Unintentionally went through a red

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Hi

I’ve moved to a brand new city and stupidly whilst driving think I went through a red. I can’t be certain as to whether it was outright red as it was orange when I was going through but definitely turned red.

It was in ‘a traffic enforcement area’ so I am fully expecting to be fined/points. I even went to slow down for it but the car behind was quite up my tail so I didn’t feel I could safely stop without causing a crash. The car behind did stop but right at the line.

I’ve looked it up and it’s £100 fine and 3 points which last 4 years which in the scheme of things is quite light really. But I am mortified and feel bad. I’ve been (the only one) sticking to the speed limits but this was just me being stupid really.

I don’t even know why I’m posting but does anyone know how long it takes for the fine/ letter to come through?

Many thanks

It’s extremely rare that you can excuse going through a red light. I had to do an awareness course and someone on there went through a red light so an ambulance could get by.

Never cross the line at a red light to allow emergency services through. They will find a way to get by.

With regards to the letter, they have to be sent out within 14 days (so the date on the letter has to be within 14 days of the incident) but if it arrives a couple of days late it's still valid.

With regards to colour blindness, UK traffic lights can be quite confusing especially when there are arrows. There are a lot of exceptions to always having three lights in vertical order, once you start looking!

My brother in law is colour blind, drove comfortably in Australia and America, moved to London and stopped driving, he just doesn't feel he can judge the roads safely here.

Thanks everyone, so grateful

I’ve been overthinking it now so going to forget about it and see if I get a NIP within 14 days.

Lesson well and truly learnt.

May or not be fined and points, but still well and truly learnt

For all those that think I shouldn’t be driving. I have driven for 35 years with only one accident and that wasn’t my fault (speeding motorist couldn’t stop so rather than go in the back of a jam of stationery vehicles, turned their wheel towards the other carriage way and embedded their car into my rib cage).

Normally I go by the lights at the top and lights at the bottom but sometimes my concentration like every bodies goes awry.
I can see green and red but sometimes the colours don’t register.

Don't feel bad, it's not like you were speeding away from a bank robbery.

I did this once, I was utterly distracted by DS yammering on and the road was completely clear of cars. I felt dreadful, really shook up. He said "Mummy, the light was red, that's naughty". Thank goodness there was no cameras. NEVER again!

Thanks for all the responses, it’s been 7 days and no NIP as of yet but we will see if one comes in the next 7 days

Meh, OP, we've al accidentally done this at some point in our driving lives. It scares you to look back and think how bad an accident you could have caused and to be hyper aware in future . Well, 7 more days and you will know if you have a ticket..

You might be like 90+% of us who weren't caught/ ticketed when we made a driving error. Just remember this and how easy it is to become a bad driver by inattention. Whatever was going on for you that day, give yourself a shake, tell your passengers to tone it down if they were chatting, or stop thinking about a million things when you are driving as your car is a lethal weapon to you and others. I say that as someone who has had to give myself a talking to in the past when I got distracted and went through just as the lights turned red - luckily with no ill effect but I was so cross and upset at myself

@IfIHadAHeart

Only if the OP is the registered keeper of the vehicle. If she isn't it could take longer.

The amber would have been amber for 2.9 seconds prior to switching to red. The camera would only activate if you crossed the loops on the road when it was red. It wouldn't activate when on amber because that of course isnt an offence.

OP where abouts in Scotland are you? It could be that whilst Scotland do not offer a scheme (if you are eligible) you could cross over to Cumbria/or similar county and attend there if you are offered?

Thanks everyone

According to google the scheme has to be offered where the driving offence occurred.

And I am the main driver of the car but not the registered owner, it would go to my parents house , who I have given the heads up.

From what google told me (could be wrong) the NIP would be sent to the registered owner within 14 days and then I’d have to identify myself on that, to receive the actual prosecution thing after that.

I've done it and was really shaken and upset by it. Luckily it was late at night and no other cars or pedestrians in sight, so it didn't cause any harm.

It's very unlikely there was a camera on the red, unless it's a major junction where lots of accidents happen.

If Edinburgh the traffic lights here at junctions are completely ridiculous and dangerous for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers.

I've done it and got done for it. I used to almost panic when the light went orange, slow down, then realise I couldn't actually stop in time and go through, but because I had slowed so much, it was by then well and truly red. Since then I am a bit more relaxed and just keep going when it goes orange if I'm too close to stop. Sounds stupid I know! Partly as I used to live in Liverpool but then moved away, and as anyone in Liverpool knows, it's completely normal to carry on through for about 4 or 5 cars after it's gone red.

Anyway I did the driver awareness course and they said you are supposed to stop on amber, the light is on amber for 3 seconds and then you get 1 seconds grace once it's turned red. So from the time it goes amber you have 4 seconds before you will get ticketed. That is to cross the white line - not clear the entire junction.

Interestingly as pp have said, you can still get done for crossing the white line to let an ambulance through, it's not an excuse even if you only pull slightly over the white line.

Try not to worry yourself, OP. I think you probably would have received the NIP by now. Even if you were caught, at least you know in your conscience that it was a genuine mistake and nobody was hurt. I don’t know a single driver that hasn’t made the tiniest of errors before.

A couple of years ago I was trying to slow down for an amber but my foot slipped under my brake pedal and got stuck. I was trying to pull my foot out from under my pedal while keeping a hand on the wheel and an eye on the road ahead, scariest few seconds of my life! My wheels went over the line about half a second after the lights turned red. To this day I’m still convinced that every letter I get through the post is an NIP for the one and only traffic offence I have ever committed well over two years ago 🙄 also, how unbelievable would that excuse be?! “Sorry officer, I was trying to brake but my foot got stuck” 😂