Temporary traffic lights... stuck on red?

[stuart]

Hi

Now, I know that going through a red light is illegal, quite rightly, but today I had an experience with a set of temporary traffic lights at some road works....

As I approached I could see that the light my side was red, so I stopped at the sign, at this point I was the only vehicle.. this sign was about 30/40 feet away from the red light... but as I should, I stopped. I must have sat there for about 3-4 min and they were still on red (although it did feel a lot longer) by this time 4-5 cars has appeared behind me, still on red...

Just the other side of the sign, about half way between me and the red light, there was a left turn, this would be almost in line with the red light. A car was waiting to turn left, same direction as me... All the time we were waiting, only 2 cars came through the other direction, with quite a while between them..

The car waiting to join the road at the junction, proceeded to pull out, lights still on red, and go through... At this point, as the road is a side road, and it was fairly quite, I proceeded across the red light with care, and through the area they had been working, looking in my mirror the cars behind me were still sitting there, but as I got through the light the other side was red also... So, I suspect they were not working correctly...

Now, as I said going through a red light is a no no... and I cannot remember the last time I encountered a red light stuck... but, the more I think about it the more I think... "did I do the right thing"?

What are you comments in this situation? I know I did break the law, so no lectures please.. .but as I say, they were red as I approached, and still red 3-4 mins later...

Thanks

Stuart

[zollaf]

what are you meant to do, wait at them stuck on red until ?? well, until the red bulb blows, or until the workmen turn up the next morning.

[stuart]

I asked for that :)

[Brycie]

Yeah absolutely I'd say. You know when a long wait is abnormally long and you just have to make a decision to go. The only option is to wait til you see a car coming the other way stop, but if that doesn't happen within 3 or 4 minutes then illegal or not, a common sense decision has to be made based on the fact that the lights are clearly malfunctioning. The only thing I'd maybe do in addition is pull over, look for a helpline number & report the fault.

[stuart]

The only thing I'd maybe do in addition is pull over, look for a helpline number & report the fault.

Never though of that at the time :( I have considered reporting this to the council, but by the time they read that then it will be too late anyway... it would be in the morning...

Just hope one of the cars that did appear behind me whist I was waiting does not report me......

As I say I could see they were on red as I approached, and I did sit there with no one behind for a while... only 2 cars came the other way with a good 20-30 seconds between them...

No excuse, a red light is a red light, and being an "advanced motorist" I should now better, but after 4 mins waiting, although you know this does seem like hours when you are waiting, with nothing going on from the other direction, I suspect a fault......

[Brycie]

It's the way you can feel the eyes burning into the back of your head from the drivers behind you. Then you're trying to guage how long to give the lights without waiting so long that everyone behind you piles past leaving you there like a numpty. That's how I was feeling anyway when the same thing happened.

[stuart]

It is the thought that someone behind thinks "I will report that mad ******* when I get home"....

[zollaf]

are the lights registered ? your local highways dept will tell you. if not, then they are un enforceable, apparently.

Temporary Traffic Lights - Law: England & Wales - PoliceSpecials.com Forum (http://www.policespecials.com/forum/index.php?/topic/20933-temporary-traffic-lights/)

[AN AUDI FAN]

Hi,
Just seen this post so decided to put my 2P in,probably too late but anyway - you can't be prosecuted for jumping red light on TEMPORARY traffic lights.
I work for traffic management company so this is for sure.
Good practice is to pass roadworks with maximum care then stop on other side,look for emergency number on lights and report them broken.If that number cannot be reached - report them to police on non emergency number.This will make everyone's lives easier.
:Blush:

[MFGF]

Hi,
Just seen this post so decided to put my 2P in,probably too late but anyway - you can't be prosecuted for jumping red light on TEMPORARY traffic lights.
I work for traffic management company so this is for sure.
Good practice is to pass roadworks with maximum care then stop on other side,look for emergency number on lights and report them broken.If that number cannot be reached - report them to police on non emergency number.This will make everyone's lives easier.
:Blush:

Really? That's intriguing! Many (many many) years ago I went through a set of temporary traffic lights as the lights were changing to amber. A police panda car was parked in a side street just before the lights, and came screeching out of the side street after me, by which time the lights must have been red for him. He pulled me over and booked me for running a red light. I insisted the light was yellow, but he was adamant I went through on red, and wouldn't hear otherwise. I got three points and a fine. I was young and naive back then - these days I would insist it goes to court if I found myself in a similar situation.

