Yep, which is what happened to me when I got nailed by the red light camera in the rain. I normally contest almost all my tickets for the sheer hell of it (I get off 50% of the time), but I didn’t bother with this one, because I should have been able to stop were I driving properly for the conditions. (I had just passed a vehicle and was somewhat surprised by the yellow, and I didn’t want to risk slamming on the brakes and skidding out. My fault, though.)
So you’re saying you need to drive slow enough to stop for something in a crosswalk, no matter HOW close you are to the crosswalk. By my experience, that puts it at about 3 MPH (the max speed where hitting the brakes causes an instant stop). There is always a point where you can’t stop in time when going through an intersection. Now, plenty of times people go through when they could conceivably stop, but you seem to be saying that if you can see the yellow light and can’t stop, you’re driving too fast, which, frankly, is insane. If I’m 30 feet from the intersection when the light turns yellow, going 35mph (the speed limit downtown here), I’m not stopping before the intersection…it’s not physically possible. And yes, if someone ran a red light the other direction or someone illegally ran out in the crosswalk when I’m 30 feet from the crosswalk when I see them, they’re going to get creamed. (not that I wouldn’t slam the brakes).
I don’t see what the problem here is. If you’re going so fast that you can’t do one of these two things: a) stop before the stop line or b) clear the stop line before the light turns red, then you’re not going the proper speed for conditions. That’s what happened to me and I admit, I was going too fast. In dry conditions, I would have had time to stop. I would not have made the light, and I should have stopped. However, conditions being wet, I knew I wasn’t going to make the light, but I also knew I risked skidding if I stopped. I should have been going at least 10 mph slower, and then I would have made the stop.
Let me clarify the situation with a flowchart. Let X = duration of stop light (minimum 3 seconds here.)
Light turns yellow.
At my current rate of speed, can I cross the intersection in X seconds? If yes, then proceed through yellow light (or stop if preferred.)
If no, then:
Can I safely brake in X seconds before the stop line? If yes, then I am going an appropriate speed for conditions. If no, then I am not.
That’s not what was being said…and wasn’t your original point that you would have crossed the stop line before the light turned red on a normal yellow?
Sure seemed to me to be runner pat’s point. Don’t know what the last sentence is referring to.
They shortened the yellows in San Diego. It was proven by some investigation that the third party company handling the lights had shortened them by a second or so. They did this because they got a percentage of the ticket fine. This was found out and a court ordered the city to go to another third party who didn’t get a cut of the fine or the current third party had to stop taking a cut.
This investigation was completed about four months after I had paid almost $200 for running a red light that had a red light camera. Sons of bitches.
I do not think this is correct. If you enter on a green you are okay (like when you are making a left turn and have to wait). But if you enter on a yellow you must exit the intersection before it turns red. So do not enter the intersection on a yellow unless you are certain you can clear the intersection in time. If you enter on yellow and it’s red when you exit, you have run the light. However, I think the cameras will only flag someone who enters on red. A policeman may pull you over if he sees you enter on yellow and exit on red, but I don’t think the cameras will catch that. (IANAL)
I don’t see anything in Illinois’ Rules of the Road that state that. All I see is that you can’t enter an intersection on red. Rules of the Road PDF. Also, as I mentioned above, I have been flashed many times mid-intersection when the light turned red. I have never gotten a ticket for any of those occasions.
Nope, sorry, not correct. The only time you are not permitted to enter the intersection is when the light is red. Green is obviously ok and the yellow light is there as a warning that it’s about to turn red.
In every state I’m familiar with (mainly on the east coast) there is no restriction upon entering an intersection on a yellow light. The one caveat is if there’s a “box” in the intersection. In that case, you may only enter the intersection on a yellow as long as the intersection ahead of you is clear in your direction as once the light turns red, you are not permitted to “block the box”. This happens a lot in Manhattan - traffic causes cars to remain in the intersection after the light changes to red thereby imepeding the traffic going perpendicular to you.
And here is the relavent section of the NYS traffic code:
b) Yellow indications:
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Traffic, except pedestrians, facing a steady circular yellow signal may enter the intersection; however, said traffic is thereby warned that the related green movement is being terminated or that a red indication will be exhibited immediately thereafter.
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Traffic, except pedestrians, facing a steady yellow arrow signal may cautiously enter the intersection only to complete the movement indicated by such arrow or make such other movement as is permitted by other indications shown at the same time; however, said traffic is thereby warned that the related green arrow movement is being terminated or that a red indication will be exhibited immediately thereafter.
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Unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian-control signal as provided in section eleven hundred twelve, pedestrians facing any steady yellow signal are thereby advised that there is insufficient time to cross the roadway before a red indication is shown and no pedestrian shall then start to cross the roadway