Fines for running AMBER lights.

[wulos]

Thought that people may be interested to know that you can be fined for running an amber light. Offence carries the exact same penalty as running a red.
As stated in the roadrules, you are only permitted to travel through the amber if you would be unable to safely stop. Many people simply use the amber as an excuse to travel through. Be aware though that the police can and will make a discretion call on whether they believe you would be able to stop or not.
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[RG]

Bloody unaustralian that is I tell ya.

Ah well I suppose it is an excuse to actually use the half decent brakes I have, but everyone always looks at you funny when you jump on them for an amber light lol.

[blackers10]

whats worse is the moron behind you who wanted to run the amber light or has brakes that have never had a pad change.. now resides in what you used to call a boot

[DOC]

?? that has always been the rule, are people saying they did not know of a basic road rule ?

[4Vman]

I would have thought that was common knowledge, i've always been under the impression that that rule existed.

[RG]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

I would have thought that was common knowledge, i've always been under the impression that that rule existed.

Just because people know a rule exists (yes I did too) doesn't mean it is actually abided by.

How many people do you know that go through on the amber, I bet it is quite a few and I am sure everyone here has done it at least once in their lives.

[Polyal]

Bit of a grey area isn't it, everyones "safe" is different.

[TZENU]

It exists alright; and i have a $120 fine to prove it from 8 years ago.

Being a P Plater and at the wrong place at the wrong time...

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by Russell

Just because people know a rule exists (yes I did too) doesn't mean it is actually abided by.

How many people do you know that go through on the amber, I bet it is quite a few and I am sure everyone here has done it at least once in their lives.

Yep agree'd, and there's nothing worse than taking the sensible or "conservative" approach to obeying traffic lights and someone howling up your backside in a cloud of tyre smoke because they wanted to risk it and "run the amber/red"...

[flappist]

Originally Posted by TZENU

It exists alright; and i have a $120 fine to prove it from 8 years ago.

Being a P Plater and at the wrong place at the wrong time...

But being a P plater couldn't you use the "Can't stop safely" defence?

After all P platers can't do ANYTHING safely.........

[DOC]

Half the problem is people read the lights wrong

green = flat out
amber = flat out in a hurry
red = slam the skids

(my view only) lights should be read one color ahead of time i.e what is the next color not the current one.

green = prepare to stop ( in your minds eye, look at your environment around you , rear vision sides front as the next color will be amber )

amber = stop ( if safe to do so from step one above, this does not mean slam the skids if already on top of the intersection or unsafe to do so i.e driver behind you doing their nails and likely to rear end you )

red = prepare to move of and go

the amber rush to save to seconds is a big cause of those people waiting to turn right on amber/red getting cleaned up as the lone assassin comes screeching through the one remaining gap in the traffic at bottle neck to beat the red.

[XR6_661]

I know all too well about this.

Went through and amber and was past it before the light went red. Didn't boot it or anything. Cop came racing out an waved me down. I said I couldn't have stopped in time, but he didn't take a bar of it. I actually felt a bit bullied, but what can ya do?

$225, 3 points.

Wound me up on a good driving behaviour bond for 12 months. It was either that or 3 month suspension. I now have a curfew (cant drive after 11pm) and if I do anything wrong and get caught, I'm off to court and loss of license for 6 months.

[TZENU]

Originally Posted by flappist

But being a P plater couldn't you use the "Can't stop safely" defence?

After all P platers can't do ANYTHING safely.........

Tried that! But the officer didn't want to play :

[gozza]

I was pulled over for cruising through an orange - Funny thing was i didn't want to brake abruptly out of courtesy for the police officer behind me.

They didn't fine me and said i should stop unless its not safe - which is what i was doing

[mongoloid]

In WA (dunno about aother states) we have these large signs with amber lights on them that say 'prepare to stop when lights are flashing'. They are generally used after a long stretch of 110kph road.

When these lights start flashing, it signals me to nail it so i can get thru just as the amber starts...

[DBourne]

Originally Posted by DOC

?? that has always been the rule, are people saying they did not know of a basic road rule ?

my question exactly

[Dezza]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

Yep agree'd, and there's nothing worse than taking the sensible or "conservative" approach to obeying traffic lights and someone howling up your backside in a cloud of tyre smoke because they wanted to risk it and "run the amber/red"...

Yep. I've been hit in that instance. I stopped for the amber, then had someone not paying attention and trying to outrun it slam into the back of me. Good thing the EA's a tough old girl. It came out of it with minimal damage, while the Hilux that hit me was a wreck

[maccamom]

Originally Posted by XR6_661

I know all too well about this.

Went through and amber and was past it before the light went red. Didn't boot it or anything. Cop came racing out an waved me down. I said I couldn't have stopped in time, but he didn't take a bar of it. I actually felt a bit bullied, but what can ya do?

$225, 3 points.

Wound me up on a good driving behaviour bond for 12 months. It was either that or 3 month suspension. I now have a curfew (cant drive after 11pm) and if I do anything wrong and get caught, I'm off to court and loss of license for 6 months.

You should have challenged the fine, paying it is an admission of liability. At the end of the day the Police must prove beyond all reasonable doubt that is was unsafe to stop in the circumstances.

I have had a conversation with a police member a couple of years back after being told I was going to be fined. I explained the facts that he needed to prove, in a non smart ar%%, fashion, and that I disagreed with his opinion. Certain fine changed to warning which has no basis anyway.

Don't be intimidated, fair enough if you give it the boot where there was clear time to stop you are in trouble, mine was definitely not safe and was in wet weather.

[hannem]

Once went through a rorange light, you know, a very late orange.

