"It was amber when I went through it" « CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum

CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

"It was amber when I went through it"

(16 posts)

Started 12 years ago by Dave
Latest reply from Kim

No tags yet.

Dave
Member

Sadly or otherwise, I understand going through on amber as much as the next man (a lesson that was reinforced when I was hit by a taxi from behind when I stopped "before the red had come on").

However, does the forum think this is, just maybe, not amber gambling?

[+] Embed the video | Video Download Get the Video Plugin

Text-Link:

HTML-Link:

BB-Code:

Embed:

We are repeatedly told to report these things (or they didn't happen)... I'm trying to decide if I have the strength to go to St Leonard's today or not. On the plus side, I might get a popular blog post out of a failed attempt to get anything done about this most in your face of offences...

Posted 12 years ago #
Dave
Member

In case you can't watch video wherever you are:

First car goes through red, but it's the car *behind that* that we're interested in:

SW54 DLV:

Looking rather pleased with himself:

Posted 12 years ago #
Uberuce
Member

Oooh, I'd say that was a good 660 nanometres.

Posted 12 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

Hmmm, I'd say that's not 'entirely' clear cut - the red we can see both cars going through is facing 'this' way. The light they'll have gone through is twenty yards in the other direction. Is it absolutely certain they both went through when that was red? Obviously you were there so better able to say - its not actually as clear from the video (I've tried watching to see when the lights change from green to red but you were paying too much attention to where you were going... ;) )

I suspect the police might well say its not clear cut, but I agree, his smugness I think points to him definitely having run the red!

Posted 12 years ago #
Dave
Member

I sent a PM to our resident CyclePC to ask his thoughts (in a general, non-specific way).

I'm pretty sure this is not reportable any other way than a good old-fashioned visit though. Sigh.

Posted 12 years ago #
cb
Member

The lights in each direction are definitely in sync? This isn't always the case at some junctions. (I haven't actually watched the vid)

Posted 12 years ago #
Cyclops
Member

There does seem to be a far greater propensity for drivers to run temporary lights as opposed to permanent ones. Perhaps this is due to the urban myth I've heard quoted more than once that temporary lights are only advisory.

Posted 12 years ago #
chdot
Admin

But is it an urban myth?

Posted 12 years ago #
Kenny
Member

That's a fair point, Cyclops - I have noticed an incredibly larger number of red light jumping cars on temporary lights than in comparison to "real" ones. I always put it down to the fact that temporary lights are rarely in sync, and indeed give "too much" time for people to get to the other side, so jumping the red doesn't supposedly slow cars going the other direction.

One other thing is that the guy seemed totally calm and rational - I didn't think he was smug in the video. So in this instance, I'm suspecting he might well have been ok and really did go through on amber. As others have said, the red you saw was facing the other direction, and maybe they were not in sync. If they *are* in sync, though, then he's totally in the wrong.

Posted 12 years ago #
Cyclops
Member

"But is it an urban myth?"

Failing to adhere to temporary traffic lights is an offence. However if the contractor has not got the necessary traffic order from the council you may be able to argue your way out of it in court.

Posted 12 years ago #
Dave
Member

This is a good point and one I didn't consider (since it's just a pedestrian crossing, and not a junction where the lights are set far apart).

Mission for today: find out if the lights are in sync...

Posted 12 years ago #
chdot
Admin

@Cyclops - yes that makes sense.

"However if the contractor has not got the necessary traffic order from the council"

I suspect that is inevitable for 'emergency lights'

But you'd hope they'd get one for pre-planned locations.

Wonder where that puts the Melville Drive lights...

Posted 12 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

Pretty sure they ARE in sync. My query was more that the lights are 20 yards apart, it's clear they're red on THIS side when the cars go through THIS side, but were they already red when they wet through the set facing them? The video doesn't show the lights actually changing to red so it's not clear.

Edit: have watched again full screen and you can see when the lights go amber. The first car, I'm pretty sure, hasn't jumped on the other side. The second car? It's tight, maybe, maybe not. I'd say definitely nowhere near clear enough for any action though.

Posted 12 years ago #
custard
Member

what you really need is someone at the car lights,to signal when they go red(and amber for time check)
then someone at the ped/bike crossing to note the time to change to green for peds/bikes

Posted 12 years ago #
bdellar
Member

When they closed off the left turn from Pilrig Street into Leith Walk a while back for road works, about one car in three still took the turn, and just drove across the pedestrian green man. So yeah, people feel OK about ignoring temporary restrictions, I'd say.

Posted 12 years ago #
Kim
Member

Red light jumping is riff, you have only to watch a signalised junction for a few phases of the lights to see people driving through a red light. Sadly many driver fail to understand Highway Code Rules 175, 176 & 178 or that an "AMBER means ‘Stop’ at the stop line. You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident".

As a cyclists I find it particularly annoying when I have stopped at the Amber light to be overtaken by drivers who then go through the red. On two occasions in the last few months I have had this happen where the drivers have narrowly avoided hitting pedestrians who were crossing as the green man was showing.

A major problem is the lack on enforcement which has lead to the wide spread culture of the sacred driving licence, it is OK to kill people so long as to are in the driving seat.

Posted 12 years ago #