Hi All,
Just need a bit of information, I recently received a traffic infringement notice for " Fail to Obey Traffic Lights " Elapsed time on red 0.5 Secs.
This is my first traffic fine in last 7 years, the last I received was in 2016.
I know we can't write a letter to waive it like we do if speed less than 10 kmph and good record in past 2 years.
Anyone has any idea what's the best way to deal with it.
Thanks
Yes, obviously and makes sense.
However, if it was televised on Judge Judy OP could have a go at being melodramatic to see if it’ll help.
/thread
God i hate the forums
Heres the door: 🚪
God i hate the forums
You're not obligated to come to the forums, much like I wasn't obligated to make this comment…
All I want is an ability to turn them off from the home screen.
I am tired of seeing "I did X, how can I dodge responsibility" / "How can I get support/returns for (question which should be aimed at company they are asking about)".
Currently I cannot avoid seeing endless variations of the above.
@Bluto Mindpretzel: To read the forum titles, even the highlighted ones, you need to scroll past all deals on the front page, scroll past the page select for deals, and actively look for forum posts.
Have you considered not scrolling down, and instead clicking the "2" button to go to the second page of deals?
Alternatively you can probably use something like uBlock Origin to block the whole forums element from the front page
@OZKap: Dunno why you got negged - when I saw the reply I thought the exact same thing: use uBlock to hide the forums section on the home page.
And my axe!
Anyone has any idea whats the best way to deal with it.
Could you…pay the fine and obey the traffic lights?
If you want to fight it, I can recommend Dennis Denuto.
It's Mabo. It's justice. It's law.
last time i was in court some clamed Mabo traffic law don't apply to her.
How did that go for you?
Most importantly, it's the vibe of the thing
Don't forget the constitution, … and the vibe - no that's it, it's the vibe…. I rest my case….
"That was sensational"
Maybe OP should punch the traffic light that turned red too early. Have a bruised hand and sue the council for damages. Is that what you want OP?
yeah well if they didn't have a warning sign not to punch the traffic light…. and then one cautioning there is a sign ahead
I know we cant write a letter to waive it like we do if speed less than 10 kmph and good record in past 2yrs.
Knowing this, what do you think is the best way to deal with it?
Anyone has any idea whats the best way to deal with it.
Look on the fine for the payment section. Follow the directions to pay the fine.
As you said yourself, there are no waiving red light fines.
Elapsed time on Red 0.5 Secs.
plus the yellow/amber time before this as well. You had ample time to stop.
I had one with a 0.1 sec elapsed time. Had to pay it still! No way around it. Your whole car has to be over the white line..
Whole car, for real?
Not whole car but has to be cross sensor in ground if they see changes in weight during changing to red light, Camera will flash.
It's not weight, its based on an electomagnetic field. basically metal interferes with the magnetic field. Vehicles passing over or stopped within the detection area of an inductive-loop detector decrease the inductance of the loop. The electronics unit senses this event as a decrease in frequency and sends a pulse to the controller signifying the passage or presence of a vehicle.
@mattyman: Maybe that's why some of those highly modified cars jack the car up higher in time to the beat of their music?
Its just a diversion - when they come near traffic lights the whole car gets jacked up so it can't be detected?
Makes me wonder if it's better copping the speeding fine rather than red light offense.
I think the idea is that you stop instead, thus avoiding a fine altogether.
@Miss B: Oh yeah definitely. I was checking the radio once (bloody touchscreens) and the light changed to amber by the time I looked up. Got flashed by the safety camera and was thinking if I sped I'd cop a $120 fine vs $300 and less points. Fortunately didn't end up getting a fine.
Same here, I was driving a long ass sedan.
I thought the cameras only take the picture if you cross the line 0.3 secs after the red.
Same. and the yellow on it was about that long too XD
…
I don’t think anyone has suggested it yet, but have you considered paying it?
JimmyF just beat you to it
You can't ask for dispensation from a red light fine.
Just pay it.
Thanks for your suggestions , will pay it and obey the rules…!!!
thank you so much from ozb community
We salute u op
Op just need a little encouragement.
OP actually accepted that they're at fault and will pay the fine?
Must be a troll comment (and/or post) as that almost never happens - Usually it results in a long-winded thread with the OP defending themselves in a clear case of 'You dun goofed'
I still can't believe it
You probably wouldn't have any luck contesting it, but I'd try if there was some factor that influenced the situation.
I've been close sometimes - there are a few sets of lights that remain green for a couple of seconds and transition to amber and then red pretty quickly. You have people wasting seconds in dream land before dwardling through the intersection.
Not the same situation but i got off by contesting. The officer refused to let me see the footage and i had to request a FOI which took 6 months before they must have actually watched it and realised what i knew already. I may have been slightly over speeding but no where near what i was accused of.
Glad it worked for you. If you had asked ozb they would have told you to pay up
Never mind… OP is going to pay it…
Life endangering offence. No mercy.
for 0.5 sec, go to court, plead guilty but ask the judge to cancel the penalty. you can probably only do this once though.
Not sure why the negs, this is clearly the other option available to OP - court election.
