Caught driving through red light

[feetastic]

Wow lots of passion in this group. Folks I was simply asking a question.

Perhaps I shouldn't have used the word "fight". I'm making some transitions and don't want my insurance to skyrocket. I'm aware of my mistake btw. There's no excuse however I would like to defend myself a tad by saying I was in a relatively rural area and was actually rushing to the ER. Again no excuses but there's no need for lectures on safety.

Thanks again
F

 

[james t kirk]

Except when it isn't. The one time I "ran" a red was at 2 in the morning. It was on a stretch of Yonge Street north of the 401. When I checked the lights, they were green. It wasn't until I was very near the intersection that I realized I had looked at the next set of lights, and not those for the intersection I was about to enter. Coming to a full stop would have left me somewhere in the middle of the intersection, so I made a hard right turn instead.

I think you and several others are assuming he was pushing an amber. At 1.3 seconds, that's a serious push. Could be his scenario was akin to mine or something similar. Doesn't make him blameless, nor do I think he's saying that. He's simply asking for some help.

Your example is an example of a fuck up on your part. Fuck ups happen. We all make them and it's in fact easy to do. But the vast majority of people who run reds do it knowing full well that they should be stopping, not hammering it to avoid stopping. 1.3 seconds means that the light was red for 1.3 seconds BEFORE he even entered the intersection.

Let's do the math shall we......

At 60 km/hr, that's equivalent to 16.7 metres per second.

In 1.3 seconds, that means that the light went full red at 1.3 seconds x 16.7 metres / second = 21.7 metres before the intersection. That's 71 feet. The light was red when the OP was 71 feet from the intersection. Red, not amber. That's a lot of distance.

Add in 3 seconds of amber (which is on the low end. Depending on the intersection, the amber can be up to 4 or even 5 seconds.)

So total time from green to red = 4.3 seconds.

Same math again.....

That's 72 metres or 236 feet.

Plenty of time to stop.

Buddy didn't stop because he hit the gas in order to get through the intersection. The law actually states that an amber light means stop. It does not mean hammer it to get through the intersection. If you hammer it and there happens to be a cop there, you will get pulled over and you run the very real risk of getting a ticket.

A quick google search revealed that every year in the USA, 800 people get killed when someone runs a red. 15,000 are injured.

 

[james t kirk]

Some good ones in here. Amazing how many times the cars roll. Makes me a little woozy thinking about driving around with the top down on my toy car.....

 

[Hightop]

One thing to look at on the ticket you got if how long it took the officer to certify the photo. I believe it has to be done within 21 or 23 days. If its longer then that the ticket is invalid however you have to go to court to have them recind it. I was at court before for a ticket and seen a few people have theirs dismissed on the grounds the photo wasn't certified in time. Now it may have changed as this was awhile ago but someone should be ale to confirm on here

 

[hamermill]

Wow lots of passion in this group. Folks I was simply asking a question.

Perhaps I shouldn't have used the word "fight". I'm making some transitions and don't want my insurance to skyrocket. I'm aware of my mistake btw. There's no excuse however I would like to defend myself a tad by saying I was in a relatively rural area and was actually rushing to the ER. Again no excuses but there's no need for lectures on safety.

Thanks again
F

Really why would a rural area need a red light camera? You screwed up, own you fuck up - just be glad you didn't kill anyone.

 

[GameBoy27]

Really why would a rural area need a red light camera? You screwed up, own you fuck up - just be glad you didn't kill anyone.

Why doesn't the OP tell us the intersection?

I'm not buying this BS at all. Like I say, I've never met or talked to anyone that hasn't at least once in there life got caught in that situation where your approaching and intersection when a light turns amber and you think your close enough that you should keep going only to realize your farther than you thought and the light turns red as your half way through the intersection. It happens to everyone. You and T Kirk included.

You call BS on what I wrote below?

Running red lights and "it happens to everyone" is how collisions occur. The oncoming car making a left turn sees the light turn red and thinks you are going to stop. They proceed to turn, you don't stop and you t-bone the oncoming vehicle. This is one of the worst types of collisions which often results in serious injury to or fatality of the passenger in the car turning left. Depending upon the speed of the collision, it can also send vehicles off the road striking pedestrians on the sidewalk.

Do everyone a favour, pay attention and don't run red lights!

 

[Samranchoi]

Really why would a rural area need a red light camera? You screwed up, own you fuck up - just be glad you didn't kill anyone.

There is a red light camera at the Bloomington Road and Woodbine Avenue intersection. This location is considered rural (a farm is situated on the southeast property at the intersection). There is a residential development approx 30 years old to the northeast but the road accessing this neighbourhood is located farther along Bloomington. There are no retail stores close to the area. It does seem odd that this intersection would have a red light camera but I guess there may have been an issue in the past (ie; identified as an intersection that people run red lights?)

