Sorry, there's probably been a number of "I'm worried about a speed/traffic camera" threads on here. I'm adding another one to the mix... I'd really appreciate opinion on this just to ease my brain :P
I was driving in Neuchatel (on the road down from Top Tip if anybody knows the place). It's a small road that leads onto a main road that straight away has a traffic light intersection (that has a camera for sure). The small road itself just has a flashing orange light (go if it's clear).
Basically, I turned left out of that road, onto the road which has the traffic light intersection, and actually went 'through' a red light. The light was red for traffic coming straight. However, as I came from the road with the flashing orange...I'm not sure it counts? I did not notice a flash and nor did my passenger (it was daytime however).
First of all, I don't know this road. But I've done my driving school in Switzerland and from what I could see from Google and your description, you should be in the clear. Warning/be careful light indeed, basically this is a very seldom used road leading into the main one, with the red light signal apparently mainly used for pedestrians crossing the road.
Honestly, "red light" cameras are really what still worries me the most when driving in Switzerland. Speed limit? Not that much.. a few areas where they really put pretty well hidden signs, but apart from that, it's really easy to avoid. But to decide in about a split second if that orange light will still be passed by you, or if you should hit the breaks asap, that's sometimes a real questionmark. In your case, obviously, it wasn't about speed of deciding, but rather about "what the hell is this situation"? I would say you were good to go as you did.
Thanks a lot for taking the time to reply, I really appreciate it!
It's a very strange situation indeed...especially as it's possible to go through on the left, without actually going over the line of the traffic lights... in my case however, I did go over the line, but obviously at an angle
I think that you should have stopped at the traffic light after turning left on the main road. See the solid dashed lines: https://goo.gl/maps/mdpAf6m9mUs
Difficult to be sure,but from the pictures it looks like the red you went through was on a pedestrian crossing, which in turn would have been on green. So yes, you would have been expected to stop,
But, and this should be simpler to answer, what males you think there's a camera there? I can't see one on the pictures, so unless you know there is one there you may well be in the clear.
Of course, had someone been crossing at the time your immediate future would not be looking good...
It is indeed a pedestrian crossing. There is a camera just a bit further on from the lights. It's a grey box camera (but again, I didn't notice a flash...).
I went over the crossing extremely slowly so would have stopped if anybody was crossing
The camera you see is a speed trap I think it's totally unrelated.
Anyway I think you are supposed to get in the lane and obey the traffic light, but the fact that there is an orange light tells me otherwise... Really weird situation.
There isn't a traffic light camera at those lights. There is a speed camera a little bit further along.
You should have stopped at the red light after turning left but having used that junction on numerous occasions it is an easy mistake to make.
There are usually only people crossing on that crossing if a bus has just stopped there or at school times in the mornings and evenings.
When going to TopTip I always come out of the car park and down the ramp at the other side past the fitness centre ( which is the way you're supposed to go I think) and then you can turn left or tight onto the main road from the loading area without having to worry about the lights.
Just to give me view. It looks like a tricky junction and as someone else posted you should of joined that lane coming from the right as it has the dashes. Having said that it isn't very clear. The camera which is ahead of the bus stop is in my opinion a traffic light camera but it is far away from the lights. The same type of camera is used in Zurich city. Driving through a red a light is a instant 250chf. I can see why your paranoid I hope you don't receive anything.
There is definitely not a red light camera at those lights. There is a speed camera a few metres beyond the lights. ( don't ask me how I know that )
There is really very little traffic joining the main road from that alleyway as it just the entrance to the TopTip and fitness centre car park with a small business too. I'm really not sure why the OP was exiting from that road.
The camera is unusually far away for it to be for the traffic lights. It's difficult to tell from the pictures alone but as it is, the pedestrians waiting for the bus may well block the camera's view of the white bar the traffic has to stop at for the red light. I would expect a traffic light camera to be on the near side of the bus shelter.
The bus probably has a certain time allotted to let passengers off and on during which the traffic from behind will have red. This timer may get started by the bus going over the loops.
There's no split-second decision, at least according to the law. When the light switches from red green to orange and you can stop by brakeing in a reasonable manner you have to. If you notice the orange light too late you should stop doing whatever you've been doing and concentrate on the traffic instead.
Because it only flashes from the front and not also from the back (think Motorcycles) I assume it is a red light as well. But you may admit that a "friend" tested it when the light was red
I can tell you categorically that there is not a red light camera at that junction and not because anyone has tested it.
Red light cameras may be speed cameras as well but that doesn't mean speed cameras are also red light cameras. There are lots of speed cameras like that in Neuchâtel and most of them are nowhere near traffic lights.
the same exact thing happened to me in Zurich, on Wasserwerkstr. it's a trap, there's a solid white line and you can't turn right instead of going straight, even if the light to turn is green.
In future I will join the lane and stop at the red. I will post back again if I receive anything by post. After the posts in this thread and also not noticing any flash (especially when the camera is directly in front of the car), my mind is at ease...
I was exiting that road as I came from Rue de l'oree (above). There's an exit along Chemin des Cibleries.
Thanks again folks, I always appreciate this forum!
Indeed. I remember decades ago in the UK a campaign headlined "Don't be an Amber Gambler", highlighting this. Amber always means stop, so if you can see it before you cross you're already technically in breach of the rules, whether or not it goes to red while you're crossing.
Could you elaborate a bit more on this. Than according to my understanding the street marking on the whole stretch of Wasserwekstrasse are perfectly clear and um-ambiguous.