If you do manage to accidentally jump a light when it has JUST changed, unless it is covered by a camera it is often “your word against theirs” when a police officer pulls you up on it. Keep in mind that an amber traffic light actually means “STOP” and not “get ready to stop” so NEVER say it was on amber as that is an admission of guilt.

Why travel through a red light?

Sometimes a gamble is taken at a set of traffic lights because you’ve seen in your rear view mirror that the person behind you is obviously not going to stop in time. A bulb might be out so the lights change directly to red or the entire traffic light has been twisted so it’s not pointing properly at oncoming traffic.

At 30mph you need 75 feet to stop the car!