Sure it's an option, but just wasting courts time for the OP to do this. So the op should plead guilty, but ask to get off as well. LOL
It's not wasting the court's time.
It's your absolute right in this country to take a plea to court, and you're encouraged to exercise this right if you so choose. That is why it's clearly listed as an option - to let the courts settle the case.
Don't take for granted the liberties afforded to us in Australia by dismissing them so easily. There are many other countries where you wouldn't have this option.
Ultimately it'll be up to the magistrate to decide on what the penalty may be. But if you have a good driving record, only 0.5 sec over etc. you may be able to ask for leniency and get off without having the pay a fine. If you plead guilty, it will still be on your record and you'll still lose the demerit points - the magistrate can't do anything about this - but can reduce the penalty.
Also FYI, if you do decide to take it to courts, it will be gazetted in public record Sai006 vs Victoria Police (or whatever).
It's not wasting the court's time.
It is, OP ran a red light with no valid reason for doing it = wasting courts time trying to fight it.
If you plead guilty, it will still be on your record and you'll still lose the demerit points - the magistrate can't do anything about this - but can reduce the penalty.
So what is the point then if it is on your record and you still get the points? Other than wasting the courts time in the hope you save a few dollars on the $462 fine? LOL
If you're going to plead guilty, have it on your record, including the points, then don't waste time going to court, pay the $462 fine and move on. If you can't afford to pay it one hit, then enter a payment plan.
@JimmyF: And added to this, it could well backfire and the magistrate could levy a much higher penalty and you will be slapped with court costs. So, you could very well end up losing points, a day out of you life attending court and get slapped with a higher fine and court costs…
@pegaxs: Agreed. Everyone seems to think if you 'challenge' a fine in court you'll get let off as you must be 'serious' about not doing it. The court sees this every day, you can end up with a lower or higher fine and/or court costs. For $462 the risk isn't worth it if you are going to wear the points/record anyhow.
I also love how people think you rock up, say yeah I ran the red light but I'm a good driver, and the court goes, oh wow so sorry about that, lets pretend it didn't happen off you go.
I also love how people think you rock up, say yeah I ran the red light but I'm a good driver…
You can literally do this and have your fine waived in court. Many have done this. Maybe not red light offences, but driving offences in general. I've done it a few years ago in NSW and saved myself $780. Magistrate took one look at my driving record, complemented me in on it, then waived the fine in full. Sometimes they might reduce the fine, or reduce its severity (such as disqualification time etc).
I actually enjoyed my day out in court. My case took about 4 min once I was called up. It's a court specifically for driving incidents, and you get to hear other people's cases on the day. It's hardly "wasting court's time" as it doesn't prevent non-transport cases from being heard.
@cerealJay: Anecdotal evidence isn't evidence.
For every person who's wasted the Court's time and been lucky to have a fine waived, there's plenty of others who have been absolutely chewed up, been levied the maximum penalty with costs.
Anecdotal evidence isn't evidence.
So hot water isn't really hot unless I canvass more opinions?
For every person who's wasted the Court's time and been lucky to have a fine waived…
If the fine is waived, the court's time wasn't wasted. Someone ends up with hundreds of dollars not leaving their wallet, to now spend in local community. When fines are waived, it's an economic success story. Time well spent in court.
Both your points shot down with ease.
@cerealJay: Not at all, because you went 'dot dot dot' and ignored the argument and responded with a straw man.
you…ignored the argument
No, I responded to exactly what you put forward. That is, your idea the court's time is wasted regardless of the outcome.
Courts are there for the people, not transport authorities or court officials. When you go to court, you're not stepping inside a house owned by someone else. You're stepping inside a house owned in part by you.
I would personally not contest a red light fine in court. But other general driving offences are easier to challenge. Eg, loading zone infringements. In the rejection letter I received from the city of Melbourne, they cited "zero tolerance" as the reason for rejection of my appeal. So I challenged the fine in court and had it waived. Also gave them an earful about their zero tolerance policy, which is their lazy attempt at not having to process disputes, and maximise profits from penalties.
@terlalu: Statutory fines are designed to save everybody time and money (remember that it our money which is paying for the courts time). Sure he has the ‘right’ to challenge but I would rather he reflected on whether or not he had committed the infraction (and remember going through a red light is not a trivial matter, with death being a possible outcome). If do then pay and learn. If not, then challenge it (that really is the reason people have the right to challenge decisions; not just because they are affronted because they have been caught or that they haven’t been caught doing something similar before).
but I would rather he reflected on whether or not he had committed the infraction
If not, then challenge it
You do know with a red light fine comes the option to view two lovely photos of your car entering and then in the middle/exiting the intersection, which also clearly shows the light status at the time. They do this to confirm the car didn't just overshoot the line. OP just needs to head to the link on the fine and enter their fine details to view them.
So its not a matter of if the OP remembers or not, it is pretty clear the car did go through a red light, the fine photos show the OP car committing the infraction. The only real question left, was the OP driving on that day, if not, then the OP needs to nominate the driver that was.
@terlalu: I sat in court listening to 10+ of these & drink-driving disputes with the judge. Holy-wow, these people had ZERO concept of self-preservation… going down in flames HARD. I simply didn't/don't get it. Watched too many movies?
