Driving the car in violation of the yellow light signal

[PerkinsCuthbert]

In Thailand, amber means put your foot in the tank, close your eyes and drive straight.

[rwill]

By law at a yellow light you are supposed to stop unless you have passed the stop line already.

 

In reality if you comply with that you will be rear ended.  

[Enoon]

 

UK rule:

 

"AMBER means ‘Stop’ at the stop line. You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident"

https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/light-signals-controlling-traffic.html

 

 

Edited April 25, 2019 by Enoon

[Satcommlee]

There is a lot of bad advice being given here.....

Here is what the official Thai highway code has to say about it.

 

[Maybole]

Some years ago, I had a discussion with a neighbour who was an Inspector in the traffic section of Strathclyde Police. He was of the opinion that you should stop on an amber light unless it was unsafe to do so. You would then have to prove in court why it was unsafe. He admitted that very few cases were contested by police.

Secondly, in Chiangmai, about 18 months ago, I was tailgated by a Seelaw after I stopped on amber. There was plenty of time, I did not have to brake hard). Police decided that I had caused the collision because if I had not stopped, the seelaw would not have hit me.

I would prefer to be hit from behind at low speed rather than side-on by a vehicle accelerating away on a crossing track.

[DJ54]

OP maybe you or your wife can contest it via email and see what they come up with..... I got one by Udon Airport yellow but red i

Was midway the intersection... 500 baht until my wife’s Cousin argued with the police then it was 1000. The policeman told me next time tell your friend to shut his mouth....Oh well had to catch a flight

 

[Longcut]

On 4/24/2019 at 10:52 PM, richard_smith237 said:

The Thai Land Traffic Act very closely resembles the British Highway Code. 

 

In the British Highway Code the Amber light is an Instruction to stop before the line, if safe to do so. 

Thus, if its wet and there's a HGV behind you - don't slam on the brakes, it's not safe to stop. 

But, if you are not surrounded by traffic and the light turns amber with enough time to stop, you should stop. 

 

I don't think its illegal to go through an Amber light in the UK. 

However, the translation of the Thai Land Traffic act is not as clear... i.e. if you are doing 50kmh 5meters before the junction and the light turns to amber, it's impossible to stop, thus the fine could be harsh. 

 

Depending on your speed in the photo you posted - it looks like you may have had time to stop on Amber.

 

 

Section 22 o the Land Traffic Act.

Meaning of traffic light:

Green: the driver may drive the vehicle through

Yellow: the driver shall prepare to stop the vehicle behind the stop line. If the driver has passed the stop line when the traffic light turns yellow, he may go through.

Red: the driver shall stop the vehicle behind the stop line.

 

 

In Thailand it means;

If your Thai it means speed up, it's going to turn red.

If your a Farang it means it doesn't matter. You're going to be buying dinner for the BIBs family tonight.

[stevenl]

16 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Stevenl - If you are driving towards a Junction at 50kmh (~30mph) as you are approaching the junction (10m away) the light turns Amber - there is no way you can stop (stopping distance is quoted as being 23m in the highway code).... 

 

You will have entered the junction on Amber - it would have been impossible not to, you can't stop in the middle of the junction. 

 

(UK highway code) AMBER means ‘Stop’ at the stop line. You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident.

 

Thus: It is not illegal to enter or pass the junction on Amber but you should attempt to stop. 

 

 

 

 

Yes, in that case he could not have stopped. Looking at the distance from the light in this case he could and therefor should have stopped.

[brokenbone]

its not illegal to cross while its still yellow.

this is standard practice back home,

we all know we lose the driving license if we cross a red light,

but gloves are off for yellow, so we develop a highly

fine tuned ability to always default on abiding the law,

-just barely !

[elgenon]

On 4/24/2019 at 5:14 PM, mahjongguy said:

" In the UK I think you are safe as long as you cross the stop line before the lights change to red. "

 

Dunno how it works in other countries but in the U.S. your vehicle must clear the far side stop line before the red signal. 

 

In the US each state makes its own laws. In Cali as long as you are in the intersection before the red you are golden. And crossing a solid white line is no problemo.

[Road Warrior]

does any one think Thais know this ??? they cant understand stopping behind white line or do not enter YELLOW box section !!!   they all do not comply !!!

