When the lights go orange Foot down, or hit the whoa pedal??.

Axle,
I think the law is 'stop on orange if safe to do so' ie not slamming your brakes on if a truck is behind you. On the other hand, sometimes it has changed to orange before you get to the lights and you think they will change to red as you get to the lights but there is a truck sitting up your clacker showing no signs of slowing because they assume you will run it and they want to as well....

regards,

Brian

Here in Vic it's a good idea not to speed up and zip through, because then you could get pinged by both the red light camera and the speed camera.

Two for the price of one :)

Hi Axle, not sure if you remember a while back they pinged me for going through an amber at Windsor here in Sydney. I did write a letter and they saw common sense and dropped the fine but now I really stop as soon as I see that light go amber. Mant times I have looked in the mirror to see the person behind shaking there haed as if you say "mate you had plenty of time" but in saying that if I see a truck behind me I aint stopping, especially if up my clacker. As mentioned above normally you go through the amber and there right behind you. Amber light is the same $$$ and points as going through a red. Regards Steve M

In SA the red light cameras only take your picture if you enter the intersection after it turns RED, ie cross the stop line after red. I don't know about other states. This gives you some leeway on the orange particularly if someone is up your bum.

GB

Most annoying is when I do stop for the orange, red when you get there, and the bloke a safe distance behind you pulls over a lane on a two lane road, and goes through!

Each to their own.

I stop when I can do it safely.

Axle
I've always said , if you take just the last 5m before the line and drew lines at 1mm thats 5000 points where you have choose one to make a decision,

.

What ever happened to driving to the conditions and leaving enough space between yourself and the car in front to safely stop??

Same goes for trucks only they need a larger gap between them and the vehicle in front.

If you were at or below the speed limit and only a few meters from the line and its unsafe to stop then keep driving at the constant speed through the intersection.

Red light cameras are just that red light cameras not amber cameras.

In QLD the camera will activate if a car goes over the stop line on red, so if the light still is amber, then goes to red when you are in the middle of the intersection, you shouldn't get done.
If you stop SAFELY at amber and get arse ended by whatever is behind you, will get you some abuse, a lot of inconvenience (while vehicle is away getting repaired) but in the eye's of the law, you are good driver.
The other person clearly was showing intent to "run" the red, or at the least, tailgating, will end up with the insurance bill as well as an infringement notice, and for good measure, a coupla demerit points.
I have been done by a patrol car for turning right as the arrow went red at 4.45am and at the time was really p-off about it, but ultimately is was my choice to go, I also have been done for speeding in a 60km road works zone on a freeway when there was no-one working.
I don't give a stuff about whatever is behind me now, I just do whatever the law say's, even the stupid stuff, You wont loose points for pi- - ing off other people, only if you p--s off the cops!
Shane

What's all this coloured light stuff ????????????????.

Depends...is the trucks loaded or not...around town its pretty obvious if they are full or not depending on which truck it is and which diresction they are heading....but thats Nowra...

If I can pull up with the truck behind me at a close but decent distance than I more than likely will but if not then go it!!

Laura

Asked my Cousin (walloper) what he did to vainly gain some validity to my amber light running and he said, zoom on thru! Change down a gear if u have to.

Being of Old Fart nature now I stop if I cant cruise thru holding my current velocity on amber, I try not to speed up. If there is a vehicle up my clacker then I am more likely to go thru red light or not. Did that in Melbourne at the Vic Market Cnr and Red Light Camera took my pic. A Volvo was screaming up behind me and I took the less costly way out. Never got a ticket.....

Lucky eh

The rules are the same in all states - the Australian Road Rules 1999 apply.

You are required to stop if confronted with a yellow light and NOT enter the intersection/junction. If 'pinged' the penalty is the same as for disobey (red) traffic light. So the message is - leave enough space between your vehicle and one in front and BE PREPARED to stop if lights begin to change. It's that simple.

To end the endless debate about what the law says, here are the Australian Road Rules relating to Red and yellow lights - these apply in all states.

56 Stopping for a red traffic light or arrow
(1) A driver approaching or at traffic lights showing a red traffic
light must stop:
(a) if there is a stop line at or near the traffic lights — as near
as practicable to, but before reaching, the stop line; or
(b) if there is a stop here on red signal sign at or near the
traffic lights, but no stop line — as near as practicable to,
but before reaching, the sign; or
(c) if there is no stop line or stop here on red signal sign at or
near the traffic lights — as near as practicable to, but
before reaching, the nearest or only traffic lights.


57 Stopping for a yellow traffic light or arrow
(1) This rule applies to:
(a) a driver approaching or at traffic lights showing a yellow
traffic light; or
(b) a driver approaching or at traffic arrows showing a yellow
traffic arrow who is turning in the direction indicated by
the arrow.
(2) The driver must stop:
(a) if there is a stop line at or near the traffic lights or arrows
and the driver can stop safely before reaching the stop
line — as near as practicable to, but before reaching, the
stop line; or
(b) if there is no stop line at or near the traffic lights or arrows
and the driver can stop safely before reaching the traffic
lights or arrows — as near as practicable to, but before
reaching, the nearest or only traffic lights or arrows; or
Part 6 Traffic lights and twin red lights Division 1 Obeying traffic lights Rule 58 70 Australian Road Rules
(c) if the traffic lights or arrows are at an intersection
and the driver cannot stop safely in accordance with
paragraph (a) or (b), but can stop safely before entering the
intersection — before entering the intersection.
Offence provision.
(3) If the traffic lights or arrows are at an intersection and the
driver is not able to stop safely under subrule (2) and enters the
intersection, the driver must leave the intersection as soon as
the driver can do so safely.
Offence provision.

Ok, now can anyone tell me how long the amber light HAS to be on ?

If approaching an intersection at the legal speed light turns amber, allow 1 second for reaction time and move foot to brake pedal - what distance to come to a complete stop and can it be done BEFORE the red light comes on and/or you enter the intersection. I think it has to be almost three seconds of amber but does anyone know what they are actually set at ?