It sucks to cop a fine. But this ain't their first rodeo, and they have you. Cop it sweet, learn from it.
So the op should plead guilty, but ask to get off as well. LOL
Its called pleading guilty with an explanation.
with an explanation.
Which was? I couldn't be arsed in stopping, doesn't seem to fly with me.
@JimmyF: "I'm colour blind. Driving through a signaled intersection is like playing Russian roulette."
"I'm colour blind. Driving through a signaled intersection is like playing Russian roulette."
Funny enough, being colour blind doesn't impact people understanding a traffic light. Its not that hard to work out the lights even if they all appear the same colour.
Top light on = stop
Middle light on = stop if safe
Bottom light on = go
@JimmyF: Okay. Maybe this instead?
"I'm
colourblind. Drivingthrough a signaled intersectionis like playing Russian roulette."
I had a successful fine reduction after speeding on the m1 (I think it was 104 in a 90.. can't recall)
I used dashcam to show that it was a momentary error while calculating a merge.
Also.. i pointed out the area is normally a 100 zone (caught out by the temporary 90 zone due to the commonwealth games)
The mag. cancelled the fine but i still had to pay an offender levy of $100 or so (because i pled guilty).. whether the effort is worth it for a chance of success.. is up to the individual.
"Dear judge, the yellow light only gave me at least 65m of warning distance to come to a stop, which is why I was still flat out and at least 8m into the intersection when the light turned red."
Take it to court, but demand the trial is a jury trial, and that the accuser, "the traffic light" appear in the witness box to testify your guilt. Good luck.
========~~~~———=====…… ………. |
. . . ………………. …. ………. . -^O——O^- | Stop
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Meant to be MS Draw with a big giant hairy skid before the stop sign.
Ascii art worthy of the GAMEFAQ glory days mate
I got it, I understood your skid marks :-)
Pay it and stop in time, next time, and every time thereafter.
until your last breathe basically.
1) Ask OzBargain community
2) Consider “lawyering up” (for 0.5 seconds)
3) Pay the fine
4) Drive more carefully
E. All of the above
WhatAreYouCommenting
You tell me
See Dennis Denito, plead the Fifth, start your own social media company, march on the Capitol, smooch up to some supreme court wives, deny deny deny…or just pay it.
Traffic light infringement are the most impossible to get put of, pay it, move on, wait 3 years to get your points back &be done with it
While your paying for the fine, get some new brake pads too
OP brake pads are fine, they didn't use them!
The OzB community has voted…once again.
If you want to avoid paying, sell all your assets, move all funds offshore, leave the country, never return. I doubt they'll extradite you. Path of least resistance is to pay.
Nah mate. I would fight it. Hire a good barrister. Should only be about 5k for the day. Get a new suit and make sure its a quality one. Take the day off work so you are well prepared. Probably better to catch a taxi to court so you dont have to worry about driving. You can usually buy breakfast and lunch nearby. Be really polite to the judge and you'll probably only get fined about $462 or thereabouts. Plus costs.
Get back to us and let us know how you go.
With experience- you have a chance to get it waived if it's a speeding fine with a speed of less than 10 kmph. I haven't heard of anyone getting the fine waived for redlight offences. Keen to know if anyone did get a waiver for redlight.
Yes I have for a red light infraction.
But if you go by what everyone else is saying here, there's no point in going to court because it's a waste of everyone's time, and you're likely to get done for an even higher penalty.
Is "red light infraction" another word for jumping red light or is there any variation of it? sorry, I am a bit confused.
The only defence I've heard of for red light running is that the transition from green to amber to red is shorter than spec. .5 sec is 5 years in a flys life. Pay up.
Do wot u want. Hu cares yolo
In the time you wasted posting here you probably could have developed a time travel machine so you can go back to the red light and stop. Problem solved.
Makes as much sense as the OP;)
Maybe see if the guy who had the wrong air conditioner installed (purchased through good guys) is free for lunch.
How much was the fine… fines have gone up crazy recently, I feel like the amount is disproportionate to the safety risk. Running a red though…
OP is in VIC, so it is $462 + 3 points.
Just looked up the Qld rate… $575 and 3 demerit points… I’m unsure how much the fine should be… it’s probably about right? It’s a bit steep, but running a red is potentially catastrophic. Or maybe a sliding scale <1 second late (which OP would fall into is 50-75% of the fine) and >/= 1sec full amount…
Elsewhere, distracted driving (phone) cops a whopping $1078 + 4 demerit point fine in Qld which includes when you have stopped (I.e., not driving). I agree that attending to a phone whilst the vehicle is in motion is dangerous, however, when stationary it’s more of an annoyance than a risk to safety (impedes traffic flow etc). I don’t think the $1078 fine is commensurate with the level of risk when the vehicle is stationary (e.g., traffic lights).
Many years ago, perhaps 6 or 7 years ago, I was fined some $450.00 for running against the red light. I wonder how much it cost now? More than $1,000.00 ?
OP is in VIC, so it is $462 + 3 points.
In QLD yes >1k. It's insane.
Pay it