Just been caught going through a red light.

J

JMG-4523

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Hi,

I have just been caught going through a red light in a Horsebox.

The problem is - the lights change so quickly if i had stopped the horses could have been injured or I would have stopped half way through the junction, which surely is more dangerous.

I was only going 25 mph (its an M reg 7.5 Ton truck so is old and its stopping distances are huge !!) so I wasn't by any stretch speeding, but there just simply wasn't enough time to stop without potential damage to the horses or stopping in the middle of the junction.

Usually i just stop anyway on the off chance they will change but on this occasion I didn't !!!

I know the police will just think that I should have stopped and to hell with the welfare of the animals, but I just wondered if anyone had had a similar problem, and whether its worth appealing. Or do I just accept the points and have done?
 
The police will say you should have been going slow enough to stop safely with the horses? Lights would have been on amber for a few seconds first... sorry but what if you hit something or someone because you ran a red light?
 
I got pulled for going through an amber light with the trailer & 2 horses in. Got a proper telling off & they didn't care less that I had livestock on :( would have had to do an emergency stop as I was on top of it when it changed & was doing about 25mph :(
 
Just another thought, might be worth mentioning the timing of the lights to the council, maybe they are changing too fast, will be much bigger vehicles than you about I am sure X
 
I've been towing a trailer for most of the afternoon today.

Nearly every set of lights was against us :(

A few of them I was going slowly, trying not to p'off the people behind and have them overtake in silly places, etc., when I just got to the lights they changed to amber, no chance of me stopping without having a pony shot through and into our laps, and by the time I'd reached the other side of the lights, they were on red for me. No idea if any cameras on any of it, but I would fight my position if there were!
 
Oops - I wouldn't mention that as your box is old it takes ages to stop!! The brakes should work well whatever the age of it! If I were you I'd just take it on the chin and pay the fine - put it down to experience.
 
I sympathise. I have never run a red light, but I have come close. There are a few lights round here that do change fast.........and yes, you do approach them in preparation that they may change, but its literally 2 sec sof amber then RED, bam there it is. Had one today that I was doing 30 in a 40 - as had just come off roundabout and it was a crossing and runners were about to cross so obv had to brake and due to the rain we skidded a bit...........scared the **** out of emma. I couldnt see the crossing till fairly close due to a van on my left hand side and was a 3 lane road.

I was told in lessons that if you approach a light and LITERALLY as you come uip to it it goes amber you are to continue IF stopping is more dangerous - as in skidding etc. But I think it is LITERALLY, as in you are DIRECTLY in front and it changes.
 
I got £60 fine & 3 points a few years ago. 7.15 am on a sunday morning, well under speed limit, nothing waiting at the lights until a mini pulled up just as I had gone pased the point of no return, lights changed in moments. No chance in stopping before the lights, if I had pulled to a stop I would have been right accross the junction so I decided to keep going. Might have made a different decision if the roads had been busy.
 
I do a fair bit of towing with horses and am constantly frustrated by the speed at which lights change through amber. I always slow down for traffic lights when they are green, anticipating that they may change, but often squeak through on amber lights because I don't want to apply sudden braking. So far haven't been caught by a red light but can easily see how it could happen.

(and there is nothing wrong with my driving training or experience)

For those who asked how you would stop in an emergency if you can't react to the lights fast enough, it is completely different, in an emergency you would have to brake (or deviate) and deal with the consequences to your horses afterwards
 
the watcher said:
I do a fair bit of towing with horses and am constantly frustrated by the speed at which lights change through amber. I always slow down for traffic lights when they are green, anticipating that they may change, but often squeak through on amber lights because I don't want to apply sudden braking. So far haven't been caught by a red light but can easily see how it could happen.

(and there is nothing wrong with my driving training or experience)

For those who asked how you would stop in an emergency if you can't react to the lights fast enough, it is completely different, in an emergency you would have to brake (or deviate) and deal with the consequences to your horses afterwards
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Couldn't have put it better myself!
 
