Do you stop and wait for the light to go green at traffic lights even if you can clearly see there’s no one coming the other way?
Posted by RepulsiveMaximum3200@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 57 comments
I need to get up really early for work so often when I’m driving to work there’s hardly anyone else on the road. If I come up to a set of traffic lights that are red and I can clearly see there’s no one else around, I just go. Waiting unnecessarily seems incredibly stupid to me especially on the occasion that I’m running slightly late. What are your thoughts on this?
Dimac99@reddit
I hope you get done for it. I really, really hope it's not after causing an accident. The only excuse anybody would ever have in that situation would be if they sat there for long enough that it was clear the lights were faulty, in which case they would be reporting them asap.
yessirnosirmaybesirr@reddit
Temporary road works? sure if I can see well ahead. Actually traffic lights? Nah too scared of a camera or some dickhead late for work going far too fast
Mr_Bumcrest@reddit
Still illegal chap
yessirnosirmaybesirr@reddit
Indeed it is.
Mr_Bumcrest@reddit
I agree with you. I also take things that don't belong to me .
ChrisRR@reddit
You are totally in the wrong here
TangoMikeOne@reddit
Always - to go through a red light, whether you blow through at 60mph or roll through at 20mph is a criminal offence (driving without due care and attention at minimum). You won't be spotted by a cozzer until you do, and then you could be fucked.
The only exception I make, and which I think a policeman might accept mitigation for (but which the officer might proceed with, rather than letting it go at the roadside) is temporary traffic lights that have stopped cycling... but I still wait a good 4 or 5 minutes before I attempt to cross a red.
iffyClyro@reddit
Pretty sure there are caveats in the road traffic act regarding temporary lights.
However I’ve been sat at lights where you simply can’t see far enough along to know if the other vehicles are also sitting still at which point if you go and go slowly that’s alright until you meet someone in the middle and have nowhere to go.
You’d think by now with all the advances in technology, we could have temp lights that actually work.
Lonely-Job484@reddit
I've had the 'opposite' debate a fair few times. Most people will stop, at 3am in a deserted area, for a red light. Most people will also habitually speed, regardless of hazards/risks. The risk and impact of crossing that red is essentially zero whereas speeding increases chance of serious injury/fatality in an accident, and increases the chance of an accident, so it seems odd that someone is comfortable doing the latter but not the former.
I've been told some lights have cameras, but I'm not sure if that's true.
Effective-Bar-6761@reddit
Many traffic lights have cameras - I’m genuinely surprised that you would doubt this. Do you live in a very rural area? In towns and cities I would absolutely expect a camera to catch you running a red light at a junction, entering a no entry road, performing an illegal u turn or stopping in a yellow box. They are everywhere!
Lonely-Job484@reddit
Didn't say I doubted it, just that I wasn't sure if it was true as it's only based on some people saying it.
oliverprose@reddit
Every light I've seen which had a camera was so blatantly obvious that it should probably be a more severe punishment if you don't see it and get caught.
On the majority though, there's usually a reason why a junction would have lights instead of a stop sign, or even a give way - it's either traffic flow or there's factors in play which mean taking those choices away is better for everyone, like it being tight for trucks or buses and therefore having no vehicles entering while they do their thing is best. Those are the reasons why I'll always stop for a red.
_real_ooliver_@reddit
Not very many lights actually have cameras honestly. People are seeing a lot of sensors but red light cameras are pretty rare. Red light cameras are only automatic, anyone recording the crime could still get someone prosecuted anyway.
spoo4brains@reddit
I hope you get caught.
payattention007@reddit
You're clearly a very selfish person so I'm not going to waste time appealing to you to stop this because you could injure or kill somebody, but if you get caught doing this you risk losing your licence then when you can't get to work in the future your job.
_cjplusplus_@reddit
Interesting.
What I would suggest is:
1) Make a video of yourself doing this multiple times and explain that you are doing it because you don’t want to wait 2) Send the video to the police’s very useful advice portal. It’s called something like Operation Snap (it means “ooo Snap that’s a good idea!”) 3) Wait for them to contact you about it. I’m sure they’ll have some useful advice
_cjplusplus_@reddit
Over here, officer
Mrs_B-@reddit
I drive early and I wait. It's only a couple of minutes.
Obviously I don't know the sort of road you are on, but you never know if someone is going to come bombing along (especially when the roads are quiet,). Or a pedestrian in dark clothing running out because they can cross.
Western-Caregiver897@reddit
Exactly this. You’ve only got one point of view, one angle. A pedestrian, possibly a jogger with headphones on, could think it’s safe to cross.
GrimQuim@reddit
I run, I run early too so for ⅗ of the year it's dark. Cunts like OP are going to be the death of me, pedestrian crossings ignored, lights ignored, providing zero passing space. Always worst first thing because they've not yet been to the garage for their machine costa and vape.
Dazz316@reddit
"I didn't see anyone coming" is probably the excuse of many people in a wrecked car who thought they could go on red.