[Grusa]

Green = Police can stop you and fine you, but they must invent a good reason.

Amber = Police can stop you and fine you, but they must invent a reason.7

Red = Police can stop you and fine you.

Flashing Amber = Police can stop you and fine you, if they are fast enough.

Flashing Red = Police can shoot you.

Flashing Green = Lights have gone fawlty.

[Caine]

By Thai driving standards it usually mean every man for himself 

[stevenl]

6 hours ago, brokenbone said:

its not illegal to cross while its still yellow.

this is standard practice back home,

we all know we lose the driving license if we cross a red light,

but gloves are off for yellow, so we develop a highly

fine tuned ability to always default on abiding the law,

-just barely !

"its not illegal to cross while its still yellow."

It is if you could have stopped safely.

[richard_smith237]

7 hours ago, stevenl said:

Yes, in that case he could not have stopped. Looking at the distance from the light in this case he could and therefor should have stopped.

 

Agreed - it looks like the car was 20-25m from the junction and the Amber light is illuminated. 

Stopping distance at 50kmh is 23m (in the dry) - its touch and go, but it looks like the Op could have stopped if he braked hard and was traveling at 50kmh or less. 

Also nothing behind him so he could have stopped safely.

 

That said - I still think this falls within the grey area where it could be argued that there was not sufficient stopping distance - it really depends how long the Amber light was illuminated before the photo was taken

 

i.e. a split second or 2 seconds?... If a split second then I don't think the Op could have stopped. If 2 seconds the Op is clearly in the wrong - BUT, from the photo's alone there is no way of proving this, unless the cameras are on a specific timing sequence to take photos after a certain period of Amber light (i.e. 2 seconds). 

 

What could be concerning is if the Rule is being enforced that we have to stop on Amber - which in some cases is clearly impossible. 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

16 hours ago, Maybole said:

Some years ago, I had a discussion with a neighbour who was an Inspector in the traffic section of Strathclyde Police. He was of the opinion that you should stop on an amber light unless it was unsafe to do so. You would then have to prove in court why it was unsafe. He admitted that very few cases were contested by police.

Secondly, in Chiangmai, about 18 months ago, I was tailgated by a Seelaw after I stopped on amber. There was plenty of time, I did not have to brake hard). Police decided that I had caused the collision because if I had not stopped, the seelaw would not have hit me.

I would prefer to be hit from behind at low speed rather than side-on by a vehicle accelerating away on a crossing track.

 

Why would you have ever accepted that decision?

 

The Police's decision in these cases is not final and the process can be pushed up the chain. 

 

You were rear ended - Automatically the fault of the Seelaw - that you stopped at lights is irrelevant to the issue, you could have stopped for an old lady crossing the road. 

 

This appears one of those clear cases where the Police make up their own minds based on who can afford to pay for damages and in doing so attempt to take the path of least resistance. Had you resisted you may not have faced the blame. Did you loose any no claims bonus or have to pay any damages for the Seelaw? Accepting blame can also lead you open to compensation claims (of injury, medical bills, loss of earnings etc). 

 

 

 

 

[Just Weird]

20 hours ago, mickyr55 said:

Amber in the UK means STOP only green is go 

"Amber in the UK means STOP"

There's a little bit more qualification to it than that.

[Berkshire]

On 4/24/2019 at 11:19 PM, chang1 said:

It's a few days ago so hard to remember but I would say the first photo was as it changed. 

Hope other people learn from my mistake and stop while the lights are still on green and not risk going through on yellow, if there is a count down timer. I guess you have to rely on ESP. at normal lights.

Firstly, I drive through yellow lights all the time....sometimes even red.  Nearly every time, there's someone following me who also went through.  So if I had stopped, there probably would have been a collision and at relatively high speeds.  So it's rather unfortunate you got nailed for something that happens every day, and quite often, all over Thailand.  Other readers interpretation of the law is largely correct, that is, as long as the front of your vehicle entered the intersection before the light turned red, you haven't broken any laws.  The police is being rather unreasonable in your case. 

[stevenl]

12 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

Firstly, I drive through yellow lights all the time....sometimes even red.  Nearly every time, there's someone following me who also went through.  So if I had stopped, there probably would have been a collision and at relatively high speeds.  So it's rather unfortunate you got nailed for something that happens every day, and quite often, all over Thailand.  Other readers interpretation of the law is largely correct, that is, as long as the front of your vehicle entered the intersection before the light turned red, you haven't broken any laws.  The police is being rather unreasonable in your case. 

