[Closed] Got flashed by traffic light camera while on way to hospital

If you were so worried then dial 999, let those that know what they're doing and have the right gear pass through the red lights.

If you were so worried then dial 999, let those that know what they're doing and have the right gear pass through the red lights.

Do you not have kids then?

If one of mine was injured like that I wouldn't think twice about jumping a red light and I'd worry about the consequences later.

Probably still get a ticket though sharkbait allthough it might be worth writing them a nice letter saying sorry and explaining the situation, you never know.

A cut on the head isn't exactly life and death is it? No excuse, sorry.

Glad your little ones ok though.

Yes Drac does have kids.
He's also a paramedic, so i'd guess his argument is that if you've a real concern about your child's health it's better to call 999 as they will be able to get to you quicker and safer than you can get to them.
Though i've no idea if i'd be able to think clearly if placed in a similar situation.

A cut on the head isn't exactly life and death is it? Depends how bad the cut is I suppose.

I didn't go through the lights knowing they were red, they turned when I was about 10 feet away and couldn't safely stop.
Why should I wait for an ambulance when they could be dealing with something more life threatening, and I could get her to hospital in half the time?
I knew it wasn't life-threatening, but I also knew that it needed proper attention and possibly checking for a fracture skull.

Is the fact I was on my way to hospital with my daughter any defence?

IMO no. My niece's husband got done for going through red lights to let a police car behind him with it's lights and sirens blaring through. The fact that the magistrates could clearly see the front of the police car up his ar5e in the photo made no difference - they said that their hands were tied by the law.

He won't be doing that again. No matter how urgent the situation might appear.

OP, understand and feel for you. The only thing you could do is appeal- any slip etc that A&E can provide to you with a time you were booked in? Its a 90% chance of failing IMO. All the best though.

Edit- just reread your post- sorry its early. I'd still try and appeal. It'll fail but at least you tried for peace of mind. Jeesus, I saw my Doctors records relating to my hospital visits- there were soo many the hospital noted 'possible abuse' (THREE broken wrists in a year alone!!)

At least once a week.....

You could try ignoring any correspondence. I'm trying that method. I got cought on a speed camera 22/9/2008 in Derbyshire. I ignored the letter, and the reminder.

A few months ago, a policeman rang me on my mobile(don't know how he got number), and said I'd been sent 2 letters, and he was supposed to call round to deliver a copy. He said he would post it, but that I shouldn't ignore it. He said I don't know why they're bothering, you were only doing 37 - but don't ignore it.

I did, and so far so good. If they're gonna get me, I sure ain't going to help them.

hora, was it [i][b]your[/b][/i] wrist? Are you sure they didn't write "possible self-abuse?"?

I've been flashed a couple of times byt traffic light cameras and not received a letter. I think they run out of film pretty quickly but still flash so you may be fine anyway.

As for using the trip to hospital as an excuse, I can't see that working at all. I would expect them to just say that if it was emergency enough to need to go through a red light (that's how they'd see it imo) then it should have been taken care of by an ambulance and if not that urgent then you should have been able to stop in time. Worth a go though I suppose as you definitely won't get off with it if you don't challenge it.

Also, depends how rich you are, and how good your lawyer is. Fergie got off driving on the hard shoulder by claiming diarrhea, Becks got off speed camera, by claiming he was being hounded by the press.

Ignoring the letter ends up with your case making an appearance in court and you being tried in absence and then you ending up with a much much bigger fine in my experience.

I didn't go through the lights knowing they were red, they turned when I was about 10 feet away and couldn't safely stop.

While I understand you being upset about your child's injury, lights normally go Amber before they go Red. You;re supposed to stop on Amber if possible. Sorry, but I reckon you've got points on the way.

Don't think so - how can they prove I've even recieved the letters? If they deliver, or I sign for a recorded delivery - it'd be different.

