Had to take my 6 year old daughter to A&E with a head injury tonight (jumping on her bed, fell and smacked her forehead on the top of the radiator – lots of blood but luckily nothing that couldn’t be fixed with ‘superglue’).
On the way there I went through some lights that turned to red as I passed. I saw the flashes of the camera so I’m expecting a ticket.
Is the fact I was on my way to hospital with my daughter any defence? I do have a document from the hospital stating that she was admitted 5 mins after I went through the lights.
Frankly I’m not too bothered as my licence is clean but would prefer it to stay that way.

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 your 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 will 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.

Every single driver here slams on the anchors the second they see an amber light.
‘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 **** 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…
.
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.
.
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.
.
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.
.
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.