indefensible.:)

What he said was not constructive criticism and how anyone can think it is, is sorta shocking. I strongly think your hope is in vain.

Good man yourself,adding nicely to the band of car drivers that simply see no wrong in their actions until something very bad happens.Thank you,I hope I never come within a 100 yards of you in your deadly weapon.

All the best.:)