This has happened with us before and we wrote a letter to them explaining the situation and they let us off it x

Worth a try at least x Good luck x
 
As the driver of large vehicle, if you've had lessons and passed a test that is, you should have been taught to anticipate lights changing and being prepared to stop. More so when you've horses on board who wouldn't appreciate an emergency stop! Read the road better!
 
As others have said, worth a try because of horses on board but I doubt you'll have any success. And for god's sake don't mention that your lorry is old and can't stop within normal limits because they'll throw the book at you for driving a non-roadworthy vehicle on a public highway! How did it get through its plating???
 
I sympathise with the OP, it is easily done, however much you anticipate because some times the lights DO change quickly and it is hard to stop quickly with a load on. It might be worth writing, but don't put your hopes up.
 
Miss L Toe said:
Driver error I am afraid, you have to watch what is happening and slow down if you think lights will change.
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Exactly. If you know your box takes ages to slow down (which is worrying in itself!) then you should allow for that by pretty much expecting every light to turn red, then you're prepared for it every time. I drive my horse and trailer, have never yet had to go through a red light because it would have been to harsh to break, if you go slow enough in the first place...
 
MagicMelon said:
Exactly. If you know your box takes ages to slow down (which is worrying in itself!) then you should allow for that by pretty much expecting every light to turn red, then you're prepared for it every time. I drive my horse and trailer, have never yet had to go through a red light because it would have been to harsh to break, if you go slow enough in the first place...
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So you (and others who have said similar) go through every green light you come across at approx 10mph?

Because round here that is what I would need to do to stop softly for my horse with 2 seconds of amber notice!

I drive considerately, I slow down on approach to green traffic lights, yet I often take the decision to cross them as they change amber. A couple of times I've conciously evaluated the situation and chosen to cross just at the point they turn red rather than break too sharply - I'm lucky I haven't been caught but I have often wondered whether the police would take a realistic view of the situation or follow the letter of the law!

FWIW lorry brakes are fine, and in an emergency I could stop pronto (and then pick horse up off the floor after!) If I crawled through every set of green lights I would have some very frustrated car drivers to contend with which in itself could put other road users at more risk.
 
I was taught in driving lessons that if you are too close to the lights as they change, then you are committed to crossing them, no matter whether its amber or red, you are committed to going and it is unsafe to slam to a halt.
If this is what's said in lessons, then your explanation of horses on board - you should be fine!
 
I'd agree with the comments regarding committing yourself to going.

In my driving lessons I was always told you check your mirrors on approach to the lights; if you get close and the lights change that is when you make the decision regarding going or stopping. To stop and throw horses around could consequently cause an accident and therefore to continue going would be the safer option although I also agree with approaching the lights at an appropriate speed.

Worth reading the highway code regarding it... there might be some small print....... or something....... somewhere?

Animal Welfare act suggests driving considerately and protecting them against unnecessary suffering... lol.
 
ihatework said:
So you (and others who have said similar) go through every green light you come across at approx 10mph?

I drive considerately, I slow down on approach to green traffic lights, yet I often take the decision to cross them as they change amber. A couple of times I've conciously evaluated the situation and chosen to cross just at the point they turn red rather than break too sharply - I'm lucky I haven't been caught but I have often wondered whether the police would take a realistic view of the situation or follow the letter of the law!
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This ^^. I transport horses a lot and most of my travelling is on dual carriageways which happen to have traffic lights at some of the major intersections. There is no way I could drive on these roads at 10 or 20 mph every time I crossed a lighted intersection as I would be deemed a nuisance driver. I do slow down when coming up to intersections however there are still times where those lights change at the most inopportune time and you have to make a decision to go through and keep your horses safe or break that little bit harder than you would like, and know your horses are going to have a rough couple of minutes. Well sorry but I'm often transporting youngstock, little babies to be precise and I am just not willing to risk damage to them so if I'm ever caught and get done for it, heck yes I'll appeal!
 
This happened to a friend of mine transporting a horse to the vet's. She wrote a letter explaining what had happened and she never heard from them again.

Definitely worth writing and appealing it can't do any harm.
 
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