Red Light Camera - Stuck in Intersection

Hello,

While driving today, I was turning right into a main street.

As I got almost across the 2nd line(clear of the intersection) turns out that street was backed up all the way up to the end of the intersection.

I had to stop just before the line as I was the last car that couldn't make it in the street.

Then the road I was stuck in became green, and I was blocking cars, so I turned my car along side them and drove through that green light.

Would this cause the red light camera to flash me and send out a fine?

Thanks,

Comments

  • +4

    Maybe

    • +4

      maybe not

      • +1

        Maybe maybe.

        • Magic 8 Ball says, "Cannot predict now."

        • +2

          Maybe it's Maybelline?

    • +14

      Red light camera is triggered if and WHEN you CROSS the thick unbroken STOP line at the traffic lights AFTER the lights have gone red.

      So dear OP you know where you were when the lights turned red so you figure it out

      The rest of your story is just hogwash Im afraid

  • +3

    Nyesbe

  • +25

    If the answer doesn’t involve a paper clip, a rubber band, gunpowder and a rolled up newspaper I’m going to be disappointed.

  • +3

    Just say "the Bulldozer" was driving.

  • +1

    Then the road I was stuck in became green, and I was blocking cars, so I turned my car along side them and drove through that green light.

    Thats illegal

    Would this cause the red light camera to flash me and send out a fine?

    Sadly not

    • -3

      So I should wait in that spot next time? I just didn't want to block cars in that lane.

      • +41

        You should not enter the intersection in that case.

      • +15

        You should not enter the intersection unless you can clear out the other side.

        • +5

          Yeah I don’t quite understand. Sometimes all the cars are just moving forward and you can’t tell there is a queue until they actually stop. Unless we’re saying that all cars should physically stop behind the line despite a moving traffic and move forward only when traffic in front is clear. Sounds technically correct but not sure if everyone does that in practice.

          • +1

            @legendary-noob: It can be difficult. But you shouldn’t enter the intersection unless you can fully complete the turn.

          • +2

            @legendary-noob:

            Unless we’re saying that all cars should physically stop behind the line despite a moving traffic and move forward only when traffic in front is clear.

            That’s what the law says. You should stop behind the line until there is sufficient space to fully cross.

      • Sorry but sounds like you could see it was blocked ahead and into the turn, if you didn't even have the chance/space to get your reae wheels over the 2nd line. Or you shouldn't be driving.

    • +1

      Why sadly not? Dude just made a wrong choice and rectified it, why should they loose demerits and a lot of money over it

      • -2

        Same reason people get fined for all sorts of things. ‘I screwed up’ isn’t a valid excuse for speeding or not giving way and causing a crash.

        • Your going to be in for a suprise here then, I don't think you should be fined or punished unless you do something that does damage someone else, or is highly negligent and unreasonable.

          Wow crazy right not just dolling out fines where nothing bad happens and it's not a big deal? What an insane idea

          • +1

            @Scantu: But then wouldn't our revenues get hit?
            How else are the top 5% are going to try to stretch the (50%) middle-class into poverty?

            …it's not like Ants can unite and fight the Grasshoppers.

            • @Kangal: We could all figure out ways to earn a living without paying tax.

          • @Scantu: I 100% get what you're saying but what if the action COULD result in something bad happening? In saying that, I'd contest if i got a fine from this.

            • @cookie2: There should probably be some sort of ratio, severity of consequence vs likelihood of it happening

  • +4

    The typical trigger is crossing the solid white line after the light has turned red.

    You will be fine.

    • Thank you,

    • I got flashed in my work car more than a month ago. Haven't received anything yet…

      • +10

        What a creeper. Who the hell flashes someone.

        • +2

          I know right. I was having a coughing fit too. Good thing there's no lasting damage.

    • +1

      I was in the car (manual) with a mate last year, he stopped at the intersection fine before the line, It’s on a slight hill, so while waiting the vehicle went over the line about 2-3 inches and FLASH.

      • +2

        Did it result in a fine? Manual car is no excuse for rolling over the line. That's the secondary function of the handbrake.

        • +2

          It shouldn't. Red light cameras take two photos. It would have shown that his car didn't move.

        • Hi mate
          Sorry i havnt spoken to him since, he said he would contest it and i agree in this situation.

    • +2

      Thought this was a wordplay of OP will be getting a fine 😂

  • Would this cause the red light camera to flash me and send out a fine?

    You were there. Did it flash????

    • I was looking at the cars that I was blocking and thinking what to do as that street of cars wasn't moving any time soon.

      But I believe I did not see any flashing.

  • +17

    How are we meant to understand what the heck you're even talking about without an MS Paint diagram.

    • +6

      AustriaBargain asking the real questions.

  • +5

    Even if you didn't trigger the red light camera you still deserve a fine for entering an intersection when it was not clear for you to get through.

    • Harsh. You can't always see what's going on on the other side. Why they plant trees on roundabouts is beyond my comprehension. (I got caught out on a roundabout.)

      • Yeah, trees are ridiculous. Even the 'keep left' sign on/near them can block view of indicators.

  • +3

    Red light cameras only fine you if you pass the front line after the red. If you are already in the intersection no fine.

    • Thank you,

  • +3

    You will be fine

    • +16

      d

      • +3

        Give em the late d
        .

        • +2

          Everyone loves the “D”.

