If it's amber - hit the brakes

Drivers planting their foot on the accelerator and zooming through amber traffic lights are being slapped with $150 instant fines for breaking the law.
In a week-long police crackdown, 23 infringement notices were handed out to Tauranga motorists for accelerating through intersections on amber lights and driving through red lights.
Motorists are pushing the law to the limit with a survey showing two vehicles per light phase were running an amber or red light on average at a busy Tauranga intersection.
And it seems drivers are not so crash hot when it comes to stopping at stop signs or signalling their intentions at intersections and roundabouts either.
Members of the police Strategic Traffic Unit last week issued 31 tickets to drivers who failed to stop at stop signs, nine for infringements on roundabouts and 10 drivers were ticketed for failing to indicate at an intersection.
One driver copped a fine for failing to give way at a give way sign.
Thirty motorists were given warnings.
The crackdown comes after a traffic survey done by the Road Safety Group revealed only half of drivers were signalling left when exiting a roundabout.
During a survey in April of 200 cars passing through Ngatai Rd roundabout, just 60 drivers used the correct signals.
An earlier survey showed that during a 15-minute period at the Cameron Rd intersection with 11th Ave, two vehicles per light phase were breaking the law by turning on a red or orange light.
Senior Sergeant Ian Campion said the law was clear when it came to running amber lights.
"An amber light means stop unless it's unsafe to do so. There are few occasions when you are not able to stop. Drivers accelerating up to beat light phases is a common occurrence but it's illegal and a practice that will result in a crash."
Under the Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004, a driver must not speed up when approaching an intersection if there are other vehicles approaching or crossing the intersection. A $150 fine can be imposed.
Land Transport New Zealand figures show failure to give way at intersections was the third biggest cause of death and injury crashes in New Zealand, after speed and alcohol.
Last year, more than 3000 people were injured or killed because a driver failed to give way. In the Western Bay, 39 per cent of urban crashes happened at intersections last year and were typically caused by failure to give way or stop and poor observation.
Road Safety co-ordinator Lynette Hines said: ``If drivers can put their foot on the accelerator they can just as easily put their foot on the brake.'' Police will continue to take a hard line on offending drivers and have a follow-up campaign planned over the next month.