I ran through a red light! So ashamed of myself

[MilkyCoffeeAndSkinnySyrup]

I've been driving for 7 years and I ran through a red light for the first time... I am utterly mortified! It was at a junction, it was completely empty and I just drove through it! I thought what the hell was I thinking! I just wasn't thinking... I couldn't see any cameras, and nothing flashed but I hate being dishonest and I am thinking of going to the police station to tell them... will I get disqualified from driving? I'm so stupid! There might have been cameras I will be going back later to check but it's done now :( what should I do?! I've admitted I made a mistake I won't be making any excuses cos it's my own fault

You made a mistake that people make

Not through malice but error

Just learn and move on

I went through a red light I didn't see at a busy junction and caused a massive accident, with injuries.

The police made me do a course. No points, no fine. Although, I had to pay for the course.

I shouldn't imagine the police would be at all interested in you coming in.

Oh op bless you. If you had got caught it would be 3 points on your licence and a small fine. And the police have to catch you doing it either in person or by a camera. I doubt they will do anything if you go to the station other than give you a sympathetic smile. You've leant your lesson, no one was hurt and I'll doubt you'll do it again. Please relax

Either nothing will happen or you'll get a letter where you can either take the 3 points and a fine or you can do a course and not get the points and I think the course costs about the same as the fine anyway so it's worth doing

There are traffic lights near where I live. People go through them on red daily. I so wish there were cameras on them. Would be a fabulous little earner for the local council. It's a staggered crossroads and one of the corners are blind - this also has a pedestrian crossing. One day, someone will be killed.

I did it once. I was pregnant with ds really ill and was driving to work for a 7am start. The road I normally drove was closed and I had to drive a way I'd never driven before. I was sick the whole day googling red light cameras in the area. Turns out there's one in my whole area. Nothing came of it but I've never done it again.

Honestly op relax. It's not the worst driving offence. Nothing will happen.

Yeah another who drove through a red light with a police car right behind me. No other cars in sight. I stopped and so did they (but I don't think they would've had I not). They were lovely and simply told me to be more careful, especially when there was a police car nearby.

Even the most attentive driver has the very occasional once-in-many-years moment where they switch off. DH is a brilliant driver, but I once had to scream at him "There's a cyclist there!" at a junction. He just hadn't seen them. It's good to have a no-consequences reminder that being alert is important. Don't sweat it, you will be watching every other set of lights like a hawk for weeks!

If you hand yourself into police for running a red light, you will be (a) the first person in history to do so, (b) very silly indeed.

Happens all the time where I live.

You won’t get disqualified, points, fine etc.

Don’t go to the police station. That would be an overreaction.

There is a huge roundabout near where my dad lives in east London and when your at one set waiting it’s easy to look up and think the ones further ahead are your ones ( if you get my drift) also they have odd grills across them which makes it harder to see in sunny weather. I’ve seen so many people go through these on red. It’s a very badly designed roundabout and always busy. It’s a wonder nothing has been done about it.

I've done this before. Just see it as a reminder to be aware and vigilant.

Nobody got hurt, nothing got damaged, you probably won't get any points.

Sorry OP, my post came across as being judgy. That was not my intention.

Please do not worry about this at all.

If there's a camera you might get a letter if it was switched on. Chances are that nothing will happen. Seriously don't shop yourself in.

I've done it before at temporary lights. There was no reason for them that i could see, perfectly normal road but with temporary lights on it. i think the lights had been left up but the roadworks taken down. For some reason, i still don't know why, i decided that the lights shouldn't be there and just drove through. Straight away i thought "why the fuck did i just do that!?" Never done it before or since.

lol.

you can find the camera locations online there is usually a 'safety camera parternship' or similar for the county. Most red lights don't have one, so no chance of any punishment.

the penalty for going through a red light is the same as exceeding the speed limit, it's not in fact treated as a serious offence.

I’ve done this. Was in a town I hadn’t been to before and got really confused, went through a red light by accident. Got 3 points and a fine but it had a knock on with my insurance - much higher premiums for a while because it’s apparently a high risk ‘code’

I did this a year or so ago - there were different lights for the different lanes and I looked at the wrong lights. It’s a junction I used to drive through frequently for work so I have no idea why I got it wrong that day, except there wasn’t much traffic so I had no one in front of me. I realised as I went through but no one was hurt or came close to an accident. Rang my husband at work in a panic thinking the police would come and drag me away and he told me not to worry. Everyone makes mistakes and I’m just grateful no one was hurt and I am more diligent/paranoid now about which lights apply to me anywhere!

Don't worry about it, chances are there iare no cameras, you haven't injured anyone or damaged anything, it's all fine. Just try to be more observant next time. You are very unlikely to get any comback from a simple mistake. Each day while driving I eat, put makeup on, play Pokémon go, occasionally speed and I have two bald tyres at the moment. I don't ever get stopped and everything's fine.

Don't beat yourself up over it, but thank your stars that you've had a wake-up to the danger of not concentrating on your driving and no-one was hurt.

It shows with horrifying simplicity how terrible car accidents can happen. Simple loss of awareness for a second.

It will be fine! I was on a roundabout and didn't even seen that there were any traffic lights.

I did that earlier this year, nothing ever happened except I felt mortified and worried for ages every time a brown envelope dropped through the door.

Don't worry! At worst you'll get £100 fine and 3 points, only if a camera caught you.

I thinknyou should go and grass yourselves up as I really want to hear about the coppers' reactions

I have done it. By accident obviously. Three points on my licence and a fine. Same as speeding. I wouldn’t worry too much, these things happen. I’ve never done it again, and I’m sure you won’t either.