I'm just explaining what happened to me

your lucky you didnt kill someone. Glad shes ok but no excuse for driving like a twunt thats what 999 is for 🙂

You shouldn't be on the road firestarter. Anyone who needs the government to tell them what speed is safe, or how to negotiate a crossroad isn't fit to drive.

grizzlygus - that happened to me, but on my bike.

I was stopped at a red light, which had a camera on, fire engine roars up behind all the built up traffic, so we all pushed up to let it through, the driver behind mentioned that the camera had gone off, not that I had not noticed 😉

I also know of a parent who's son got a nasty head cut playing football, he rushed his son to a&e, only to total his car on the way and end up in a&e himself!

****, the self-righteousness of some of the responses here is hilarious...I hope you get off mate, write them a letter explaining what happened, that you're really sorry, and offer to pay for a speed awareness course or something along those lines. I'm with hora and gg though, I don't think you'll get off, but at least you tried. FFS, he was taking his kid to the hospital..."ring 999, yadda yadda yadda, no excuses for driving like a twunt". Never had a momentary lapse then fella? Never prayed to the god of green lights? "Stay green, stay green, STAY GREEN!!!"

Because, see sharkbait, you're obviously the only person here that has broken a red light. Every single driver here slams on the anchors the second they see an amber light.

steve there is a huge difference in negotiating a red light and not having a chance in hell of stopping for one. As for not being on the road im an emergency response trained driver throwing a fire engine round so maybe i know a thing or two about stopping at lights and driving. Also done escape and evasion course in forces. You may be right tho 🙂

SteveTheBarbarian - Member

You shouldn't be on the road firestarter. Anyone who needs the government to tell them what speed is safe, or how to negotiate a crossroad isn't fit to drive.

Are you for real? You insist your mobile phone is safe to use when driving, you pay no heed to road laws, I hope they throw the book at you.

Ignoring the letters [i]will[/i] get you dealt with in court - no fixed penalty but instead a £300 pounbd fine and up to six points.

The sooner dangerous idiots like you are r3emoved from the roads the safer it will be for the rest of us.

[i]Every single driver here slams on the anchors the second they see an amber light. [/i]
'slams on the anchors'? Jesus, how fast do you drive?

Jesus, how fast do you drive?

How did you know my name???? Like a nutter most of the time, a proper amber gambler, that's me! Or maybe I was just using the phrase for effect...you never know...

I did'nt get any joy when something similar happened. We were going to A&E with our daughter who was nearly a month and a half premature. I got 'flashed' going through a red light 'just' at 40MPH on a 60MPH road.
Basically there is no defence. Though I hope it works for you.

You just know a 'proper' copper would have let you off.

Presuming there was any film in the camera - you'll get a letter asking whether you want to plead guilty by post, saving a court appearance. In the letter there is a space for mitigating circumstances - put yours there. You could elect to go to court and explain yourself there, but you would end up paying more if found guilty due to the court costs.

my judgement may be clouded from the amount of times ive had to cut the bodies of innocent families out of cars that where hit by dangerous drivers

You're a clueless self righteous one TJ.

Been over all this before, my argument hasn't changed, neither has yours.

I don't believe I need the government to decide what speed is safe for me on a stretch of road - you do.

I know I used my mobile for many, many years as a rep, doing around 30,000 miles a year, without even a near miss.

And you're stupid if you think I'll be dealt with in court, without even recieving a summons.

Oh yeah, must be over 20 years since I had a crash that was my fault. I've had 2 on my motorbike though, but both times the other party was guilty, paid up, and one convicted.

Ah sales rep. It all becomes clear 🙂

Again STW self-righteous liberal-massif pass judgement. I've gone through reds before, Ive even illegally parked and gone over the speed limit on motorways. Guess you hand-ringing liberals should cast more stones.

To these liberals, I bet you've never ridden fairly fast down a bridleway have you?

I don't think it's a case of whether you have or haven't done something. It's the 'I made a decision which had the possibility of raising certain consequences, and now I'm going to try to weasel out of that' attitude which seems to pervade in the speeding/ RLJ posts. Just ****ing act like a man and accept that if you get caught, it's only your own fault.