Agree with parts of your post but this "as long as the front of your vehicle entered the intersection before the light turned red, you haven't broken any laws. " is totally incorrect, see earlier posts on this.

Amber means stop unless not being able to do so.

[utalkin2me]

It does not matter what amber means in the UK or here. All that matters is you got a ticket for it for a very paltry sum. You can usually negotiate these tickets onsite too, or even get out of many of them completely. It is so great. 

 

Whether you are right or wrong does not matter in the slightest. Whether tou figure out the Thai law does not matter in the slightest. 

 

Just think if these tickets as tax to drive in Thailand. Like adding .001 baht to every liter of gas you put in your vehicle. Just pay it up, be glad you do not have to deal with western style bureaucracy and ridiculously expensive points systems, and go on your merry way. The system is so good here and people won't realize it and I just can never understand that. 

[Berkshire]

53 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Agree with parts of your post but this "as long as the front of your vehicle entered the intersection before the light turned red, you haven't broken any laws. " is totally incorrect, see earlier posts on this.

Amber means stop unless not being able to do so.

I suppose you can find links that support your notion.  But according to this link, I'm correct....

 

[In fact, in most states, as long as the front of your vehicle entered the intersection (passed the crosswalk or limit line) before the light turned red, you haven't broken the stoplight law.]

 

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/free-books/beat-ticket-book/chapter7-2.html

 

 

 

[stevenl]

38 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

I suppose you can find links that support your notion.  But according to this link, I'm correct....

 

[In fact, in most states, as long as the front of your vehicle entered the intersection (passed the crosswalk or limit line) before the light turned red, you haven't broken the stoplight law.]

 

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/free-books/beat-ticket-book/chapter7-2.html

 

 

 

Damned, there was me thinking this is a Thailand forum. Also your post was very much Thailand related, but you're now claiming your one line was related to US?

[JAS21]

My legal expert ???? has always told me that if you pass the 'exit' traffic light before it turns red you will be okay ... so far she has been correct 

[brokenbone]

15 hours ago, stevenl said:

"its not illegal to cross while its still yellow."

It is if you could have stopped safely.

no ifs about it, since i'm stepping on it to clear the red,

-its not safe to stop

[Curt1591]

I believe the only time it is OK to enter the intersection on a amber light is when it will result in not being able to clear the intersection, therefore blocking cross traffic. Simply running and amber, with a clear intersection, may result in hitting a moto rider anticipating the green!

[cornishcarlos]

59 minutes ago, Curt1591 said:

I believe the only time it is OK to enter the intersection on a amber light is when it will result in not being able to clear the intersection, therefore blocking cross traffic. Simply running and amber, with a clear intersection, may result in hitting a moto rider anticipating the green!

 

Not the only time...

I always check my rear view mirror as I approach a junction. If there is a truck or Fortuner driver, barrelling up behind at Mach II, I keep going through that junction no matter who is "anticipating" the green light ????

[wilcopops]

On 4/24/2019 at 10:52 PM, richard_smith237 said:

stop before the line, if safe to do so. 

 

[wilcopops]

Amber light means STOP unless unsafe to do so.

 

 

In Thailand the final word on this is a "competent police officer" - bit of an oxymoron if you ask me.

[wilcopops]

15 hours ago, JAS21 said:

My legal expert ???? has always told me that if you pass the 'exit' traffic light before it turns red you will be okay ... so far she has been correct 

Your confusing practicality with the law. Not the same.

[brokenbone]

9 hours ago, wilcopops said:

Amber light means STOP unless unsafe to do so.

 

 

In Thailand the final word on this is a "competent police officer" - bit of an oxymoron if you ask me.

in the civilized world, you will not get fined for

running a yellow light, period,

and on the flip side, you lose your driving license

if you run a red light. not once did i see any problem with it,

and not once did the police try to hit with questionable fine,

and on the flip side, not once was there any hesitation to fine

if the law had been actually broken either.

 

i think the reason why none care about the law here is its applied so inconsistently, break the law or not,

-you still run the risk of getting fined,

so why bother ?

Edited April 27, 2019 by brokenbone