Red Light Fine/3 points (Please advise)

[gazhillAE]

I was travelling to a local police station on the 22nd may 1230hrs to to collect a form. It was an awful day, surface water covering most roads which was causing aqua planing and very bad visibility.

 

I was approaching a set of traffic lights which were on a blind left hand corner and until you approach them you dont really now what colour they are!

 

On this day i approached them and they were just turning to amber. Split second decision looking at the condition of the road and water lieing on it to proceed through them on amber and avoid skidding due to excessive breaking on a corner (Never a good thing at all)!

 

It wasnt until i had done this and i saw in my rear view mirror a good 15-20 car lengths behind me a unmarked Vauxhall Zafira with its blue light on.

 

To cut a long story short he pulled me over and advised me i had gone through a red light. I replied "no it wasnt it was amber". He then replied "no it was red and 3 other people in the vehicle can confirm this".

 

I replied "the light was amber officer unless you have any video camera evidence to show me my error". He replied " i dont need video evidence when there are 4 police officers all saying the same thing"!!!

 

So what i have now is a form in which i pay £60 and 3 points or contest at court. I have taken the form to the police station today to contest the matter which i am happy to do on my own instead of the £60 and 3 points.

 

PLEASE KEEP READING!

 

The other thing im not happy about is where we both pulled over was in a petrol station, only safe place at the time. The exit of the petrol station is "left turn only". When we both went on our way he turned right but there are 3 signs clearly stating "no right turn"!

 

I mentioned this to the officer at the station and he laughed and stook up for me in a way and said report him for it, which i did.

 

This is what got my back up, the fact that they are so quick to pull you over for something that never happened and then lie about it, and then brake the rules themselves by turning the wrong way out of a "no right turn" petrol station!

 

I have been to the Petrol station today and at least one of the people who work there remember the incident clearly and have they think the above happening on video!

 

WHERE DO YOU THINK THIS WILL GO NOW???

 

HOW SHOULD I PLAY IT AT COURT???

 

WILL IT GO TO COURT???

 

Many Thanks in advance

 

Regards

 

Gaz

[Surfer01]

I doubt whether the "no right turn" at the service has any validity. You will need to check with the appropriate authorities or even the service station itself.

[gazhillAE]

I doubt whether the "no right turn" at the service has any validity. You will need to check with the appropriate authorities or even the service station itself.

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

Well the petrol station advised me that it is no right turn as you cross the route of three lanes of oncoming traffic.

 

What made it even worse than the above was that he gave me 1 sheet when i should of recieved 3 sheets inc the one to send off and PAY!!!!!

 

Does this guy not now what he is doing????

[patdavies]

Well the petrol station advised me that it is no right turn as you cross the route of three lanes of oncoming traffic.

 

If the petrol station has put these signs up on their property, then they can be ignored. If the highway authority has put them on (the verge of) the public highway then, as long as there is a valid TRO for them, they can be enforced.

 

As to the red light ticket:

 

My advice is pay it; you have no defence.

 

An amber light means stop - unless it is unsafe to do so. You state that it was wet, and you would have skidded under braking due to aquaplaning, etc. In this case, then the official line is that you were travelling too fast for the conditions, especially as you knew the traffic lights were around a blind corner - you should have anticipated the need to stop.

[Startkey&Clutch]

Just a small point but an Amber light means STOP.

 

Years ago the police would pull someone up and tell them they had gone through on red and human nature being to talk your way out of something, people would say 'no it was amber' and in doing so admit the offence.

The only defence would be that if someone was close behind, and it would cause an accident if you stopped.