Is It Illegal To Go Through An Orange Light ?

[alfieconn]

Just received a traffic ticket for going through an red light ( i guess) when the picture within the summons clearly shows that i was over half way across the junction when it turned Red, should i appeal ? can i appeal ? only a 500 baht fine but it's more the principle than the money !

 

 

 

[losworld]

Best to have an orange all the way through... you are better to stop quickly here even if it cn increase the danger of being hit from behind cause many of these lights are intentionally timed to close quickly resulting in more revenue.

[alfieconn]

3 minutes ago, losworld said:

Best to have an orange all the way through... you are better to stop quickly here even if it cn increase the danger of being hit from behind cause many of these lights are intentionally timed to close quickly resulting in more revenue.

Thanks but you haven't answered any of my questions.

[Tayaout]

You need to stop when the light is orange. However sometimes my wife doesn't even stop when the light is red. YMMV

Edited August 16, 2019 by Tayaout

[gunderhill]

Which way?

[tgw]

@OP : how do you know that the second picture was taken exactly when the light turned red?

[cornishcarlos]

15 minutes ago, alfieconn said:

when the picture within the summons clearly shows that i was over half way across the junction when it turned Red,

 

No it clearly shows that the light was orange before you entered the junction but doesn't clearly show where you were when it went red !! 

Technically, you should have stopped on the orange light but you do that here at your peril, as 9 times out of 10 there will be someone right up your chuff.. 

I always take a look behind before deciding to stop or not ????

[KhunBENQ]

It's a gray zone.

It the light turns yellow (as it is colored elsewhere) you have to break if possible without causing danger.
That's the rule in countries I know (not from Thai law but guess no different).

 

500 Baht is cheap.

I paid 800. A creeping pickup (almost walking speed) before me just made it for the right turn and I followed although the light went yellow before I passed the stopline.

 

Don't appeal!

Edited August 16, 2019 by KhunBENQ

[Vacuum]

15 minutes ago, alfieconn said:

Just received a traffic ticket for going through an red light ( i guess) when the picture within the summons clearly shows that i was over half way across the junction when it turned Red, should i appeal ? can i appeal ? only a 500 baht fine but it's more the principle than the money !

Looking at the photo, all the oncoming traffic had already stopped before you entered the lights. Pay your fines and be prepared  to stop at the yellow next time.

[alfieconn]

3 minutes ago, tgw said:

@OP : how do you know that the second picture was taken exactly when the light turned red?

I don't but neither does anyone looking at the picture !

[KhunBENQ]

And BTW: intentionally running alone over such a big junction is crazy dangerous.

There is always this bike/taxi/van/truck that starts BEFORE green.

 

[watcharacters]

 

If the light turns  red  when you are in the intersection you have broken the law and can receive a citation.

 

Easiest thing is to just fork over the small fine and be thankful Thailand has not yet adopted the point system.

 

 

Edited August 16, 2019 by watcharacters

[KhunBENQ]

1 minute ago, tgw said:

that any car without immediate followers would be required to make an emergency breaking

That is what I call nonsense.

 

[stevenl]

You have to stop at amber, unless it is unsafe to do so. So yes, crossing the intersection with amber lights would most likely be illegal, since it indicates you had plenty of time to stop.

There was a similar discussion here recently BTW.

[JaiLai]

i think you should appeal, pls report back with how it went....

[tgw]

3 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

That is what I call nonsense.

I do absolutely agree with you.

Yet this apparently is what the law requires. Or is "must stop" ambiguous ?

[HLover]

31 minutes ago, alfieconn said:

only a 500 baht fine but it's more the principle than the money !

Invest in copious amounts of pain medicine to assist with your 'principle war' of futility.

 

You may want to retake your eye color test, unless yellow is the new orange.

What a mess.

 

Edited August 16, 2019 by HLover

[ThomasThBKK]

Quote

If the driver has passed the stop line when the traffic light turns yellow, he may go through. 

http://thailaws.com/law/t_laws/tlaw0140_5.pdf#targetText=If the driver has passed,crossing pedestrians or other vehicles.

 

What's considered the stop line here?! There must be a stop line in front of the main line?

If i am already over the line i can't see the light anymore..?!

[soalbundy]

18 minutes ago, alfieconn said:

Thanks but you haven't answered any of my questions.

Whatever, I'd say it was life threatening though, I always wait a few seconds after green because guaranteed someone will dash across at red.

[tgw]

2 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

http://thailaws.com/law/t_laws/tlaw0140_5.pdf#targetText=If the driver has passed,crossing pedestrians or other vehicles.

 

What's considered the stop line here?! There must be a stop line in front of the main line?

If i am already over the line i can't see the light anymore..?!

based on this, OP should be let off the hook.

[LennyW]

Slow down and prepare to stop on amber if safe to do so, by the looks of the picture you should and could have.

[remorhaz]

The question of legality can be addressed by use of this simple flowchart.  Please see below...

 

Are a you falang?

 

A) Yes  - it's illegal and you have to pay a fine

 

B) No  - gun it and proceed making sure to do a wheelie and to leave at least 1/2 a cm of rubber on the pavement.

 

[stevenl]

1 minute ago, remorhaz said:

The question of legality can be addressed by use of this simple flowchart.  Please see below...

 

Are a you falang?

 

A) Yes  - it's illegal and you have to pay a fine

 

B) No  - gun it and proceed making sure to do a wheelie and to leave at least 1/2 a cm of rubber on the pavement.

 

We're having a serious discussion here, please stop this nonsense.

[chickenslegs]

Land Traffic Act, B.E. 2522 (1979) Section 22 ...

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.

 

The photo shows that the traffic light turned to yellow well before the vehicle reached the stop line. The vehicle should have stopped.

 

That is the law, but not the custom. I agree with others - it can be dangerous to stop quickly, as many drivers behind may be accelerating to get through before the light changes to red.

[stevenl]

3 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

Land Traffic Act, B.E. 2522 (1979) Section 22 ...

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.

 

The photo shows that the traffic light turned to yellow well before the vehicle reached the stop line. The vehicle should have stopped.

 

That is the law, but not the custom. I agree with others - it can be dangerous to stop quickly, as many drivers behind may be accelerating to get through before the light changes to red.

The case at hand is easy though: Op could and should have stopped, there was time to do it and there was nobody dangerously close behind.

[Samuel Smith]

I got one at same intersection, a couple of days ago!  Guess have to try & stop on orange in future.

[Berkshire]

27 minutes ago, stevenl said:

There was a similar discussion here recently BTW.

Yes there was.  And I would say the same thing I did then, that is, I go through yellow lights all the time.  In heavy traffic, there is almost always another vehicle following me through.  Which means I probably would have been rear-ended if I stopped. 

 

What city is the OP in?  Just hope they're not cracking down in Chiang Mai. 

[alfieconn]

10 minutes ago, Samuel Smith said:

I got one at same intersection, a couple of days ago!  Guess have to try & stop on orange in future.

To be fair i thought you was behind me ????

Edited August 16, 2019 by alfieconn

[alfieconn]

3 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

Yes there was.  And I would say the same thing I did then, that is, I go through yellow lights all the time.  In heavy traffic, there is almost always another vehicle following me through.  Which means I probably would have been rear-ended if I stopped. 

 

What city is the OP in?  Just hope they're not cracking down in Chiang Mai. 

Was in CM.

[stevenl]

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