people that do an emergency stop when the lights change are dangerous and wrong

[magrate]

I drive for about two hours everyday for my new job. Have to go through over 20 sets of lights. So many people think that as soon as the lights change you must stop. Aibu to expect people to still go though a second after they go red?

[meglet]

you're not meant to go through on red.

If you can't slow down to stop after its gone amber then you're going too fast.

[usernameiwanted]

Yes yabu! With an attitude like that your going to cause an accident one day. Do you know what amber means?

[Seeline]

Highway code:
175

You MUST stop behind the white ‘Stop’ line across your side of the road unless the light is green. If the amber light appears you may go on only if you have already crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to stop might cause a collision.
Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10 & 36

176

You MUST NOT move forward over the white line when the red light is showing. Only go forward when the traffic lights are green if there is room for you to clear the junction safely or you are taking up a position to turn right. If the traffic lights are not working, treat the situation as you would an unmarked junction and proceed with great care.

YABU and driving illegally.
The amber light is to warn you the lights are changing; you should never go through a red light.

[flora717]

^^ if the car in front of you is stopping for red then you should already be stopping.
Yes. YABU

[LineRunner]

Going through on red is a traffic offence.

[ThatBloodyWoman]

Surely people should already have stopped after red? (non driver)
But a few days after my c section,the car in front slammed the anchors on,on amber,and my dh went into him,in order to avoid our own emergency stop,with me and newborn baby in the car.

[Nicknacky]

Why would you expect people to go through the light when it's red?!

[juneybean]

Eh? Do you actually exist? I can understand sneaking through on amber, but on red? Have a word with yourself.

[magrate]

Well thats kinda what I mean. The set of traffic lights that is the worst is where its 50, the white line is miles away from the lights and the junction. People will cross the line on green, then amber comes on and then they emergency stop as the actual junction is still a few car lengths away

[SanityClause]

No, I think you are wrong. If the light is red when you start to cross, you should have stopped. The trouble is, people don't use the amber light as a warning that the lights will change. They see it as an extension of the green light. The amber light warns you that the red light is imminent. If you are far enough say from the lights that they would be red when you got there, you should stop.

If you are going too fast, so that if the person in front of you decides to stop when they see an amber light means you do an emergency stop, then that is your fault. Back off and slow down a bit, and be more aware.

[seaoflove]

you're not meant to go through on red.

If you can't slow down to stop after its gone amber then you're going too fast.

This.

[TheSitChewAceChien]

Yabu. You are dangerous and wrong.

[TheRealAmandaClarke]

Yabu
Maybe it would be less of a problem if you werent driving up their arses.
I do hope nobody i care about uses any of those 20 crossings you frequent.

[ginmakesitallok]

Yanbu in that they shouldn't have to do an emergency stop to stop at red lights. They should be anticipating a change and driving at a speed that allows them to come to a controlled stop. An amber light means to prepare to stop, it's not a signal to put your foot down and you might just make it (which of course I'd never do

[SanityClause]

Far enough away.

[FiveHoursSleep]

Are you from a different country? Australia, perhaps? I was driving a rental car there about 10 years ago, stopped for a just turned red light and the guy behind me slammed into us , then blamed me for stopping.
I am not from the UK myself, but I do a lot of driving here and it's rare to see someone run a red light.

[Nicknacky]

I don't think a lot of people always realise that Amber means "stop" unless you are too close me stopping may cause an accident or you have already crossed the line.

[Lifesalemon]

You should be anticipating lights to change to amber on approach and be ready to stop so shouldn't need to do an an emergency stop unless you aren't paying attention. If its a problem for you as the driver behind then you are probably driving too close and not anticipating the lights to change either. No one should ever need to go through a red light if they are driving safely.

[HowCanIMissYouIfYouWontGoAway]

yes, you are. People should have prepared to stop before the lights turn red!

I have observed a phenomenon I call 'The Three Car Rule"

when the lights turn to amber, 3 cars will go through. Normally 2 on amber and 1 on red, but sometimes 1 on amber and 2 on red.

So many people feel there's a few seconds grace when the lights turn. There isn't. Red means stop. If someone is going too fast that when the light is red, they have to do an emergency stop, they are going too fast.

A driver can see there are lights ahead. They will normally have seen how many cars have gone through-whether the lights have just changed or whether they changed a minute or so ago. They understand that lights change back and forth. They understand that amber means get ready, red is coming. If they cannot drive accordingly, they have no business being on the road.

[26Point2Miles]

You spend 2 hours a day drivng in your 'new job'.... God help whoever lives near you with that attitude!

[SanityClause]

ThatBloodyWoman, your DH was driving too close to the car in front, if he couldn't stop in time. Also, please explain why it was safer for you and your baby for him to crash, rather than perform a controlled emergency stop.

[JeanneDeMontbaston]

But it's got nothing to do with where the white line is in relation to the junction.

[QuietNinjaTardis]

Amber means stop. If you're going through on red you are breaking the law. I hope you get caught and banned from driving as you are putting peoples lives at risk. You numpty

[SanityClause]

I learnt to drive in Australia, FiveHoursSleep. The law is the same there, ie, don't go through a red light.

There are lots of dickheads in the UK who would do the same as you describe. It wasn't because he was Australian; it was because he was a dickhead.