Hi guys, I need your help. I'll set the scene. Last night while driving from my house to the girlfriends at approximately 23:10 I was being apparently followed by a car/taxi almost as soon as I left my house. Right up my arse all the way, I didn't speed to try and get him off me and there was no room to move over to let him by. He began to flash his lights, evidently had somewhere to be but I couldn't move to let him past as there wasn't space. I was pretty nervous for my safety at this point. He was so close I couldn't see his plates or even bonnet really. As we approached a set of lights which were red I stopped and made sure my doors were locked. He continued to gesticulate at me looking extremely aggressive. He beeped his horn repeatedly and I saw him unbuckle his belt as if to get out of his car. At this point, being on my own in the car late at night in Manchester I was pretty scared about what he was going to do! Deciding that I valued my safety/car I went over the lights and took off to home. I believe there is a traffic light cam on the lights so may have Been caught. I'm not sure if I saw a flash or not but I wasn't waiting around to find out! If I do get a ticket, I hold my hands up I did cross the red light, is there anything I can do as I was extremely fearful especially so late at night? Cheers, Matt Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Don't admit to jumping the red light unless you get asked on the phonecall to the cops. Phone them and say that you were worried that you were going to be attacked by a car thief, and describe the car. That way you get a crime report number but don't admit to the "crime" of speeding to the police, just in case you get a bureaucrat. edit: Cheers Tel.
Yeah, I'd phone as they are likely to be able to take a look at other camera footage to backup your story - if you only bring this up if you get a ticket I think you're far less likely to get any sympathy. If they have footage and ID the car following you they might even take action against them.
As above, all sensible advice. Report the incident, make sure they know you feared for your own safety and crossed the line carefully. You might end up with a penalty, but this is your only hope of getting out of it.
It's a hard one. I'm always extremely wary of admitting anything to the police. Then again, if you want it as a mitigating circumstance then the guys are right in that you should say something. Is there any way of ascertaining if that camera flashes? If it was at night, and it does flash, then you would have known about it. edit: With a bit a research, you can probably figure out what camera it is with this website: http://www.speedcamerasuk.com/ And then find out if it flashes. If it's the common Gatso one, they flash twice. You would have known about it. I think most of them also use some sort of measure of speed for capture as well, so if you were crawling that might have helped you.
I once went through a red light camera at about 2 in the morning, even with the street lights and the fact I was most of the way around the left hand turn when it went off the flash was very obvious. I dont think you would have missed the flash. Agree with the others regarding reporting the tailgating to get a crime reference no.
Thanks guys, I would of gone around the block but the lights were the first turning off of the road I was on after I entered the road. All of the other roads are one way and emerge onto my road. I am not normally easily intimidated by drivers but he was driving so aggressively! I dont recall seeing it flash so maybe it didnt go off and I'll be fine, it was late and there were street lights but as you say I would of seen the flash. Guess it is just a waiting game now Thanks
Been caught out in Manchester (in a similar situation would you believe!). The flash is massive and you could not miss it.
I'm tempted to say don't contact the police. Fact is that if there is a camera that caught you jumping the light then that evidence is irrefutable, you've committed the offence. I'm pretty sure there's no defence about the person in the car behind looking like they might have been unbuckling their seatbelt. So unless there's strong evidence of you being intimidated, your story won't count for ****. Magistrates must hear all sorts of excuses, but unless the defendant can back them up it's like water off a duck's back to them. It's unlikely, without good, independent, witnesses that you'll find any evidence to back you up. What's to stop every other person that ever jumps a red light trying the same story? Just hope you weren't caught. If you were caught just take the fine and forget about it. No offence but you should at least have waited til you saw the guy open his door.
I believe Manchester to be one of the more widely covered cities with CCTV. Maybe they'll have the footage to back you up?
I think I once ran a red in Cardiff. I felt pressured as I was in the wrong Lane and there were hgvs around me. I wasn't giving the road all of my concentration as I was looking at sat nav (yes I know) I think I ran a red and I think I saw a flash, but nothing ever came of it. Your mind plays tricks on you, especially given the circumstances, adrenaline, fear, night, lights, movement etc. Hope it turns out well for you and nothing else comes of it.
Indeed. Now I've thought about it more, I wouldn't say anything. I did a bit more research, and to the letter of the law, the only time you are allowed through a red light is if a police officer asks you to. (That's right, blues and twos on an emergency vehicle behind you is not an excuse, according to the highway code.)
Ive done some reading myself and although reporting the incident may seem like the best option I dont feel it would do anything anyway. If i get done I get done. I ran the light and there is no two ways about that. Lesson learnt!
Get a cheap dash-cam ( maybe a front & rear facing one(s), that way if anyone is tailgating you or tries to attack you, you have it on film- no need to jump the lights or speed away as such...
Not in Manchester but I run quite a few reds maybe, perhaps, often, all the time, no I never and I've never had anything come of it. Don't worry about it. What's done is done now. Find a character witness just in case, but other than that, it can't be that bad. But then, what would I know, I've never been caught.
Alternatively, drive to the nearest police station. If you don't know where one is, a petrol station. They have CCTV to catch bilkers, so you can be sure any incident will be caught on camera.
Technically you should have waited until he got out the car to approach you before bombing the lights. Also when being followed closely you tend to become hyper aware of the vehicle behind, so every bump in the road will bounce the beam of his headlights towards your mirrors simulating high beam. Really you're boned as any review of the camera's will show a car behind you, and then you taking off for no really reason. UNLESS of course he was flashing you at the lights, reving and bouncing the car to intimated you. I had an issue few years back, similar problem in Nottingham when I lived there. Guy had been following me around the ring road from the north of the city out towards the hospital, empty roads, all dual carriage way but he sat on my arse flashing and honking. I turned off in towards the city, thinking I'll run him around before heading home. Then I felt it, he rammed me just a gentle nudge with no damage but the intent was there, and he went to undercut me in a bus lane. HELL NO! I cut that ******* off in my 16 yr old volvo worth less than pocket lint. Nothing against Audi A3 drivers, but this little Asian *****'s backbone dissolved the instant when I took his wing mirror clean off with my stoplock and threatened to **** him up so bad not even his DNA would identify his remains. It was only when I got back in my car, I noticed my hands were shaking violently and I realised what I had just done and how it could have all gone so badly.