Over-Language2599@reddit
It's certainly the excuse of many drivers who've killed someone with their car.
Purp1eMagpie@reddit
Yes because you generally can't see perfectly in all directions...hence the traffic lights. I'd rather wait a few seconds than be a self important cunt that ends up killing someone
iffyClyro@reddit
This has to be rage bait.
Running a red light will not save you enough time if you’re running late that you’ll suddenly be on time.
I’d be curious if you learned to drive and sat your test in the UK?
Your approach seems very continental.
Jazzlike-Basil1355@reddit
As a police officer, caught a bloke in a camper in the small hours jumping a red light. Stopped him for a check - alcohol, drugs, condition of vehicle and to warn him about the red light. He didn’t listen, and basically said so what. His driving standards were not going to change and he earned three points.
Lost-in-Limbo@reddit
Do that around here and you're likely to end up with a stack of tickets!
AdSpiritual3625@reddit
i get the frustration but running red lights is risky and illegal habits build fast and one mistake can cost more than a few seconds safer to wait honestly
AwkwardTie9427@reddit
The principle from the Highway code says STOP at red, regardless of whether you can see traffic or not. Can you imagine if there was a Police officer with a camera hidden around a corner? I wouldn't ever take that chance mate!
Historical_Heron4801@reddit
If being on time is too important to follow basic safety rules, please consider to too important to hit the snooze button for.
West_Yorkshire@reddit
Please don't ever drive through or near Yorkshire
Arbycutter@reddit
A slave to the machines
Foxtrot7888@reddit
I would always wait at a red light even if there’s nobody else around.
ClimbsNFlysThings@reddit
Yes. Always.
TerpzArmy@reddit
This has to be bait???
You’ve labelled it “incredibly stupid” to stop at red lights which might be the most incorrect thing ever on the internet.
Legal_Alternative258@reddit
Crap bait.
peppermint_aero@reddit
The whole point of traffic lights is they take over the judgement of whether waiting is "necessary".
If someone else comes up to the crossing full pelt and sees a green light, they also won't wait "unnecessarily".
Just imagine explaining this in court or to a police officer or, god forbid, a coroner after an accident.
VisibleOtter@reddit
On a bicycle occasionally, after checking thoroughly. On my motorbike or in my car, absolutely not. What are you thinking of?
Tuarangi@reddit
Bike you occasionally have to if your weight/bike is not triggering the sensors if they don't have a radar type device!
GreenMist1980@reddit
Red means stop, green means go. You never know who has a camera pointed at a junction.
Tuarangi@reddit
As the OP doesn't seem to understand rules, I'd add - amber means stop too unless you already crossed the line or would cause an accident by stopping and doesn't mean go when it changes back. Green is proceed if the road is safe and clear to do so - to avoid being hit by OP!
Odd-Quail01@reddit
I get up really early for work and walk. There have been occasions I've been crossing at lights and a driver hasn't seen me and narrowly missed ending me. One guy actually sped up.
You're a road hazard everyone else has to be extra careful of.
Spiritual-Tree-77@reddit
1) Being late is your problem, not the traffic lights 2) Are you really saving that much time? 3) You're reinforcing a behaviour based on the the feeling that you know better than the laws of the road. This behaviour will one day get you or more likely someone else severely hurt or killed.
Get up earlier, be more patient, accept that being a few seconds or even minutes late is not the end of the world!
Opposite-Mediocre@reddit
This is reddit pal. How dare you suggest not following the rules of the road!
SLN1799@reddit
Just don’t run late. Running red lights is dangerous and illegal and you should be stripped of your license
Admirable_Durian4780@reddit
This is obviously a stupid thing to do.
Altruistic-Medium-23@reddit
Sounds like a great way to lose your license or worse
BreqsCousin@reddit
I hope you learn your lesson by getting caught rather than learning it by hurting someone.
Anxious_wank@reddit
Yeah, I don't bother with traffic rules that my license depends on, and large parts of my life require, saving 20 seconds is more important.
damianvandoom@reddit
Na. Stopping at a red light is a ‘must’ in the Highway Code, and therefore backed by law. I’ve no interest in breaking the law for this.
Also, I wouldn’t want to introduce that mindset in to my head, as you might start taking bigger risks as you get complacent, and then start breaking more laws because if suits you.
Real_Palpitation_728@reddit
You shouldn’t have a license for even questioning it
Western-Caregiver897@reddit
Christ no.
Bumpyslide@reddit
Yes always wait
Aggravating-Web-3050@reddit
Actual traffic light? No never. Temporary roadwork ones, sometimes
wrongfully-banned@reddit
What you are doing is stupid and illegal.
FinanceBloke99@reddit
Dangerous and bang out of order.
Fatty4forks@reddit
Depends. If it’s roadworks and there’s clearly no-one around, no side entrances, deserted road and you’ve seen ahead for a clear 20m or so… probably ok. If it’s fixed lights and hidden entrances, even one other car, absolutely not. I’d feel like a criminal. Would just sit there on my phone until it changed. (Joke, btw.)
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