
Cape Talk’s Pippa Hudson brought up a very interesting topic on her show and I wanted to share it. She asked the question whether you skip red traffic lights at night? Pippa herself admitted to doing it in the early hours of the morning on her way to do the breakfast show and then saw a poll that News24 conducted asking the same question.
More than 16 000 people responded and the results revealed that more than 9 000 people said they do skip traffic lights but only late at night. 8 650 said they never do it because it’s too dangerous. The scariest results were those who said they do it only if they are driving too fast (608) or “sometimes if I am in a rush” (758). This is unacceptable behaviour. Don’t put people at danger for unnecessary reasons, leave earlier or don’t speed!
Unfortunately in South Africa, we are made to feel unsafe and vulnerable when driving, especially at night. The hijacking statistics in this country are shocking to say the least. So it makes sense that people would rather treat a traffic light intersection as a four-way stop at night than sit idling at a red light waiting to be a target for criminals. But is it legal?
Pippa chatted to Richard Coleman who is the spokesperson for the City of Cape Town Traffic Department and he states that it is in no way legal to skip a red traffic light under any circumstance unless the lights are flashing or are all out due to malfunction in which case it needs to be treated as a four-way stop. There is no legal loop hole for medical emergencies or for feeling at risk. Coleman says that drivers skip a red robot at their own risk and so can be persecuted.
He does go on however to say that some traffic officers have used their own discretion but many robots are now camera operated and so you will receive the fine regardless. If it is in fact a medical emergency you can request that the traffic department take a look at the situation however Coleman says that you will need to prove that it was in fact a medical emergency by issuing a doctor’s certificate stating you were on your way to hospital.
So what about women (or men) driving alone at night? “The law is the law. As traffic officers we cannot tell anyone to stop at a dangerous intersection and see if it is safe to proceed through a red robot. Drivers are doing it at their own risk.”
The comments regarding this interview and that of the poll on News24 have been almost unanimous. If people feel unsafe they are not going to take the risk of being hijacked but rather risk going through the red robot. As one person commented on EWN, and we have to agree with them “If the law doesn’t do its duty to protect citizens at said intersections, why should we yield to it?”
What are your thoughts on this topic?
Listen to the full interview with Pippa Hudson on Cape Talk.