Speed limit signs

[Dirk Koopman]

Denny wrote:
> On Tue, 2007-12-11 at 22:17 +0000, Greg McCarroll wrote:
>> On Tue, Dec 11, 2007 at 05:28:20PM +0100, Philip Newton wrote:
>>> Does this mean "won't start up from a standstill if the light is red"
>>> or the stronger "will come to a halt if the light is red"? How hard
>> also remember, getting out of the way for emergency services vehicles, which
>> happens a surprising amount of the time. hell just the other day i deliberately 
>> stopped in the diamond grid thingy to see what an ambulance wanted to do[1].
> 
> Apparently breaking a red light to get out of the way of a fire engine
> or ambulance is actually against the law - only a police car has the
> authority to tell you to go through a red light.  Someone got a fine for
> it a few years ago after being caught across the line on a red-light
> camera with an ambulance going through beside them, it was in some of
> the papers with suitably indignant headlines.
> 

Er...

Excuse me. It is an offence to fail to *stop* at a normal red light. It 
is not an offence (as such) to then drive on. Of course, depending on 
the circumstances, you might be done for all sorts of other things, 
especially if you hit something. But you can't be done for moving out of 
the way or just driving on (safely) *after* you have stopped.

If you dig around in your highway codes passim you will find other 
nuggets like: nobody has right of way at a light controlled junction. 
You *can* ignore roadworks lights, they are merely indicative. The only 
lights you cannot drive away from are "police controlled" lights - and I 
haven't seen any of those for at least 25 years.

Of course all these things come with the caveat that you continue to 
drive with due care and attention at all times.

That bloke stopped on the junction got done because he was in shot, but 
stationary, whilst the ambulance triggered the camera because it's too 
stupid to tell the difference. I believe he got off again later.

And be warned: failing to stop will likely get you six points rather 
than three.