Guess you hand-ringing liberals should cast more stones.

Careful with the generalisations there hora...I would consider myself hugely liberal, though not hand wringing, to be hari, to be honest, like, innit

You're a clueless self righteous one TJ.

Been over all this before, my argument hasn't changed, neither has yours.

I don't believe I need the government to decide what speed is safe for me on a stretch of road - you do.

I know I used my mobile for many, many years as a rep, doing around 30,000 miles a year, without even a near miss.

And you're stupid if you think I'll be dealt with in court, without even recieving a summons.

Oh yeah, must be over 20 years since I had a crash that was my fault. I've had 2 on my motorbike though, but both times the other party was guilty, paid up, and one convicted.

So the logical falacies in that post include confirmation bias and argument from authority (x3). That's quite impressive in only six sentences.

To these liberals, I bet you've never ridden fairly fast down a bridleway have you?

No, never.

So the logical falacies in that post include confirmation bias and argument from authority (x3). That's quite impressive in only six sentences.

Thank you.

🙂

Throws self in a camp-fighting manner (with eyes closed) against deadlydarcy

I love the car ones. THey fall apart so quickly. Lots of people swinging off on tangents then suddenly it's all name calling. Brilliant, this is a classic even by STW standards.
Cold light of day v's emotions v's "governmental control" v's professional drivers v's "twunts".

Oh how i laugh.

Understand the emotion of the situation (possibly pushing for that light to stay green) but emotional driving can be as dangerous as the rest. Hope your daughter is OK but don't think they'll accept ot as mitigating circumstances.
[dons flame proof underpants]

Getting back to the original question! yes It could be a fair defence, if either of my kids potentially fractured their skulls I'm sure I could get to the nearest hospital long before an ambulance could find us...bit out in the sticks here!

If you can prove the A&E visit then got to be worth mentioning I reckon

I doubt a court will see heading to hospital as extenuating circumstance - as said above, if it was that serious, call 999. Sounds like you will get the fine...
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I have kids, I have run them to hospital with head injuries, suspected meningitis etc. I stuck to the rules of the road. When my wife started bleeding at 6 weeks premature, then it was ambulance time.
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It concerns me you could not stop for a red light - what if someone had set off quickly? Cue you and your kid in hospital after a serious RTA.
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I had to take a kid to hospital from rural Scotland - quicker to drive her to hospital (with compound broken arm) than wait the 30+ mins for the ambulance to arrive, then 30+ mins to get her to the hospital. We did call 999, and set off, while passenger arranged a police escort (who were closer) on the mobile. Police joined us halfway there, but before that they were absolutely clear in saying stick to laws of the road. When they joined us, we did speed up *a bit* (like 65 on 60 road) and *did* run a couple of red lights (slowly and with them sitting in junction with blues and twos on). That was a serious injury, an ambulance job really, but we decided (rightly IMO) that the girl needed treatment asap, and hospital (at the time) was the only place to get it in Dumfries and Galloway - no paramedics etc.
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It's not self righteousness, and I have broken traffic laws, but there is no point for a small head injury putting yours and others safety at risk.

having a small A&E emergency doesn't give you the right to drive with undue care and attention or to speed. that's how accidents happen.
you were happy to do this so you have to take the fine as a consequence of your actions.
nobody is above the law even if they think they are morally right(apart from MP's and chief's of police)

Some people seem to think that:
a) I was speeding (which I wasn't) and
b) I saw the red light and thought '**** it I'm going through (which I didn't).