 

[GameBoy27]

There is a red light camera at the Bloomington Road and Woodbine Avenue intersection. This location is considered rural (a farm is situated on the southeast property at the intersection). There is a residential development approx 30 years old to the northeast but the road accessing this neighbourhood is located farther along Bloomington. There are no retail stores close to the area. It does seem odd that this intersection would have a red light camera but I guess there may have been an issue in the past (ie; identified as an intersection that people run red lights?)

Oh, that intersection. The one with the sign that reads "Red Light Camera Ahead".

 

[Samranchoi]

Oh, that intersection. The one with the sign that reads "Red Light Camera Ahead".

Yes, that one, lol. I think York Region may have some other red light cameras in rural type areas. Also, watch out for the radar further down the Bloomington Road between Warden Ave and Woodbine Ave.

 

[Cantaro]

As a professional truck driver I have ingrained some driving habits :

1 Never follow a car into the intersection to make a left

2 I think of a yellow as a red. I never try to beat it.

3 never speed

4 never follow to close

5 adjust driving to weather conditions

6 always a full stop at a stop sign

7 check and double check my mirrors


Results are amazing . I never get a preventable accident or a ticket although I can understand going brain dead and running a red as I have just about done it. I have caught myself stopping on a green saying to myself WTF?

I agree with all this, left turns are a big problem.

 

[Samranchoi]

I agree with all this, left turns are a big problem.

Especially when Big Rig's truck is in the left turning lane on the other side. Impossible to see oncoming traffic sometimes. I hate when guys behind me honk me to make a left turn when their are people walking across the street. Talk about ignorant

 

[Ceiling Cat]

Cant fight it, period! Best you can wish for is to have the fine reduced.

In Quebec the legality of red light cameras are being challenged because a peace officer did not actually witness the infraction.

 

[OnTheWayOut]

I earned a red light ticket 2 years ago. I checked and found that merely showing up would get the $325 ticket reduced by half most likely. I had an ingenious story ready for the judge due to the icy conditions and had high hopes I would get it thrown out. Then on her computer she pulled up a ton more pictures and data regarding my speed and surrounding evidence. I quickly shut up and apologized. She did reduce the fine to $160 so it is apparent that taking a little time to see the nice judge will save a few bucks.

Of course I promptly spent the saved cash and then some on an escort to celebrate my good fortune.

 

[Samranchoi]

In Quebec the legality of red light cameras are being challenged because a peace officer did not actually witness the infraction.

Is this more for those caught speeding as opposed to going through a red light.

 

[FAST]

As far as I'm concerned,...the worst offenders are those idiots who when they see the yellow come on,...they charge the intersection to beat the red.

Explains why you see unnecessary,...and deadly accidents at intersections.

 

[Goodoer]

Points are only important if you want to keep your licence. Just remember that demerit points mean shit to the Insurance company as all they care about are convictions and the type of conviction. Once you pay, you're convicted. Settling in Court to just pay the fine and keep your points does nothing to stop your rates from rising.

 

[OnTheWayOut]

Points are only important if you want to keep your licence. Just remember that demerit points mean shit to the Insurance company as all they care about are convictions and the type of conviction. Once you pay, you're convicted. Settling in Court to just pay the fine and keep your points does nothing to stop your rates from rising.

As noted previously, red light tickets do not garner points, nor does paying equal a conviction. The pics only show the vehicle, not the driver. So it does not affect insurance in any way, whether you pay or get it thrown out. I still get my safe driver discount.

 

[CANTO]

As others have said red light camera tickets do not impact your insurance or have demerit points attached as they are charged to the plate holder not the driver. If you go to court you can almost certainly strike a plea bargain with the prosecutor for a lower fine. The way the system is set up anyone who pays the set fine on a ticket is a sucker. The fines are issued on the assumption you will plea bargain. The only time I would advocate just paying is for things like parking tickets where the fine is already so small that it isn't worth the hassle.

 

[black booty lover]

You call BS on what I wrote below?

yes

.
.

 

[Goodoer]

As noted previously, red light tickets do not garner points, nor does paying equal a conviction. The pics only show the vehicle, not the driver. So it does not affect insurance in any way, whether you pay or get it thrown out. I still get my safe driver discount.

The fuck you say?! Damn, Slurp! Why have I been brakin' so hard and wearin' out my pads when I could just blow through and pay some cash to get off...

On a serious note, I thought the Insurance companies still monitored the plates to ensure your car is not being lent out to a wanker.

I drive slower now anyways. You don't go very far in the GTA without stopping.