General Chat

I notice more and more people in this area jumping the red traffic lights. Bet there is one who will think before he does it again. Bet he didn't know the car behind him was an unmarked police car. Bet he got a shock when all the lights came on. Yes he was stopped!! :-D

Good ,thats going to cost him. Next thing is to do the same to Cyclists and enforce the law on riding on the pavement. :-D

Yes, and at least we know the colour and make of the unmarked car :-D Not that we jump red lights, we know how little time there is between the sequences in some of them, it is really dangerous to jump them. :-|

...and those drivers who seem to think the flashing amber light means they can put their foot on the accelerator and terrorise pedestrians who are still crossing the road :-|

Down here they,re Volvo.s or Mercs. :-)

We have red light cameras here in Australia-if a car happens to go through an intersection on a red light,the penalties are pretty severe-
a hefty fine,and I think loss of 3 demerit points on the driver's licence.

Margot.

it's constantly done at the set of traffic lights in our village - you take your life in your hands - an acquaintance of mine, a man in his forties with wife and two sons, was killed at those lights by someone jumping them - he was hit and thrown head first on to the gates of the village church and killed instantly

Now,I am an ex-van driver and I am no angel. I do cut it a bit fine sometimes tagging on the end of the cars going through road works and traffic lights but I have never,ever been the last through. There is always somebody ready to cut it finer than me.

Margaret we used to have cameras on ours and they caught a lot, then they stopped using them, don't know why.

Excuse me Merlot, we drive a Merc and a VW. I can't speak for OH when he is on his own :-D But when I am in the car he doesn't jump a red, he might go through on Amber (no pedestrian crossing on the one I am thinking of off three lanes into a roundabout.) if somebody is sitting in his boot because it is obvious they are not going to stop. (and they don't).

It should count 6 points and careless driving, there is no excuse, ever.

I was clobbered by one of these red light idiots who was driving a Mercedes taxi. I was off work for 6 months and only kept my leg against the advice of the surgeons who insisted I'd be "better off without it". I would have been killed but for army training so I was nicely curled up on landing. As it is I can still play squash and go skiing. No thanks to the NHS tho' - private clinic.

Many towns have traffic camera lights. One near the hospital where my late auntie died has taken over £ 100 K in fines for speeding (40 mph) and jumping the lights in 6 months. Some people never learn,

Don't cut it fine. Some people don't want to be angels they like it fine down here where you can get a beer and rubbish the Mackems.

Personally I am in favour of a 20 mph limit in urban areas except for principal highways. The 20mph should apply near shops etc regardless. Portsmouth has done this, good for them. The other side of the coin is that jaywalkers should get fined as in the USA.

Among the upcoming EU regs for motor vehicles is mandatory pedestrian sensing and brake application. It cannot come too soon.

If you jumped a red light here in wales,you would be put againsed the wall and shot :-0 :-0

We have a road in Gloucester, a main road that goes round by the docks. There is a bend where the pedestrianisation part of the shopping area meets this road and people cross to go to the docks and the Outlet shopping mall. This stretch of road has no kerbs and is known as a 'shared space'. No pedestrian crossing and a mandatory 20MPH limit ..... as if!! Some cars do slow as is planned so that pedestrians can cross. Pedestrians are supposed to be able to walk out when safe. It always feels as if we are taking our lives in our hands when we cross. Strangely it has been there over a year and I don't think there has been an actual accident, many near misses but nobody actually hurt. Goodness knows how. The worst are the young male drivers who actually rev their engines when approaching. Very aggressive. Sometimes it is strangers (or appears to be) probably looking for a car park. Residents hate it but councillors know better.

Shared traffic space works and is an excellent idea. Those in a hurry can go another way.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_space

Cars and catering for them is the ruination of urban space.

But I am saying they don't go another way, it is a road used by visitors to the area who have no idea that they are going to get caught up in the 20 MPH plus wandering pedestrians, half of them are looking for car parks to visit the Docks and Museums etc, they don't even see the 'shared Space' signs. It only works because of the agility of the pedestrians.

You could say much the same for Exhibition Road in Kensington but the sharp drop in accidents suggest that the scheme works.

What on earth are people unfamiliar with the city looking for in Cardiff apart from sports stadia. Torchwood ?

Read my name Rollo, not Ann in Cardiff. :-D

Yes, I can read that. Surely though starting from Gloucester if you wanted a day away then Cheltenham or Bristol would be more fun than Cardiff?

Yep! I think you are mischievously trying to confuse me Rollo :-D I know where I live and I know that the shared space is in Bristol Road Gloucester, near Gloucester Docks. And lots of people visit Gloucester Docks, especially on Tall ships day (May) And, as far as I know, unless thay are way off their rout, nobody is going for an away day in cardiff!!!! :-D :-S

They have it in Coventry as well. Nightmare.

does the traffic stick to the 20 speed limit Gwyn?