Frankly there was little likelyhood of causing a collision as this is a large junction (that I know very well indeed) that is completely open so you can see all the other vehicles.
[url= http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=vicars+cross+map&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&split=0&gl=uk&ei=NWTcScLsCMHRjAefoPyTDg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1 ]Junction in question[/url]

If I get a fine/points so be it. As I said before I have a clean licence after 27 years driving which possibly points to the fact that that I don't drive like a twunt and break the law whenever possible - sorry to disappoint 😉

If there was film in the camera I'll find out in a week or so. That being the case I'll state what happened and send a copy of the A&E admittance slip, if I still get done then fine...... I did go through a red light didn't I 😳

im a little confused as to the fact the lights changed and you couldnt stop fmr it if you werent speeding. Were you not paying attention or did they change fast. If you think they did change fast it can be investigated. Could be the lights are faulty as if you werent speeding then you should have been able to stop in plenty of time

Oh, on the subject of why I didn't call 999. I have huge respect for the paramedics and ambulance teams - I think they do a great job and save lives. But frankly I would rather they got to someone suffering a heart attack 2 mins quicker than come trying to find us down our little country lanes for the sake of a cut head that needed stitching/glueing.

A good friend of ours is a Sister in A&E and her little daughter did the same thing (except worse with a fractured skull) 12 months ago.

Did she ring 999 and get an Ambulance? No, she put her daughter in the car and took her straight to hospital. Go figure.

Steve - so the well proven fact that using a mobile when driving reduces your reation time doesn't affect you?

And of course you can be prosecuted without acknowledged the summons. You have spoken with a cop about it. Thats more than enough. You will also get a flag on your car on ANPR and thus be stopped continually.

You are a menace to society and I await with glee you being done. By ignoring the summons you have increased your chances of this greatly due to ANPR

sharkbait - just unlucky mate. The Traffic light cameras don't go off on amber - on red plus a bit - so you must have been rather late going thru the light. Easy to do.

everything changes when it's your kid in need of hospital treatment. I know what I was like when we had to take ours to hospital when he was a few weeks old

*puts dukes up in defence against hora, dodges, dives, dances like a butterfly, but gets caught on the ear with a lucky roundhouse, rolls around on ground whinging at the ref*

Hora - 1
Guardian - 0

Firestarter: No the lights didn't change fast. The speed limit there is 40mph and I wasn't going over 40mph - you may well know that the stopping distance of a vehicle at this speed is 120 feet. If the lights go to red when you're even 60 feet away, you aint going to stop. They changed when I was about 10 feet away.
This is 120 feet at that junction:
[img] [/img]

having a small A&E emergency

All good fun though, lots of parallel fights going on now...I reckon the OP was on the phone and that's why he didn't notice it changing to amber. If SteveTheBarbie had been driving, that wouldn't have been a problem.

my little one collapsed just before christmas and i had to do cpr on her i called the ambulance and im sure i was in no fit state to drive anywhere i would have caused an accident myself.And just after christmas my mrs appendix went and as id had two pints we waited for the ambulance as i knew id end up getting pulled. Its just not worth the risk imo but each to their own. At least all is well with the little one and worst you should expect is a few points. 🙂

TJ. I dare say it does reduce reaction time, but since I drive well within the time I need to react, it's not an issue. It'll reduce reaction time for pedestrians, but doesn't mean they'll all walk into a lampost does it? Guess you've never switched chanel on the radio or eaten a sweet, all of which would similarly reduce reaction time. Once those become against the law though, you'll soon be having a witch hunt against the nasty sweet eaters.

I will get none of the rubbish you mention happen to me. I have not ignored a summons, I've ignored the form requesting details of the driver. A form they cannot prove I've recieved.

I'm a menace to society LOL. I'm 49, never hurt anyone, stole from anyone, or wronged anyone, and I pay my taxes - some menace huh?

some menace huh?

Henceforth, thou shalt be called "Dennis"

i think you may need to get yourself on a driving course mate. One that teaches reading the road etc 🙂

Sharkbait - youare supposed to stop on amber unless you are too close to stop in time. that gives you enough time to either stop or be beyond the white line by the time tehy go red.

In a way both lucky - in that your kid is fine and no accident was caused and unlucky in that by being a bit distracted you went thru the light a bit late.

You might be lucky again - camera out of film or you might be unlucky again.

For what its worth I see what you have done as an unlucky easily done mistake. Not obviously dangerous nor obviously reckless.

