Apologies in advance for the length of this post but got this from another forum i'm on and wondered what you fellas would do. The bloke that posted it heard it on the radio, what does everyone think?
A fella was sitting at the line on a dual carrageway waiting for the traffic lights to change to green. After about 5 mins still no change and he starts to wonder. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif After 10mins still red. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif Finally with something like 40/50 cars behind him and drivers flashing their lights and telling him to go, he decides to proceed across the junction with care, as obviously the lights have broken. It's 8.25pm and the junction is busy but not congested except for the cars behind him so he drives forward very carefully, as does the car beside him, and crosses the junction. Sure enough (FLASH FLASH) the camera takes it's piccies and 7 days later he gets 3 points and a £60 fine. He contests this in court with his solicitor present.
His argument was:
1. At what point do you make the decision to cross a faulty traffic light as the lights were obviously not working correctly?
2. Would he have got points and a fine even if an emergency vehicle was approaching and needed to pass?
3. There is nothing in the highway code to advise or describe the situation he was faced with, so surely common sense and care would prevail?
All 3 were thrown out by the magistrate and the traffic divison and he WAS prosecuted, given a £180 fine but stil 3 points. Which leaves the questions: What are you actually supposed to do? When do you actually make the decision to cross when the lights have become faulty?
Waddaya think?
I'll give you the replies that the driver got to these questions in a couple of days when I've been on the other forum (not gonna be near me pooter till Sunday) but you'll probably get it right before then!
The driver did say that other cars followed him and he could see the camera flash again. But he's positive it didn't flash all of them! And to top it all off, the car beside him that went across with him could not be prosecuted as its number plate was half obscured by this fella's car because the other car pulled away first!
A fella was sitting at the line on a dual carrageway waiting for the traffic lights to change to green. After about 5 mins still no change and he starts to wonder. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif After 10mins still red. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif Finally with something like 40/50 cars behind him and drivers flashing their lights and telling him to go, he decides to proceed across the junction with care, as obviously the lights have broken. It's 8.25pm and the junction is busy but not congested except for the cars behind him so he drives forward very carefully, as does the car beside him, and crosses the junction. Sure enough (FLASH FLASH) the camera takes it's piccies and 7 days later he gets 3 points and a £60 fine. He contests this in court with his solicitor present.
His argument was:
1. At what point do you make the decision to cross a faulty traffic light as the lights were obviously not working correctly?
2. Would he have got points and a fine even if an emergency vehicle was approaching and needed to pass?
3. There is nothing in the highway code to advise or describe the situation he was faced with, so surely common sense and care would prevail?
All 3 were thrown out by the magistrate and the traffic divison and he WAS prosecuted, given a £180 fine but stil 3 points. Which leaves the questions: What are you actually supposed to do? When do you actually make the decision to cross when the lights have become faulty?
Waddaya think?
I'll give you the replies that the driver got to these questions in a couple of days when I've been on the other forum (not gonna be near me pooter till Sunday) but you'll probably get it right before then!
The driver did say that other cars followed him and he could see the camera flash again. But he's positive it didn't flash all of them! And to top it all off, the car beside him that went across with him could not be prosecuted as its number plate was half obscured by this fella's car because the other car pulled away first!