Road Works Signals

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Wed 15 Apr 2015 14:57
Road Works Signals - Ben 10
Manual signals at roadworks consist of a stop/go lollipop worded system changed by the workers by hand or recently by one person with a remote control box.

So you get one or the other. Red or green. Stop or go.

To reduce manpower they install normal traffic light temporary signals.

Then why are temporary electric signals of the sort red, amber, green. Surely if they are only to maintain a fair flow of traffic around an obstacle, a hole in the road, why can't they just be a red and green signal, just like the manual method.

The amber phase just gives time for the chancers who jump the lights and cause the opposite side to get less of a turn. It also wastes time getting the traffic moving. You could change from green to red and still have an interval before the green shows on the opposite side with enough time for cars to clear.

Edited by Ben 10 on 15/04/2015 at 14:59

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Wed 15 Apr 2015 15:28
Road Works Signals - gordonbennet

In theory the amber before green should be ample time to wake the dozing, allow them to start the car, fiddle about with the gears, and just get themselves through before the lights turn to red again.

Those experienced in automated manual boxes tend to floor it as soon as the amber shows, by the time sveral committees have deliberated and voted on a gear choice and then implemented it, again only one gets through...i had exactly this at a set of lights last week, by the time the gearbox had sorted itself out my trailer went through on red yet i floored it on amber..bet my name was mud.

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Wed 15 Apr 2015 19:18
Road Works Signals - Vitesse6

Long time ago, they were just red and green!!

However, an amber light does mean stop...

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Wed 15 Apr 2015 22:38
Road Works Signals - galileo

The worst issue with temporary roadworks lights is when the timing is wrong: the other week lights for a small excavation on a straight rural road had a delay of well over half a minute between the red at one end and the green at the other.

This would have been a suitable timing for a much longer stretch of works, I assume the timing can be adjusted but often isn't.

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Wed 15 Apr 2015 23:24
Road Works Signals - Sofa Spud

Even worse is when the lights are working normally one end but are stuck on red or green or completely failed at the other.

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Wed 15 Apr 2015 23:53
Road Works Signals - Manatee

The instant change is a bad idea.

I failed my first driving test with only one (serious) fault. As I approached some temporary traffic lights (presumably faulty) they changed instantly from green to red.

I was probably a couple or three car lengths away. Nobody in their right mind would have stopped, but (a) I was inexperienced, and (b) I was on my driving test and there was no way I was going through a red light.

Suffice to say I did not need to be tested for the emergency stop. The clipboard shot off the examiners lap, and he banged his head on something. Examiners did not wear seatbelts then. He was quite shaken, and could only say "Why on earth did you stop?"

The fault, as far as I can remember, was "failing to take appropriate action at traffic signals".

Point being, there is a very good chance that some people WILL stop when they see that red light, at the same time as the driver behind floors the accelerator...

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Thu 16 Apr 2015 10:22
Road Works Signals - Andrew-T

The instant change is a bad idea.

Most(?) continental traffic lights go from red to green without amber, just as the OP suggests. Amber only used from green to red.

But it certainly seems true that there is more running the red at temporary road works than at permanent installations. Then (as I met recently) there are some temporary lights which show permanent red in both directions - they may be the worst, especially if there is no line of sight from one end to the other.

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Thu 16 Apr 2015 13:39
Road Works Signals - Ben 10
Manatee, you say the instant change is a bad idea.

But what form of driving do you adopt with stop go boards. There is no intermediate yellow board. It is stop or go. So why not, just for roadworks, have red green lights.
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Thu 16 Apr 2015 13:52
Road Works Signals - Manatee
Manatee, you say the instant change is a bad idea. But what form of driving do you adopt with stop go boards. There is no intermediate yellow board. It is stop or go. So why not, just for roadworks, have red green lights.

Those boards are operated by people, and usually within sight of each other or in contact by walkie talkie.

One stops the traffic, and either the other one can see when the board is turned and the traffic has stopped, or the one stopping the traffic radios the other end and says he has stopped oncoming traffic after the green lorry or whatever.

I should think the boards are the safest of the lot, operated by anybody half-sensible. How many times have you gone past a red board, excepting when it has been obvious that it is being shown to the person behind you?

Your suggestion is going nowhere:)

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Thu 16 Apr 2015 13:45
Road Works Signals - Manatee

The instant change is a bad idea.

Most(?) continental traffic lights go from red to green without amber

Yes, but not from green to red which is what the OP suggested.

Once you legitimise running red lights (which you must if you remove the amber)...need I go on?

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Thu 16 Apr 2015 14:29
Road Works Signals - Ben 10
No. I get your point. But you haven't addressed why you accept red green manual boards without an intermediary board, yet not red green option lights. All it is is you take the road worker out of the equation. What's the difference ? Nothing.
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Thu 16 Apr 2015 14:38
Road Works Signals - gordonbennet
What's the difference ? Nothing.

You'll see the operator get ready to turn the board, so at least as long a warning as the amber phase...mind you the usual twerps i get stuck behind still won't have the engine or gears ready.

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Thu 16 Apr 2015 14:59
Road Works Signals - Manatee
No. I get your point. But you haven't addressed why you accept red green manual boards without an intermediary board, yet not red green option lights. All it is is you take the road worker out of the equation. What's the difference ? Nothing.

I thought I had explained.

Your human operators can coordinate their lollipops such that nobody gets a green when it is not safe. Traffic lights are not so forgiving.

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Thu 16 Apr 2015 16:26
Road Works Signals - Andrew-T

<< Your human operators can coordinate their lollipops such that nobody gets a green when it is not safe. Traffic lights are not so forgiving. >>

Human operators aren't forgiving about operating their lollipops after normal working hours, unfortunately. Electrical substitutes become useful then, though I accept that red/green only could be better.

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Thu 16 Apr 2015 16:21
Road Works Signals - Andrew-T

Most(?) continental traffic lights go from red to green without amber

Yes, but not from green to red which is what the OP suggested.

I don't agree that is what the OP suggested. You can't (or shouldn't) 'jump' until the red changes, whether to amber or green doesn't matter. It's the drivers who carry on through after the green becomes amber (or red) that mess up the system.

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Thu 16 Apr 2015 17:39
Road Works Signals - Manatee

Most(?) continental traffic lights go from red to green without amber

Yes, but not from green to red which is what the OP suggested.

I don't agree that is what the OP suggested. You can't (or shouldn't) 'jump' until the red changes, whether to amber or green doesn't matter. It's the drivers who carry on through after the green becomes amber (or red) that mess up the system.

You are incorrect, he did say that.

Quote from the OP's first post -

"You could change from green to red and still have an interval before the green shows on the opposite side with enough time for cars to clear."

So, perforce, you permit passing through on red. Do you still agree with the suggestion?

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Thu 16 Apr 2015 19:40
Road Works Signals - Andrew-T

<< So, perforce, you permit passing through on red. Do you still agree with the suggestion? >>

I presume you don't mean 'permit' in its true sense? If you mean that will happen, then yes, as I said above. When the green light no longer shows - whether replaced by amber or red - traffic should stop. But we both know that doesn't always happen.

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