Steve - you ignore road law and consider yourself above it. That makes you a menace. You show obvious selfishness in your behaviour. You will be prosecuted and you will get an ANPR marker against your car. You will get a bigger fine.

anyway enough of this bickering this is a bike site 🙂

This thread is why I ? STW.

Firestarter:

Ironic thing is that if I had been speeding I would have gone through the lights on amber and this would never have occured!!!

At least all is well with the little one and worst you should expect is a few points. [:-)]

You're right. Worst case is a a little fine for something that did happen. unlike poor Zedsdead who's been stitched up on a far greater scale for something he didn't do 😡

Always good to start a little 'debate' though 😀

[i]I didn't go through the lights knowing they were red, they turned when I was about 10 feet away and couldn't safely stop.[/i]

I can understand your mind was on other things and you wanted to get your kid to hospital asap. Glad she's okay too. But this not being able to stop because the lights just changed is nonsense really. If that were the case then everyone would be going through red lights all the time. You nipped through on red, fair enough, I've done it and I'm sure most of us have. But would you honestly stand up in court and say 'I couldn't stop safely in time'. You also said you went through a red because you were tin a rush to get your kid to hospital, which then changed to you went through a red because you couldn't stop in time. Which is it? If you're using the fact that your child was injured as an excuse for jumping the red then why were you sticking rigidly to the speed limit.

And I'm not taking the moral highground here it's just that your 'excuse' is a bit silly.

Sharkbait; good on you for putting your child first. **** the fine; it's a small price to pay, surely.

Glad to hear your kiddy's ok.

In the true spirit of STW, I reckon we should have a whip round, for Sharkbait, should he receive a fine. The bloke's only done what he had to do, as a responsible parent. The Law may be the Law, but it'll be very harsh, if he does get done.

🙂 glad she ok tho mate its horrible when little ones are in a bad way isnt it

steve, what do you drive?

just so the traffic cops on here have bit more to go on, so far we have:

sales rep
49
on his mobile
immaculate road manners
wears red and black striped jumper
never wronged anyone

If someone on the A41 was also in a hurry, so went through on amber as the lights went from red to green... [b]Amber means stop[/b].

Gary_M:

You also said you went through a red because you were tin a rush to get your kid to hospital

Please point to the bit where I said this. I didn't.

The bloke's only done what he had to do, as a responsible parent.

Drove through a red light with his six-year-old in the car?

I ignore a road law, that pretty much 100% of road users ignore - speeding. I ignore it, because I believe I know what speed is safe for myself, on any given road; the same reason others ignore it. I believe that if speed limits were completely removed tomorrow - the average speed on the road would stay very similar to now, and accidents would not increase.

It's a fact that better drivers drive faster
It's a fact that there are no more accidents on unlimited autobahns than limited ones.

I would guess road safety in Germany is higher than here. People think sitting in the middle lane at 60 is a perfectly good way to drive over here. Take the limit away, and they may learn how to drive properly.

I'd be amazed if you never ever went over the speed limit, you'll be in a small minority. But anyway, the mobile menaces(who also know they can safely do it) are the latest people types like yourself get off on demonising.

If:
10% of accidents are drink related
10% of accidents are speed related
10% of accident are mobile phone related

Then it's the righteous law abiders causing 70% of accidents - bloody menaces!

You hide behind 'the law' and say it makes me a menace. I know you're wrong, and really don't care what you think, so wont reply to you again.

Miketually: The junction is big and wide open.
I was coming from the East side of the junction turning right. The next lights in the sequence are the ones coming from the West (told you I know these lights well). The distance from those lights to any 'impact point' is over 120 feet.
In the second or two I was in the wrong place at the wrong time even Lewis Hamilton (or should that now be Jenson Button) couldn't have got to me.
Not that that makes it OK

sharkbait you insinuated that because your daughter was injured you were in a hurry to get to hospital. ‘Is the fact I was on my way to hospital with my daughter any defence’ – if you weren’t in fact ‘in a rush’ then why is that a defence?

