All,
Is it just in my part of the world where the traffic light systems make no sense whatsover?
I commute to work early in the morning, which involves A roads, dual carriageways with junctions and a fair amount of motorway. This morning I set off at 04:30 so understandably there wasn't much traffic on the roads.
However, EVERY set of lights I approached turned to red. Being a law abiding kind of bloke I stopped, only to sit there for an extended period of time whilst nothing crossed the junction the other way. Why oh why oh why?! I know a lot of traffic lights are radar controlled, but obviously the Highways Authority and the local government aren't bothered about free moving traffic in the North West.
I've felt that small rant building up all day. I feel much better now...
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A that time of the morning, I slow down* and drive through - but obviously in our crime-ridden state we can cite "not safe to stop" due to hijackings etc.
Some local councils get clever, and after 11pm make the 'main' traffic lights flashing amber (advance with caution), and those on side roads flashing red (stop, then proceed).
Unfortunately the majority of motorists don't understand these things, having never taken a test in their lives.
* green lights as well - in case of people coming the other way with the same idea!!!
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When i was younger i spent some tine in Russia. From early evening until the next morning (say 8pm to 6am), the traffic lights in all directions flash on amber constantly, and the traffic treats the junction like a crossroads.
Depends on the junction, but i think that it's a pretty neat idea and would save time and fuel otherwise wasted sitting at red lights.
Then again i could be wrong....
(someone is bound to disagree)
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I've often wondered why we can't have lights that flash red on one apporach (i.e. treat as give way) and flash green to the other (i.e. you have priority but beware of other vehicles) during late night/early morning hours.
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When i was younger i spent some tine in Russia. From early evening until the next morning (say 8pm to 6am), the traffic lights in all directions flash on amber constantly, and the traffic treats the junction like a crossroads.
Seen that in Spain and (I think) France too. Very sensible system. More use of part-time, rush hour/daytime only, lights might be productive too.
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Call it sad, but I do actually take notice of traffic light phasing, and can confirm that in Nottingham, they have been setup over the last 2-3 years to create delays. Everytime, they will stop you, wait for side traffic, stop them, and then let you go. The council secretly call this a "delay gate".
They want to bring in congestion charging here, and are creating the problem so that they can sell us the solution, and traffic lights are one of many weapons.
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spot on j. Same applies in Leics - the lights are deliberately phased to cause holdups, especially by having a very short (3/4 car) green light and a long stop so that pedestrians can use crossings - means that "go" lasts about 20 secs and "stop" about 3 minutes. This applies particularly to junctions on dual carriageway by-passes where there are never pedestrians and on roundabouts which now have lights added so that traffic which previously flowed freely is now stopped. The lights also operate all night even when there is no-one on the road but you can guarantee that you are stopped. At J23 of the M1 which I have used about a thousand times I have yet to get through without being stopped. Sometimes I suspect that the radar is set to change to red as cars approach.
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This is SOP on many intersections in Manila after rush-hour, i.e. 10 pm on. As Ian says not safe to stop at that hour in certain areas even at a red light.
What we also have is slow moving traffic across major intersections where the traffic enforcers ignore the lights and direct traffic by hand regardless of what colour light is showing. Along comes foreigner, enforcer's eyeballs turn into Peso signs and he waves foreigner across the line then tries to book him for running a red light. Most common the few days before payday or on Sat nights when the enforcers need some beer money. If he doesn't have a motorbike you just make a run for it. If he does you negotiate a figure rather than give up your license. Growlette is good at this and her "hijo de p***!!* as we drive off is something to behold.
When I lived in Riyadh the local traffic cops would delight in waving you into what you thought was a parking space then booking you for illegal parking. Worse you would be carted off to the Riyadh traffic jail which is anything but an exotic holiday destination.
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It's not just in your neck of the woods that the local council weasels do their best to create congestion (and consequent unnecessary pollution). It seems to happen in my area (Surrey) also.
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