fine for breaking signal

[sam_001]

Hi,

I think I might have broken the red flashing signal on the roundabout near verkukauppa helsinki. A tram was stopped on the opposite to drop the passengers. The triagular three lights were flashing red on the roundabout and there were no cars. I had stopped but a car behind me was horning so I continued as all cars from other sides of round abouts were also going

I am a new driver and I know that you have to stop on red light. However these red flashing lights on the roundabouts were consfusing me. My understanding was that roundabouts have no traffic lights but probably because of trams, this round about has some installed. The tram was on the opposite side and was not coming but stopped.

My questions

1) Don't the red flashing lights mean that you have to stop?
2) I started moving on the red flashing lights because of the car behind me. However, I am not sure if I did the right thing by continuting. If I broke the signal, will I get a ticket for it?
3) I have seen that a lot of signals have these small cameras installed in helsinki. Do they capture the signal breaking? Do they flash the same way as a speeding camera if a signal is broken
4) Sometimes when your speed is high and you have cars close behind, its not a good idea to stop suddenly. Sometimes I contine on the yellow lights but if its a big road, they might have already become red when you are in the mid. Is it illegal?

[riku2]

4) Sometimes when your speed is high and you have cars close behind, its not a good idea to stop suddenly. Sometimes I contine on the yellow lights but if its a big road, they might have already become red when you are in the mid. Is it illegal?

where did you learn to drive and take your test? the way traffic lights work with red and amber colours is the same everywhere in the world and certainly in finland they adjust the time the amber light is on according to the speed limit of the road.

And for the red flashing lights in a triangle (which I think can also be outside fire stations and the like), you should have stopped. probably the person behind doesn't understand what those kind of lights mean but their ignorance is no excuse. The same applies for those who don't know how to give way on a roundabout (you give way to traffic already on it) or don't know how to overtake a bicycle (you don't do it forcing oncoming traffic to drive off the edge of the road). These two are common things that finnish drivers do but they are wrong, but repeating their bad driving is no excuse.

[Flossy1978]

I think you should read the driving book again. If you don't know something as basic as this.

And it is not your fault if you are driving at a high speed and a car behind you is tailgating. If you need to stop in an emergency, then you do so. If they crash into you, then they are at fault.

When I use to drive in Finland, I never really had any tailgaters. I thought people generally stayed quite far from each other. But then again, I only really drove on one motorway and then small roads.

[007]

Don't the red flashing lights mean that you have to stop?

yeah.. good question. I would love to know myself but to my understanding flashing red light means that you have to stop and let vehicles aready on the road go first --> it's a big stop sign

And, flashing yellow light means that you can drive through but you have to be careful and drive slowly checking whether e.g. pedestrian is crossing the road or a road maintenance is ahead etc.

[sam_001]

Don't the red flashing lights mean that you have to stop?

yeah.. good question. I would love to know myself but to my understanding flashing red light means that you have to stop and let vehicles aready on the road go first --> it's a big stop sign

And, flashing yellow light means that you can drive through but you have to be careful and drive slowly checking whether e.g. pedestrian is crossing the road or a road maintenance is ahead etc.

do you have to stop untill the vehicle pass like the big stop sign or do you have to stop until the light is flashing?

In my case, the light was flashing red but there were no cars on the round about. There was a tram a bit far from the round about and the tram was at its stop dropping off passengers. There were no other vehicles.

[007]

Don't the red flashing lights mean that you have to stop?

yeah.. good question. I would love to know myself but to my understanding flashing red light means that you have to stop and let vehicles aready on the road go first --> it's a big stop sign

And, flashing yellow light means that you can drive through but you have to be careful and drive slowly checking whether e.g. pedestrian is crossing the road or a road maintenance is ahead etc.

do you have to stop untill the vehicle pass like the big stop sign or do you have to stop until the light is flashing?

In my case, the light was flashing red but there were no cars on the round about. There was a tram a bit far from the round about and the tram was at its stop dropping off passengers. There were no other vehicles.

Don't take my opinion as a fact. I myself need some confirmation on this but it is my understanding that flashing red light means a stop sign. Now, would you stop your car and wait as long as stop sign remains there? It just means that those already on the roads should be allowed to without interfering them. If there's none, then you move your ass. I am now starting to wonder whether you just stopped your car and waited and waited even though there was no other vehicle and driver behind you started rolling his eyes, which is legit imo.

I have never had such experiences with flashing red lights (except in one case with cops behind me) but I have with stop signs, and those are usually put at a junction where vehicles with priority (don't know the exact term to describe it) can drive upto or above 80 km/h.

[sam_001]

This is near Verkokauppa shop near rouholahti helsinki. When you pass the shop towards the big parking lot and return, then near the first round about on the opposite road of the shop on the round about, there is this triangular shapped signal with three lights on them. They most probably flash only when a tram is nearby. It was my first time seeing this too and I was surprised that it was on the round about. I have never seen a traffic signal on round about before so was experiencing it first time..as I am relatively a new driver

The tram was on the opposite road, stopped and dropping off the passengers. I am quite sure it was because of the tram as I had already taken few rounds to find a parking space so this light was not flashing before. There were few other cars entering and exiting from the other sides of round about though I am not sure if they had a similar flashing light on their side but it seemed like no one was bothered except me

[Piet]

This is near Verkokauppa shop near rouholahti helsinki. When you pass the shop towards the big parking lot and return, then near the first round about on the opposite road of the shop on the round about, there is this triangular shapped signal with three lights on them. They most probably flash only when a tram is nearby. It was my first time seeing this too and I was surprised that it was on the round about. I have never seen a traffic signal on round about before so was experiencing it first time..as I am relatively a new driver

The tram was on the opposite road, stopped and dropping off the passengers. I am quite sure it was because of the tram as I had already taken few rounds to find a parking space so this light was not flashing before. There were few other cars entering and exiting from the other sides of round about though I am not sure if they had a similar flashing light on their side but it seemed like no one was bothered except me

You should stop:

http://www.expat-finland.com/pdf/finnis ... _signs.pdf (open en scroll down, page 11 of 12)