Roadsense

[sad old git]

What are the "rules" for driving though an amber traffic light at a controled crossroads when someone is waiting to turn right and cannot because of the driver shooting the lights.? If a collision had occured who would be at fault?

[R1Geezer]

Amber means "stop", That's unambiguous.

[oldmaggie]

Amber is not stop, it not illegal to go through the lights at amber. You can be fined if the lights turn red as you go through them

[Toureman]

The Geezer is right !

The sad old git and oldmaggie are wrong!

To quote the highway code, do you two remember that?....

"At junctions controlled by traffic lights , you MUST stop behind the white stop line across your side of the road unless the light is green. you MUST NOT move forward when the red and amber lights are showing"

Do not go forward when the traffic lights are green unless there is room for you to clear the junction safely or you are taking up a position to turn right.

[johnny37]

Not sure whose right of way it would be in the above example but amber means stop if it is safe to do so.

[Toureman]

Sorry, johhny, i didn't know the highway code was wrong ??????

[sigma]

You have positioned yourself at the centre of the junction for turning right but are prevented from doing so by on coming traffic. The lights turn to amber, if you move forward and are hit by an on coming vehicle, you would be at fault for passing through their line of travel. You can only proceed if safe to do so,ie the on coming traffic has stopped. Don't assume that because your lights have changed to amber and then red that their lights have also changed.

[johnny37]

Toureman,

Highway code on traffic lights says:

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.

[johnny37]

ps It was not my intentionto query your answer. It was posted before I read it. As you said The Geezer is right!

[Ethel]

The HIghway Code is mostly advisory - it is not 'the law'. Where the law is stated, the relevant legislation is quoted.

It is legal to drive through amber lights:

"Amber� this warns traffic that it should stop unless it is unsafe to do so. In the UK it is legal to pass through an amber light, as the phase exists to warn drivers not yet at the junction that they will have to stop."

[R1Geezer]

The wisdom of the Geezer wins again!

[oldmaggie]

Toureman my answer was not incorrect. Get your facts right before you say a magistrates answer is wrong

[R1Geezer]

so the highway code is wrong then is it maggie?

[TCL-MUMPING]

oldmaggie The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 36 e) states

" the amber signal shall, when shown alone, convey the same prohibition as the red signal, except that, as respects any vehicle which is so close to the stop line that it cannot safely be stopped without proceeding beyond the stop line, it shall convey the same indication as the green signal or green arrow signal which was shown immediately before it; "

[rojash]

So OldMaggie was right and R1Geezer was wrong after all then...

[sad old git]

many thanks to you all. I suppose if everyone drove sensibly there wouldn't be any accidents but that is pie in the sky. Thanks again and drive carefully.

[R1Geezer]

99% of the time amber merans stop ok, pedant features. So you'd go with the 1% would you rojash, right oh!

[rojash]

Well, no - I was going with the The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 36 e)

but sorry if I made you stamp your feet and sulk - I didn't mean to...

[R1Geezer]

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport /Highwaycode/Signsandmarkings/index.htm

Governement web site

see the first PDF "Light signals controlling traffic". The only place it says amber means anything other than stop is when you have already crossed the stop line. So in reality most of the time Amber means stop. Can you show me where it says otherwise? You don't have to be contrary just for the sake of it.

Jesus on a bike I was told this in 1982 when I was learning, nothing new!

[rojash]

Nice case of selective quoting R1Geezer.

I followed your link, and in fact it says "you may go on only if you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident"

It's always a good idea to quote accurately if you are going to provide a link to the original, otherwise people might think you are telling porkies just to prove your point...