Had a tandem on the back with a bit of a load and the light turned orange and I started to brake and did slow down some but then stuff it and just took my foot off the brake and cruized through.

Much to my dismay there was a cop at the lights and came and pulled me over.

I basically said I could have stopped if I wanted as the car has good brakes and so does the trailer but in this instance I felt it would have been leaning towards the unsafe side of things.

He agreed and said have a nice day.

Cheers M

[XR6_661]

Originally Posted by maccamom

You should have challenged the fine, paying it is an admission of liability. At the end of the day the Police must prove beyond all reasonable doubt that is was unsafe to stop in the circumstances.

I have had a conversation with a police member a couple of years back after being told I was going to be fined. I explained the facts that he needed to prove, in a non smart ar%%, fashion, and that I disagreed with his opinion. Certain fine changed to warning which has no basis anyway.

Don't be intimidated, fair enough if you give it the boot where there was clear time to stop you are in trouble, mine was definitely not safe and was in wet weather.

Gotta think of costs with this kind of stuff. Chances of winning, etc etc.

I weighed it up and it was just easier and cheaper to cop the $225. I'm not fussed about the GDB period. It's only for 12 months and I have 4 left to go.

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by maccamom

You should have challenged the fine, paying it is an admission of liability. At the end of the day the Police must prove beyond all reasonable doubt that is was unsafe to stop in the circumstances.

I have had a conversation with a police member a couple of years back after being told I was going to be fined. I explained the facts that he needed to prove, in a non smart ar%%, fashion, and that I disagreed with his opinion. Certain fine changed to warning which has no basis anyway.

Don't be intimidated, fair enough if you give it the boot where there was clear time to stop you are in trouble, mine was definitely not safe and was in wet weather.

You did well in that situation. I think the key with what you did was to not give cheek or an arrogant attitude. Explaining it in a way that is respectable and logical can sometimes pay off. But it depends on the type of cop at the time.

Most cops here is SA dont like to be proven wrong even if its written. They feel undermined on their authority and it can pee them off.

[superpursuit83]

Originally Posted by DOC

Half the problem is people read the lights wrong

green = flat out
amber = flat out in a hurry
red = slam the skids

(my view only) lights should be read one color ahead of time i.e what is the next color not the current one.

green = prepare to stop ( in your minds eye, look at your environment around you , rear vision sides front as the next color will be amber )

amber = stop ( if safe to do so from step one above, this does not mean slam the skids if already on top of the intersection or unsafe to do so i.e driver behind you doing their nails and likely to rear end you )

red = prepare to move of and go

the amber rush to save to seconds is a big cause of those people waiting to turn right on amber/red getting cleaned up as the lone assassin comes screeching through the one remaining gap in the traffic at bottle neck to beat the red.

Ya got it all wrong Doc..

GREEN = Slow down and upset the truck behind
AMBER = Floor it
RED = CHANGE LANES!

[Zed7fiddy]

I had a copper pull me up for runnign two amber lights in a row a few years back, but i got off, i jsut pointed to the old XF and said if i had ot rtied to stop the car woul dhave slid through the intersection, and by the time i was sliding it woul dhave been a red light (was raingin at the smae time as well)

He understood and let me off

[xr8-200]

Originally Posted by mongoloid

In WA (dunno about aother states) we have these large signs with amber lights on them that say 'prepare to stop when lights are flashing'. They are generally used after a long stretch of 110kph road.

When these lights start flashing, it signals me to nail it so i can get thru just as the amber starts...

haha. So your saying there is an exemption from speed limits when an amber light is flashing.

[XR06T]

hehehe i thought everyone knew that!

as for slowing down (preparing to stop) for a green, you must be joking. you should be alert enough to know when a light is going to go amber.

[GS608]

if a light is stale green you should slow down a little be and anticipate a change to amber, then make a calculated decision on whether to stop or speed up and get out of there

[Supercharged]

Rule has been in since 01-12-1999 australia wide,
I often stop but the moron in the lane beside me but back a bit hits the gas and goes through and in the wet if you go at full speed on the approach and can't stop then that isn't a reason you couldn't safely stop.

[Dauphin]

Originally Posted by blackers10

whats worse is the moron behind you who wanted to run the amber light or has brakes that have never had a pad change.. now resides in what you used to call a boot

This exact scenario happened to a friend on Monday. Lights went amber, she came to a hard stop. A lady behind her went into her boot. Now my friend needs a new bumper, a light and boot lid and insurance is chasing the other party.

[blackers10]

I ran a yellow once at midnight and the police man in the side street just after the light didnt even blink.. i was doing 80odd as there was NO cars around to explain the change of lights and it was midnight. i think he was after bigger fish

i prefer the light style in i think its sweden or somthing... the light has a timer that tells you how long till it goes red or green so EVERYONE knows when its going to change next in big digital numbers

[fmc351]

This stuff is all common sense, of course you cant just go through an orange because you want too, that would make it a green. Defeats the purpose of having an orange.

Originally Posted by blackers10

i prefer the light style in i think its sweden or somthing... the light has a timer that tells you how long till it goes red or green so EVERYONE knows when its going to change next in big digital numbers

I think something similar would help, I dont know about a timer, but if green flashed a couple times before turning to orange, it would help.

Yeah yeah, I know thats what Orange is for, a pre orange if you like. Orange actually provides a buffer time to clear an intersection as well as a buffer for those too close to stop.

Originally Posted by mongoloid

In WA (dunno about aother states) we have these large signs with amber lights on them that say 'prepare to stop when lights are flashing'. They are generally used after a long stretch of 110kph road.

We have those in places, usually where theres an accident hotspot, or the lights are not visible due to a blind corner.