MF.


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[Y90USF]

I heard from a friend at work who got pulled over going through a red at temporary traffic lights and they could not prosecute as they were temporary lights and unit fixed

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[stuart]

The law states they do have the same legal standing as fixed lights...


Taken from the Highway Code:-

109

Traffic light signals and traffic signs. You MUST obey all traffic light signals (see 'Light signals controlling traffic') and traffic signs giving orders, including temporary signals and signs (see 'Signs giving orders', 'Warning signs', 'Direction signs'). Make sure you know, understand and act on all other traffic and information signs and road markings (see 'Signs giving orders', 'Warning signs', 'Direction signs', 'Information signs', 'Road markings' and 'Vehicle markings').


Traffic signal regulations are an Absolute. There are no grey areas.


However, the law does allow for a driver to proceed beyond a red light, but only in specific situations.
1.When directed to by a police officer, or other authorized person (such as highways agency officer, traffic warden, or pedestrian crossing attendant, IN UNIFORM (or works personnel in clearly defined clothing) and who is also controlling traffic from all directions or a group of such authorised persons working in conjunction with each other.

2.In an emergency. (The emergency would involve IMMEDIATE DANGER TO the driver or an occupant if he remained before the stop line).

3.In the event of the lights not operating correctly, and only after the driver has satisfied himself that the lights are indeed defective AND the road is clear AND it is safe for him to do so. The exception to this is at a level crossing, where NO ROAD USER (vehicle or pedestrian) may cross at a red light, AT ANY TIME. Instead, a telephone or contact number is supplied to report the defective lights and for the driver to await permission to proceed from the level crossing operator.

It is an offence for ANY driver to proceed beyond a stop line (or stop/wait board at temporary lights) for any other reason, including to make easier passage for emergency vehicles. DON'T DO IT !!!!

Although emergency vehicle drivers have dispensation from being required to having to stop at the stop line, the law offers them no protection from prosecution if they are involved in an incident that would not have occurred had they sropped.

The red light carries the meaning of Give Way, to an emergency vehicle driver in the course of his duty.

Relevent regulations are RTA, TSR(GD),ZPPPCR, MV(C+U)R.

[Y90USF]

Aaahhh you learn something new everyday!!

[Hex69]

Indeed, having recently done the Streetworks - Signing, Lighting and Guarding qualification, I concur.

"Portable signal heads operating in vehicle-actuated (VA) mode (preferred by the DfT) are fitted with microwave (muwave) detectors - the boxes mounted above (usually) the signal heads.

Note that vehicles approaching at speeds lower than 10mph between 5 to 40m upstream from the detector will not be detected, so don't approach at a low speed in the expectation that the signals will change as you get to them. [So approach at the speed limit and brake hard to a stop right on the 'line'. http://www.pistonheads.com/inc/images/wink.gif] BTW, there's no point flashing at the lights to try and turn them green, as they work on a doppler shift.

To 'ensure' vehicles are not left waiting too long, the sequence controller has a 'nudge' function that forces a system cycle approximately every 2.5 minutes.

In VA mode, if there are no approaching vehicles, the signals will revert to red in both directions. The first vehicle to arrive will register a demand for the signals to change on that approach.

The detectors do not react to departing vehicles.

One of the problems with temporary traffic signals triggered by muwave, is that, if the muwave head is not properly aligned, an approaching vehicle will not trigger a change (even at higher than 10mph).

A 'fun' trick therefore is to turn the muwave heads at both ends of the controlled section so that they point back along the section. This way, the head triggers a change at one end when it sees a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction! Although there is a time delay, if there are numerous vehicles approaching, the opposing light can switch to the 'green' aspect while there is still traffic in the controlled section.

There are detectors that transmit fore and aft, using discrimination to determine whether it is safe to change the aspect of the signal."

[ruggedscot]

The temporary traffic light is a grey area - there has to be a legal instrument passed to make a light enforceable - this is why you see in the broadsheets an application by a council to install and operate a set of traffic lights at a particular point. It is this legal instrument that gives the traffic lights the legal power to control traffic - if this didnt happen then anyone could go and set up a set of traffic lights and cause mayhem.

However and this is a big but if you go through a red light and have an accident then you would be pretty exposed to being prosecuted for a number of reasons - and mutliple offences would probably apply. Generally it would be to the discretion of the police and they would take in all factors like if the lights were goosed etc,