‘Amber gambler’ fines list topped by Scottish cities

● Glasgow’s high number of red-light cameras could be behind figures

Glasgow officials hand out the most fines for motorists going through red lights with almost double the number of prosecutions compared with anywhere else in Britain.

According to new figures from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), since April 2016 some 13,373 drivers in the city have been prosecuted for ignoring traffic lights – more than 10 per cent of all recorded offences in England, Wales and Scotland.

The next worst offender was Edinburgh, with 8,022 prosecutions in the last four years.

By comparison, third place Nottingham registered 5,775 offences up to October 2019, ahead of Bristol with 5,048, Cardiff with 4,942 and Sheffield with 2,925.

The figures were uncovered by car leasing firm Select Car Leasing through a Freedom of Information request.

Director Mark Tongue said: “Traffic lights are there for a reason and jumping them when they are on red is not only an offence, it is also highly dangerous.

“Glasgow has around 50 speed and red-light cameras, a relatively high figure compared with other cities, which may explain why it is the redlight jumping capital.

“But driving habits and behaviours also play a significant part and motorists can hardly blame a camera if they get caught ploughing through traffic when they should be coming to a standstill.”

According to the latest stats from the UK government’s Department for Transport, there were 160,597 casualties of all severities in reported road traffic accidents in 2018. Around 75,095 of those accidents occurred at junctions, with many of them governed by traffic lights.

Mr Tongue added: “By jumping a red traffic light or being a so-called ‘amber gambler’, drivers are creating a very real threat of death to other road users and pedestrians.”

If they run a red light, motorists receive a TS10 notice on their licence for “failing to comply with traffic light signals” and which stays on their record for four years from the date of the offence.

Most fines are for £100 accompanied by a three-point penalty.

Drivers with a Lerwick postcode, in the Shetlands, jumped red lights the least, breaking the law just 20 times, followed by the Outer Hebrides at 34 offences.