Is there a website showing where red-light cameras are located ?
I accidentally ran through a red light tonight in Basel-stadt. I slammed on the anchors but was then close to a tram track, road was safe so continued across at low speed. I didn't see a flash, but was so focused on trying to stop that I prob. wouldn't have seen one anyway. What's the likelihood of getting a fine/ban ?
Going on red is punished by 250 CHF I guess ... You will see no flash, normally it is done from behind.
If you haven't seen the flash wait a week or so and if the postman hasn't dropped you the fine in your post box you have been lucky man.
The fine might be a little hefty that's true.
Probably you'll have to spend a couple hours in prison also and depending on where you ran through the red light you might have to spend a day's cleaning at the police station.
Scary innit?!
We got flashed at 56km in Zurich (50km limit), I thought it was the car in front of us until we received the fine. They generously discounted 3kms but still charged us CHF 40 for the 3kms above limit. CRAZY!
Welcome to CH, you have now contributed using the alternative tax system.
On the plus side, you can do this everyday of the year and not loose your license.
Brian.
Not all the traffic lights have red-light cameras. The junction at Peter Merian/Poste does, and when I worked there, I'd often see the flashes. You're probably going to be alright. But if not, it's expensive.
why didn't you reverse back?
(I saw an idiot cyclist on Friday night hurtle straight through the junction at University Hospital when it was on red. He then sat in the middle of the outside lane, and then did a u-turn right in front of oncoming traffic. He did have lights on, which makes a change, but I expect he'll be dead soon ).
This is correct, if you reverse back or just stop and don't move they won't find you guilty of running the light. The fact that it is more dangerous than just going through the intersection isn't something that enters into their calculations as to whether or not you are guilty. I know this because I had the same sort of thing happen and ended up paying 250chf for trying to be a good citizen and doing the safe thing.
BTW, the light in my case was less than 20 seconds from red to red again. Barely enough time for one or two cars to get through the junction. But, the main point is that you need to stop thinking that this is about safety, it is about following the rules. BTW, driving too slow also makes this more problematic as I was driving 30 in a 50 when I got the red light ticket and later realized if I had been traveling at 50 I wouldn't have gotten the ticket as I would have been in the junction rather than just over the line.
The moral of the story is if you are not traveling at or near the speed limit when you see a yellow, then lock your brakes. If someone hits you then it is their fault. (I was told this by a policeman when I queried the justification of the stop light fine.) Alternatively, you could just decide that you are going to loose 250chf. It's up to you, but I would recommend that you make up your mind in advance.
Brian.
No, you can't. I know .
If you rack up a number of small fines in a year you will (quite rightly) be invited to have a chat and be allowed to lend your license to the authorities for a month or two. I won't embarrass myself my saying how many but it's more than 10 . And before I get flamed it was never more than 3kmph over.
Actually you were 6 kms over the limit just like I was 4 kms over when I was flashed. Its over, that is what counts...
Quite amusing, considering the wording on the speeding fines states something to the effect, that prompt payment means the fine will be recorded as anonymous. (Refer to Section N in this post )
Hmmm, interesting.
Thanks for the information.
Brian.
I also don't like cameras ... Recently in Lausanne I saw a yellow light and started to break, when I stopped I was hit from behind by a girl who just got driving license a week ago ...
Definitly, I'd rather go to yellow and maybe get a fine than wasting my time, repairing my car, and filling documents with poor girl - she was really stressed and upset.
On the other hand, if there will be no radars, I would not break, the girl would not hit me, her cooling liquid would not came out of radiator and would not poison the environment ...
But you could have braked for anything - dog or child in the road, car ahead stops, whatever. She'd still hit you because she was too close.
Feel guilty. Jumped the red robot on Valentine's Day at the intersection of Bruggerstrasse with Gartenstrasse in Baden. The orange light turned immediately red and I didn't have chance to stop doing 50km/h. This happens even to the best of us. No life endangering situation but still it sucks and it's tearing me apart now got it off my chest.