Red Light Camera - Think I Was Caught In Work Van

[Falchoon]

Yesterday I borrowed the work van to go for a short drive and I pulled up at a red light where I knew there was a red light/speed camera. There was a huge dump truck in front with a Tarago type van behind him and then me. The light went green and so we took off. The dump truck must have had a full load because he was sooooo sloooooowwwww at taking off and was in about tenth gear before he got to the other side of the intersection and only manged to reach a top speed of 30km/h across the intersection (6 lane dual carriageway) and the light turned red before we made it across.

I'm pretty sure the camera would of got me as I was tailend Charlie but it wasn't my fault, I was stuck behind the truck and the van. There's a running sheet for the van so work will know who was driving and when. SHould I say something to work about this now or just wait for the fine to turn up and work will probably mail it to me and then plead my case with the relevant authorities? I have the rego number of the van that was in front of me for a witness (I was probably too close to them for the camera to get their rego), that's if they remember what happened by the time the fine comes.

[BA_Turbs]

Red light cameras take a series of three images when they detect someone entering an intersection against a red signal. If you were already in the intersection before the light turned amber, then you have not committed and offence. If you entered the intersection against a red or amber signal, that is an offence. So in other words, the camera may have one or even two images of your vehicle being in the intersection against the red signal, but if it does not have the first, you are sitting pretty.

Hope this puts your mind at rest

[Benny]

If you take a look at the road next time you pull up a Red Light Camera you'll see a thin lined box visible in the tar just past the stop line. In this box is a coil that detects metal objects ie your car, if the Red Light system detects your vehicle cross this coil while the light is red then the camera well be activated. So if your in the intersection but arn't in the vasinity of the stop line area then all is ok.

[Falchoon]

Thanks for the quick replies guys, hope you are right!

[bs888]

Ross,

If you get pinged (although I doubt it) give me a yell and I'll see if I can fix it for you.

Cheers, Barry.

[-carty]

your going to hell... :hsdance:

you just in wrong place I guess...

Edited 09/02/05 12:13 PM by -carty

[XRSICKT]

nah, you'll be right, done that plenty of times and I've never seen a fine, trucks are slow, nothing you can do about that.

[iTec]

It is actually if you pass the detector after .4 of a second after the light has turned red, if you go screaming thrue on ambers and just as you hit the intersection the light turns red then you should still be safe, in your case you are 100% fine

somebody said there was 3 photos, I am only aware of two that get taken, one is a close up at the rear of the car to get a clean photo of your licence plate, the second is a wider angle shot of the entire intersection, this should show the slow moving garbage truck and therefore be evidence that you did not "run the red" if you get the fine, ask for the photos and write a letter explaining what happened.

[mickq]

  BA_Turbs said:

Red light cameras take a series of three images when they detect someone entering an intersection against a red signal.  If you were already in the intersection before the light turned amber, then you have not committed and offence.  If you entered the intersection against a red or amber signal, that is an offence.  So in other words, the camera may have one or even two images of your vehicle being in the intersection against the red signal, but if it does not have the first,  you are sitting pretty.

Hope this puts your mind at rest 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wrong.

The laws say that you should not enter an intersection unless you are sure you can clear it. This is done to prevent gridlock. That is what they will say if he argues based on the truck slowing him down: you knew the truck was slow, you knew the truck would take time to cross the intersection, yet you entered the intersection when there was reasonable evidence available to you at the time to suggest exiting the intersection prior to the red light might not be possible.

I know at least one person done in a similar way, although in her case she proceeded forward waiting to turn right (as you do) and a car ran the light heading towards here meaning she couldnt do her right hand turn until after the light went red (either that or she had to stop in the middle of the intersection and stay there!). She was still fined for the above reasons.

His best bet is the location of the red light camera detection strips. In general they are just past the "stop line" where cars are meant to stop before the intersection. Although the camera photos usually show the cars mid intersection (because they are travelling fast and there is a slight delay between detection and the first photo), the strips tend to be about 2m past the stop line.

Chances are that when the light went red you were in the middle of the intersection or further, and the camera would not have been tripped.

If they fine you, by all means try writing in, but dont expect to get let off.

[xr6 typhoon]

Remember red light cameras are gay because they can only get you from behind!

The cameras are also rotated between sights so even though the red light camera box and flash might be on site but the actual camera equitment may not be inside the box.