HGV Stopping?

Question

I was driving a artic and the lights changed to red and got flashed iv recived the fine and points. thats ok now the but
if i had tryed to stop i would have blocked the road junction and shot the load. iv a few days left to pay the fine and take the points or do i go to court and risk getting the heavyer fine

Answer 1

Well it is perfectly obvious to me what happened.

You had to slow right down and stop because other traffic blocked your progress, right?

Then as the traffic moved away again, you started off in first gear at 3 mph, and most of your vehicle was not across the white-line, but your cab had passed the traffic-lights when the lights changed, right?

Naturally, the lights thought you were a car, and not a 60ft long artic, right?

To have stopped would have caused a major obstruction, by blocking the junction, right?

Get my drift?

Answer 2

Hi Shaun,
I think you're probably guilty (if not this then something else). Seriously, the time the lights are on amber should give enough time to brake from the legal speed. So either you did not notice the amber immediately and brake or you were going too fast (most of us have been guilty of both at times).
If as you said you had stopped causing the load to shoot forwards, the load must have been insecure (another offence), or if not possible to secure the load then you should have been travelling much slower to allow for it.
That would be the view a court would take and they could impose a much heavier penalty.
So pay up and smile (you've been on candid camera), put it down to experience and drive more carefully (easily said).

Answer 3

Sorry mate but you are supposed to anticipate that the lights may change as you approach them and adjust your speed accordingly so that you can stop safely if they change.

If you tell the court that you couldn't stop in time and it was safer to continue they will just come back with "if you couldn't stop in time then your approach speed was too fast".

It's 3 points for going through an amber let alone a red. If some numpty had started to cross the road without looking just because they saw the lights change, which they do on a regular basis, they would now be roadkill an you would be in an even worse situation.

Answer 4

If you plead not guilty and can get a lawyer to mitigate well for you, prove that your stopping distance at legal speed limit would have caused a larger obstruction/ been even more dangerous than keeping going then you may have a case. But the courts already don't like truck drivers as it is. Also this camera is automatic and can't tell the difference between a vehicle going through at amber then the lights changing rapidly to red. Best advice but you've maybe left it too late; contact a lawyer and speak to them first.

Answer 5

Unfortunatly if you were in a position where you could'v shot your load you must have been going too fast. Highway code says you should always be ready to stop when approaching a set of traffic lights, or a junction. Dont bother taking it to court, thats what they'll say.

Answer 6

If you went through on amber, I'd have said you had a defence - you don't have to stop on amber if you think it would cause an accident (I'm sure you already know that) - but going through on red is a no-no.

I know that traffic lights don't often give enough stopping time for trucks, but you have to make allowance for that, especially with 44 tonnes up your *rse. That's what the court would say, anyway.

So, I think you'll have to swallow it. Sorry.

Answer 7

I really cannot see how there is any excuse for running a red light.remember amber means stop and it also means it will go red very soon.
If you are telling me that if the lights went amber and you couldn't stop then you must have either been overloaded, driving an unroadworthy vehicle or more likely taking a chance with the lights and praying you would get through in time.
Your excuse will never work in court.Take it like a man and pay the fine.

Answer 8

I would argue the point that if to stop sudden could have caused a hazard especially if you had a full load.
I know it's okay for a car to go through an amber light if it's not safe to stop, i.e a larger vehicle following close behind.
You are much larger and it could have impede the flow of traffic or caused a bigger hindrance, as long as it was safe to go through and your tractor unit went through on amber, the camera might of only caught your trailer on red.
I would go for it and contest but the choice is yours.
Good luck.

Answer 9

If it was dangerous to yourself or other road users to brake violently then you acted responsibly by carrying on through the lights. Nobody wants to be at the wrong end of a jack-knifed lorry and any judge with an ounce of road sense will recognise this.

Answer 10

go to court explain your story and fight the
law i drive for a living too and all these new
traffic laws are just getting ridiculous.
To think the laws are being made by people
who sit behind a desk all day what do they
really know about driving.
its time to put a stop to these silly laws
good luck hope u win