People who speed where I live mean that it becomes very difficult to cross the road or for other non car users to use the roads which they pay for, causes numerous accidents and damage to property and regularly cause fights in the street.
I absolutely agree that speed limits are a complete travesty, after all if they're not enforced now so why have them?

fontmoss

Traffic cops already know where I live, can't you read?

yes ta, im just typing while driving-not easy when you're doing a ton down a b road mind 😉

SteveTheBarbarian you will get points, you will get a fine and if you carry on as you are you will eventually get banned from driving, although I'm sure if you do you'll carry on driving anyway. But you know that don't you.

No Gary I didn't insinuate anything. I wasn't in a 'hurry' and I didn't speed (40mph for a mile before this junction).
I was simply getting my daughter to hospital in a timely manner. The fact is that I inadvertedly went through a light that changed to red just before I passed though it.
My question should really have been "is it worth stating that I was taking my daughter to hospital (and here's the evidence), or just pay up?".
I have nothing to lose by getting a few points. If I was that desparate I'd get a lawyer.

Throws up an interesting point though, does this thread. Most people I know would drive someone to hospital rather than wait for an ambulance, unless it was an injury/illness where the person couldnt be moved easily.

From my experience it takes >15 mins for the ambulance to reach me/family members when called (done it 3 times now). In the latest case a paramedic guy in a car arrived first which is ideal, but for non-life-and-death situations I'm fairly sure I'd drive someone to hospital rapidly rather than call an ambulance. Takes 20 mins for me to drive "swiftly" to the local hospital, it takes the ambulance 15 just to get to the scene. Obviously the people on board are then able to give treatment though, which is a big difference, but in the case of a major cut or break (rather than a heart attack/stroke etc) they'll apparently do little more than you will if you have basic first aid training, making you wonder if it's worth the effort calling if you can do first aid.

I recently stabbed myself in the arm at 1am(upturned knife in sink draining board, wedged itself solidly in my forearm bone after I picked up a heavy bowl and lowered it into the sink). I had 3 options - call an ambulance (seemed a bit "wasteful"), leave it in and drive to the hospital (not really an option - it would have got in the way of changing gear) or pull it out, apply pressure etc and drive to hospital. I chose the latter and, after a while recovering from feeling a bit woozy and taping up my arm I decided I was fit enough to drive. When I arrived at hospital I saw proper stabbings and a fair few "serious" injuries arriving by ambulance. I'm glad I drove as one of these people would have been delayed. I may have increased the risk of me crashing by a small percentage, but I consider that a decent trade-off on probabilities. But is that right? How is a member of the public supposed to decide? Likewise, when I was young I fell off a slide and cracked my head well and truly - out cold for a minute or so, massive egg within seconds. My dad drove me the 70 miles to a hospital at very high speed - doctors suggested that it was a very good job he did as the ambulance would have taken too long and serious damage may have occurred, we were out in the sticks at the time. How does a member of the public know where to draw the line?

So in that case the fact that you were taking your daughter to hospital has nothing to do with it, other than you passing through the junction on the way. The whole 'injured kid' thing is just frillying up the fact that you jumped a red light, oh no sorry 'wasn't able to stop in time'. I can't be doing with people who try to get out of things.

I think you're completey full of shit Gary_M

I may or may not get points, neither of us knows. I've looked it up, and many people on the internet have got away with it using this method.

I have a clean license - it's highly unlikely I'll ever get banned for speeding.

Getting a bit wound up there SteveTheBarbarian, but if you looked it up on the internet it must be right eh. You appear to be a particularly gullible idiot. Your time will come.

on the internet! why didn't you say so!

sweet im off to find those young horny girls that keep emailing me

coffeeking, when we were in the sticks my folks did the same (brother had stridor) because ambulance took too long and they'd told us just to belt along to the hospital but as you say how, as a member of the public, do you know when to do which. Not in a law abiding sense as such but knowing when your actions aren't going to prevent others receiving treatment or potentially cause more injuries.