legal advice for running a so called red light

[spen666]

Nah, it means stop unless it's not safe to stop.

Correct, but it is up to defence to raise this and in the statement I replied to he has not raised this and as such on the account I replied to he is guilty as summonsed

 

[gaz]

Correct, but it is up to defence to raise this and in the statement I replied to he has not raised this and as such on the account I replied to he is guilty as summonsed

In the right circumstances, you can argue that going through the red light is the safest thing to do. Although in the OP's case I think that is out of the question. But for example:

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKec2BH8uGI

 

[classic33]

Isn't it a case of

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBeT4ptY9sY

 

[Davidsw8]

When I learnt to drive 20 years ago, amber meant 'you're gonna have to stop'. It's only when I moved to London that I realised the law is different here, amber means 'put your foot down!'

I'm glad the Police have actually caught an RLJer to be honest, most of the time they ignore them.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Amber means "gun it" across the whole of SE England. Unfortunately.

 

[Davidsw8]

I had to get the bus in this morning and as I sat there for a good 10 mins while the bus tried to move the 50 yards across Trafalgar Square I was thinking, I wonder how much better the traffic would flow if people stopped at lights and didn't crawl through on amber and red, blocking access to the traffic on green?

Maybe if everyone was less selfish, we'd all get where we wanted to much quicker? I don't know for sure that it'd be that way, but it must be worth a go cos this certainly aint working.

 

[Frood42]

If you ran Amber and it was safe to stop, then you should have stopped (group think is not an acceptable excuse).
If it was Red, you should have stopped (group think is not an acceptable excuse).

I cannot read the statement, but the only reason I would cross a stop line while the light was red would be to move out of the way safely for an emergency vehicle with its blues and twos on, but only if it was safe to do so.

Oh, and if this was not an unmarked car, why, oh why would you do such a thing as run a red light..?

 

[Lockring]

Does bicycle have to stop for red light? For me it is easy to cross at redlights and at orange lights. I think this guy who will go to court rides to slow. If he is faster he doesn't go to court. He will pay because he is slow. He must ride faster. In London, if I stop for red light, maybe two stop also with me. Many bicycles do not. It is dangerose but all do it. This guy must ride fastr.

 

[TwickenhamCyclist]

You RLJ'd and got caught. No sympathy here I'm afraid. Pay the fine, say your sorry and modify your antisocial lawbreaking behaviour...

 

[Frood42]

Does bicycle have to stop for red light? For me it is easy to cross at redlights and at orange lights. I think this guy who will go to court rides to slow. If he is faster he doesn't go to court. He will pay because he is slow. He must ride faster. In London, if I stop for red light, maybe two stop also with me. Many bicycles do not. It is dangerose but all do it. This guy must ride fastr.

Amber means stop if safe to do so.
Red means stop.

Speed has nothing to do with it.

I cycle 50-60 miles a day through London and while you do get a few idiots running red lights, most are sensible and wait.

I stop at all red lights, DO NOT bunch me in with a minority subset of cyclists who like a subset of car drivers are too impatient to stop and wait.

While a cyclist jumping a red light is not a good thing, and they can injure both the pedstrian and the cyclist, motor vehicles bring much, much more danger to the situation, due to increased size, weight and speed (and the material the vehicle is made from).

Get a grip, get some perspective, and stop running red lights if you are doing so.

 

[winjim]

I got done for running a red light, I didn't think I had time to stop safely so I went across.

Isn't that what the amber light's for? To give you time to stop safely before the red.

 

[martint235]

I've figured it out on my way home tonight. RLJing is to cyclists what buying a big car is to small willied blokes, a compensation factor. If you can't go quick on a bike, you RLJ to compensate!! Doh! To the RLJer on the Trek on the way home, yes a guy on a singlespeed did pass you twice after you'd jumped red lights.

 

[ianrauk]

I've figured it out on my way home tonight. RLJing is to cyclists what buying a big car is to small willied blokes, a compensation factor. If you can't go quick on a bike, you RLJ to compensate!! Doh! To the RLJer on the Trek on the way home, yes a guy on a singlespeed did pass you twice after you'd jumped red lights.

Go get 'em matey!

 

[Crankarm]

IANAL but my advice would be to plead guilty, pay the fine and move on. Just remember to stop at red lights in future. In fact you should be stopping when traffic lights turn from green to amber. If you do this you won't ever jump a red light ever again.

 

[Poacher]

Am I the only one who finds it ironic that the police are pursuing this relatively minor case, yet aren't bothering to investigate the hit and run which could so easily have resulted in @Crankarm being with us no more?

Actually, I don't find it particularly ironic, more like infuriating.