Red Light Camera - Red & Amber

[MarkJ]

I'm after a bit of advice really. This morning on the bike I'm sat at some traffic lights which cover a junction. They're covered by a red light camera and my bike is just behind the solid white line. As the lights go red & amber I begin to set off (I know, I know, you're only supposed to set off when they're green) as I've been sat in first gear with the clutch in. Not a race start but normal bike setting off speed (so faster than a car).

I just wondered if I have been snapped or not? I know that while ever the light is red I shouldn't be crossing the line so no need to tell me. The lights were green by the time half my bike was over the white line and definitely green when I was on the actual intersection.

When does the camera actually turn off? When the amber light comes on or when the red goes off? If I have been snapped and anyone looked at the picture it would be obvious I'd set off from standing still - I was probably only doing 10mph in the middle of the junction.

Edit: Forgot to mention, it's a 40 limit dual carriageway, link of the junction here. I was on the southbound side, the white line is the one that the red car is straddling. The light would have been green when I was in that same position.

[NSR Mick]

If you have been snapped the picture will show the lights on the other side.

Red and amber could be a bit of a grey area.
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[NexusDragon]

Fairly sure those cameras are only meant to catch people jumping the red light. There is a horrible junction I use regularly that always seems to go red just as I approach it meaning you gotta slam the brakes on, even worse when its 40mph road. I've gone through it on an amber a couple of occasions without a fuss, the camera only arms once the traffic light turns red. If you were flashed, I'm sure you would have seen it go off!
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[MarkJ]

I doubt I would have seen it go off unless the flash is like a floodlight - it was daylight and I don't have a left side mirror as it broke the other day

[Finglonga]

[MarJay]

My driving instructor told me I should always go on red amber because if I didn't, the driving examiner might think I did not understand what the signal meant...

I think you're OK. The Red light cameras are there to catch people who go through just after the lights are red or when they have been red for some time. I assume they deactivate immediately before the lights go red amber...
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[MarkJ]

To be fair that's what I've been thinking. I think I read somewhere that the cameras take two shots and your speed? The first would have me with my foot just coming off the ground with Red & Amber lights, the second in the middle of the junction with a green light doing 10ish mph

That's if it even took a picture

[thx1138]

[T.C]

Depending on the area you live, some cameras are set on the amber or red/amber phase.

Red = Stop

Amber = A bookable Stop (But there are certain mitigating circumstances when you can pass through amber)

Green = You may pass over the line providing it is safe to do so, it does not mean go.

Red/Amber = You may prepare to move off. It does not mean go, and the failing to conform to a traffic signal offence still applies if you move off and cross the line before the light changes to green.

Thames Valley area have a lot of their camera lights set on the amber or red/amber phase.
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[krebsy]

Red, Amber and Red&Amber all mean Stop. Green is Go/Proceed/ah go on wit' ya etc...

I remember my car instructor saying, "If asked by the examiner, they all mean stop apart from green. If asked about amber it's "Stop", with added "if it is safe to do so or stopping will not cause an accident" if he wants any more..."

K.
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[RatBlack]

It varies with each authority that operate the red light cameras. As TC said Thames Valley operate red/amber phase but I know of some that are set to around half a second into the red phase.

Temporary red light cameras at road works etc have very little leniency set as they are designed to protect the work force.

Traffic Officer mode > You should have stopped at the white line <
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[MattHirst]

Don't you have to be travelling more than 18mph (iirc) to be snapped anyway? It is to allow people to finish their turn if they are caught in the middle of the junction when the lights turn red.

Also, the camera that snaps you will be a foward facing one to get the reg plate and the drivers face. So you should be fine unless you have a plate on the front of your bike
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[MarkJ]

Nah it's a rear facing one. Grey in colour at the left side of the road behind the lights. Thanks for the speed info though, I did read somewhere that the American ones have a minimum trigger speed (although the article never said what it was) and their system looks to work the same way as ours with the underground induction loops.

[yen_powell]

The trigger is a slot cut loop a few feet after the stop line, so just rolling over the line on a red can set them off. The amber before a red lasts for 3 seconds, no matter what the speed limit of the road is.

The red/amber warning that green is about to make an appearance should last for 2 seconds. I have seen cameras go off when vehicles leave the line on a red amber, but I don't know of anyone who was prosecuted for it.
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