3 Dimerits for going through an amber light????????

[Fyfey]

Ok here's the story....
Was driving this morning and as it was wet and there was no white lines on the road due to road resurfacing i miss judged wether or not i could stop safely so i proceeded through the lights. I was then pulled over and the cops said i could of stopped and that i speed up to get through......i replied with maybe i could of but it was a judgement decision and i did not feel as though i could of done and also that i was not speeding but simply regaining speed after attempting to slow down.

They didn't seem to care much and they took down my details and when i asked if it was a fine or loss of points they said 3 dimerits and a fine, i think this is farken harsh as considering it wasn't as though i was running a red light or anything. I am going to get a photo of the road tomorro for evidence why i miss judged the lights (no lines). The funny thing is i didn't recieve any tickets or anything they just took my details and drove off. Could it be possible that they were just trying to scare me or don't they usually give you anything for speeding up through an amber light.

Ow also the cop said "amber means stop" clearly he didnt pay much attension in road rules i wish i had said then what does red mean? amber means stop if it is safe to do so and i made the decision that it wasnt and as i am a licensed driver that is my right to make.

What do you guys think? they just trying to scare me or what?

Jamie.

 

[brisvr4]

I'm not too sure how it works down there but they can fine you up here in Qld apparently. First i've heard of it though :shock:
http://extraonline.com.au/stories/story/12919.html

 

[OFFON-4]

Thats kinda harsh :roll:

 

[CLuTZ]

If they didnt give you a fine on the spot you should be sweet, unless they were detectives who had nothing better to do and didnt have a tocket book!!

 

[vsthis]

I'm pretty sure they needed to give you a fine on the spot. I'd still go and take photos though just in case.

 

[Fyfey]

Yer will do, they wrote it down in an a4 book but they were normal police. If i do get done i am definatly gonna bring it to them.

 

[matress]

I'd be pissed off... I was always told by driving instructors, etc. that if you don't think you can slow down and stop in time, the go through the lights. What if you skid and stop and the person behind you runs up your ass? I thought that was the point of amber lights. :?

 

[tenji]

yep i was told by a cop that they could fine us for going through a yellow...

 

[HePiL]

i was always under the impression orange meant, "hurry ur black ass up fool"

 

[rock_it]

Strange ... Yeah, I was always told that Amber meant to slow down and stop if safe, or to keep going if it would cause a dangerous situation.

Yet again that is in Sydney, but I have never heard of anyone getting fined for going through an amber light... Otherwise, Red light Cameras would be Amber light Cameras...

Write an exact statement of what happened whilst it is still fresh in your mind. Quote exactly what you said, and the officers response. If it goes to court he will have to write up a fact sheet, and a statement... The more he changes his story the better for you ...

 

[Entaran]

I think you're fucked if you get a fine. Wet roads aren't really an excuse, a torrential downpour is.

It's widely considered that amber light timing is based on safe stopping distances from the speed limit to the light plus a small margin for reaction time. That's why lower speed roads have shorter amber's and higher speed roads have longer ambers.

The only vehicles that can really get away with running an amber is -anything- towing a trailer and any vehicle with a GVM over 3000kg as they have MUCH increased braking distances. Trucks are a prime example.

You will probably not hear a thing, i had the same thing happen to me with a "Careless driving" charge and never heard a fucking thing. And we're going back over 2 years now.

 

[MADVR4]

basically have they got anything to prove it? did they photo u going thru it???

unless they write u a ticket on the spot they then have no proof to stand on and u could dispute it...

i wouldnt worry mate prolly just scaring u... its not a crime to go thru on amber.. its is however a crime to speed up to make it thru an amber...

if you stick to a constant speed and simply think u wouldnt be able to stop that is a judgement call and thats the reason why they have the amber

gl

 

[EVOISM]

i was nearly in the same situation on sunday, bloody pain in the ass determaning where the lines were.

Anyway im pretty sure that to fine someone for going through a red light, they put in the red light cameras, instead of going to court and the cop saying it was red and the driver say it was orange, for example.

u should do what other here hav told u 2, take some photos if u already havent and write down exactly happened and what you said to the cop and what he said to you. just in case.

and if u want to be on the safe side find out if the intersection has a red light camera, i can help you find this out, dnt ask how, see if you can get a copy of the picture taken one second before the light turned red. this mite help you, if not burn it.

good luck

 

[steve]

This happened to a mate of mine's brother a few years ago .. got a ticket and lost a few points for running an amber (NSW rules say amber means stop, red means danger or something along those lines).

Anyway, a few months later, he was being followed by a HWP car in his work ute. Light up ahead when orange, and he jumped on the brakes to avoid another ticket - the cop went straight up his arse :lol:

The cop went nuts at him, he didn't know what to think, poor guy. One guy books him for it, the other one calls him a dickhead for stopping. Anyway, the ute was fine, no damage, so he left without a drama. The tow ball on his ute went through the radiator on the cop's car though, so he had to get the thing towed.

 

[3diamond]

Your not off the hook yet, that you didnt recieve a on the spot fine, they can send you one in the mail too, it can happen.

 

[EVO-00X]

I'd be taking a photo of the missing line ASAP. The Specifications and Standards state that there MUST be a 300mm stop line at all traffic signals intersections whether it be laid down in thermoplastic or waterbase paint. This is a grave safety concern especially if it is at a pedestrian crossing. Call VicRoads now and ask to speak to Traffic Signals department and advise them of the situation and request what the ruling is in regard to the 300mm holding line. Even if you dont get out of the fine, you could be saving a pedestrians life.

 

[Fyfey]

Well i got a notice in the mail today, 3 dimerits and a $220 fine..... also it says i failed to stop on a red light. I went down to the station just before and asked why it said red and the cop replied "same thing" well i dont want it on my record that i ran a red apose to an amber. I used to have a fair bit of respect for police when my mates got speeding fines etc that they were pissed off at i would say well its your fault etc....but when it comes down to could of he stopped or ??????? that doesnt seem like there is enough facts and evidense to lose 3 points and $220 clearly just trying to raise money.
I am going to get the report changed to amber but i am still royally pissed off!

 

[Richard]

If I were you I would take it to court also, get a lawyer to tell you what the law is regarding the issue and if you will even have a case. If you win and happen to get caught speeding etc, at a later stage you wont have a record as a hoon on the police database so you will have more chance of getting out of other offences in the future.