What happends when you go through a red light camera spot because you have an ambulance behind you?

Answer 1

more than likely you will recieve a ticket, it just depends on how your town is.. in the case that you are at a redlight and an ambulance comes up, if you cant move to the side of the road, stay where you are...

Answer 2

Well, first and foremost, you're guilty - you can't go through a red light unless a policeman tells you to. No law has ever been passed that allows you to break the law just because there's an emergency vehicle behind you.

But.........there is a defence if you can show that it was (as Bob the Boat said) "for the greater and common good". That's even a defence for drunk driving.

But the question is, can you show the court that that's what happened? Can you show that a life was saved? (You don't know what sort of "shout" the ambulance was on.) Can you show that the "good" you did was greater than the "bad" you did by risking an accident? These are all questions that the court will ask you.

Over to you.

Answer 3

i read the answer about pulling to the side and not going thru the light but i can understand if you were already stopped at the light in the center lane and there was nowhere to go to get out of his way except thru the light. you will have to fight this ticket in court... the cameras image of you running the light will be the evidence against you...however, the very next pic snapped by the camera will show the ambulance going through the red light also and you (hopefully) pulled to the side on the other side of the intersection...if a judge sees this he should throw your ticket out...(you may have to have that image subpoenaed)

Answer 4

I would have thought you could still be liable for a fine - unless the ambulance was so close behind you that it obscured your plate

Otherwise, how could you prove there was one there and that is why you ran the light?

You were lucky that you didn't get T-boned, but then again the response time for the ambulance getting to you would have been low!

Answer 5

No problem at all. As long as you made a reasonable judgment that running the light would not endanger yourself or anyone else, and you had no other way of letting the ambulance through, you have a reasonable explanation for your actions, and the police would be very unlikely to prosecute.

Answer 6

Automatically, it still an offence, but there is a let-out, and avoid prosecution.
If you can show that it was "In the common and greater good", then any sensible Magistrate will dismiss it.

If for example you rescue someone from an accident in a rural are, and hurtle to the nearest hospital, over speed restrictions, and cautiosley through red lights, then this is deemed to be for the greater good. No penalty for the offences.

Bob.

Answer 7

You will be fined.

Similar cases have gone to court, and the drivers have been fined. Unless signalled to go through the red light by a uniformed police officer, you are breaking the law.
It's wrong, but the law is the law, and the authorities prefer fines to common sense.
I've read about it in Honest John's column in the Telegraph Motoring section.

Answer 8

There has been a case where a driver ran a red light to get out of the way of an ambulance - he was fined and points put on his licence. He was caught by a camera.
The police do not miss a chance to get money out of you however good your intentions, you are another crime solved!
RoyS.

Answer 9

You both broke the road traffic laws,if you get a summons
write back telling your side of the story but i doubt
very much if you will ever get one,so don't worry.
I took a hurt kiddy in my car and went through several
red lights on the way to A&E but never got a summons
or any thing.

Answer 10

I am not 100% sure but when an emergency vehicle runs a red light it does so purely on the judgement of the driver as to the severity of the incident. I know you are supposed to pull to one side to let emergency vehicles pass, but if you feel you acted purely as not to hinder its progress and caused no danger to other road users I would certainly put this in writing if and when your fine arrives.