  • +3

    OP Doesnt live up to his name…

  • MURDOC

  • +1

    Most likely not.

    Red-light cameras usually trigger and get two pictures, most red light cameras flash as well. The camera will take a picture: one of the driver crossing the initial line to trigger the first picture and another in the middle of the road to make sure you did run a red light. If you're already in the middle of the road then it shouldn't flash, it should only detect a car going over the first line.

  • +5

    "turns out"

    If only we had some sort of sensory organs built into our heads that could detect blocked intersections so we can avoid entering them in the first place

    • +1

      Tell me more about these amazing future-predicting sensory organs that can predict a street becoming choked after I enter an intersection.

      I have been caught out plenty of times, and I figure anyone giving the Op a hard time either is very forgetful, or doesn't have much experience.

      • I have 54 years driving experience. Never happened to me.

        • -1

          I'll put you in the forgetful category, unless you'd like a new category: "special"

      • +1

        It’s simple.
        Do not enter the intersection unless you can see that you can exit it…
        32 years driving experience in NZ, AU, UK, DE + driving holidays in the US, CA, Europe.

        Had one speed camera fine in that time.

        AU Sydney, Melbourne drivers are the worst, so entitled, so impatient.

        • So if there is a tree on a roundabout and you can't verify the otherside is clear, you'll just sit there? hmm
          So much experience and you've never encountered an intersection where you don't have visibility of what's happening on the other side?

          All I can say is you must be selective in what roads you travel on.

          • @SlickMick: If it happens rarely it means you are probably reading the traffic right. If it happens ‘plenty of times’ you are doing something wrong.

            They deliberately designed (don’t know if they still do) some roundabouts so that you can’t see all the way round. This was so drivers would concentrate on giving way to traffic already on the roundabout rather than watching oncoming traffic.

            • -1

              @Euphemistic: I was about to describe situations that prove your first statement totally wrong, but then you did yourself.

              If I happen to frequent such a roundabout as you describe, I'm going to get caught out plenty of times, right.

              Then we can move on to some other scenarios that can also find a person in an intersection, only to find they can't exit where they planned.

              Now calculate how long you've been driving, how often you've encountered such situations, and ta da plenty of times.

              • +1

                @SlickMick: Well it depends on your definition of plenty of times. When I think plenty of times I’d imagine it happening fairly regularly, like at least a couple of times this year.

                In my driving career I’d say a handful of times since last century. IMO not plenty

                • @Euphemistic: sheesh, the OP is getting criticised for it happening once in a lifetime for all we know.

                  My only point is it can happen, so we should back off and accept it instead of all this "well it doesn't happen to me so it must be OPs driving skills"

                  • +1

                    @SlickMick: My comment was made because of it does happen regularly, you are doing something wrong, as Gruhunter was alluding to. If you use your eyes you should mostly be able to avoid it.

      • +1

        You've been caught 'plenty of times?' Count me in the extrasensory club because it's never happened. Use your eyes, if it looks like the traffic is moving on the other side of the intersection so there'll be space for another car, you go, otherwise don't. You're either inattentive or greedy.

        • +1

          because nothing ever happens between when you check, in circumstances when you can check, and when you start to enter the intersection.

          yeah, I stand by if you do enough driving, on a varirty of roads, you too will have plenty of occassions where you enter an intersection where you would not have if you had a crystal ball.

          • +1

            @SlickMick: No. Outside of freak accidents causing an immediate stop in traffic, I can't see a scenario in which this isn't avoidable. An intersection is not a roundabout. You have visibility to determine whether vehicles ahead are still moving or not. If they are, there is likely to be enough room on the other side. If not, and you queue across the intersection, you're rolling the dice and hoping that by the time the perpendicular lights go green, there would be some movement for you to squeeze in.

            An intersection doesn't require a 'crystal ball.' It's literally just situational awareness, and being cognizant of the flow of traffic in the next 5 seconds. Only drivers fixated on the rear bumper of the car in front of them make this mistake. Because let's not pretend it's some random, unavoidable act of god like a lightning strike. It's a mistake, and you shouldn't be getting caught 'plenty of times.'

  • +2

    How can you be turning knowing there was no room for you?

    • +1

      Even good drivers sometimes make mistakes.

    • Tesla autopilot limitation

  • +1

    There are two separate issues here.

    Is what the OP did an offence? Yes. It is an offence to enter an intersection if you won't then be able to exit it.

    Will the red light camera flash, and a fine be issued? No. A red light camera only detects a vehicle entering the intersection after the light turns red.

  • Can you change your name from Macgyver to Something I don't know :p

    I thought Macgyver knows this rule than anybody.

  • No you won't get a red light camera fine for this.

    What you did was still a traffic infringement though, so you would have been fined if any cop saw you. Make sure the intersection is clear before starting to cross.

  • -2

    Will you get a fine?

    No I don't think so.

    Should you?

    To be honest, probably. You quite obviously do not know that road rule. You are not supposed to enter an intersection unless you are certain you can do so without blocking the intersection. If traffic is moving slowly, that means waiting behind the line until the intersection is clear.

    I'm not going to ask you whether you keep left, or how you indicate on roundabouts. ;-)

  • -2

    Hey OP, totally understand the situation you were in, wouldn't worry about all those here who have never been in such a situation, but I'm over trying to explain it to them. I'm out :)

  • +1

    No poll? No MS Paint?

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