Hi all,
Is it just me, or has anybody else noticed the growing tendency for some drivers (especially buses and taxis) to anticipate the change in traffic light sequence and start edging forwards before the amber light has illuminated, sometimes to the extent of proceeding forwards as if the lights are on green (when they're still on red).
It is of course illegal to move forwards until the green light illuminates (let alone amber too!). It seems as though people who are familiar with the sequences just think it's ok to start moving forwards as soon as the lights of the other traffic have changed to red.
I think that this trend is worrying and extremely dangerous. There is a delay between sequence changes, deliberately so as to let people through who could not stop in time. By edging forwards in this way, impatient drivers at lights are setting themselves up for potentially very dangerous situations. I have been in taxis where the drivers have anticipated the sequences, and believe you me it can be quite scary.
Is it just me who has noticed this, or is it a growing trend outside of Oxford's dreaming spires?!
Regards,
Rob E
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I've seen a few people doing it up here as well (Edinburgh).
Also, when traffic is pulling up at the lights, a lot (too many IMO) of cars edge forward slowly in the space where they've stopped - instead of stopping properly and putting the handbrake on .... irritating.
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I wish I came across these people here (Edinburgh) everyone drives so sloooowly/ hesitantly - no cut and thrust at all.
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I noticed this today in Rochdale... lights had been red less than 10 seconds and a Rover 200 driven by a young Asian man was edging forwards. Eventually, he has completely out in the middle of the road with traffic from the right swerving around him. I gave him a prolonged blast from my horn and it shook him up enough to shoot off with some wheelspin. Probably stolen.
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"It is of course illegal to move forwards until the green light illuminates (let alone amber too!)."
It is not illegal to pull away from the lights at amber if there are no pedestrians, other cars etc in your way.
For drivers who are used to a set of lights or who watch the other controlling set of lights a bit of creep is fairly harmless. It is fairly pointless too as they are only going to gain a metre or two at most.
99% of English drivers are fairly tame in their attitude with even skinhead white van drivers letting people in. If you want 'extremely dangerous' try Morrocco.
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It is not illegal to pull away from the lights at amber if there are no pedestrians, other cars etc in your way.
Hi,
May not be illegal, but given the rapidly increasing number of buses and cars jumping red lights in West End of London, (not least because of the ridiculously short green sequences, thanks TFL)you may find out how a crash test dummy feels.
Regards
Vercin
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Tobyn wrote "It is not illegal to pull away from the lights at
amber if there are no pedestrians, other cars etc in your
way."
followed by Vercin with "May not be illegal..."
Gentlemen,
Which bit of
"AMBER means 'Stop' at the stopline. You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident"
do you NOT understand?
Really!
FiF
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Sorry something happened text went missing above post should have read.
Tobyn wrote "It is not illegal to pull away from the lights at
amber if there are no pedestrians, other cars etc in your
way."
followed by Vercin with "May not be illegal..."
Gentlemen,
Which bit of
"RED AND AMBER also means 'Stop'. Do not pass through or start until GREEN shows"
and
"AMBER means 'Stop' at the stopline. You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident"
do you NOT understand?
Really!
FiF
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"I wish I came across these people here (Edinburgh) everyone drives so sloooowly/ hesitantly - no cut and thrust at all"
I like driving here, generally everyone is courteous - I went back to London a month ago - and it was mayhem in comparison.
The Edinburgh pedestrian seems to think he/she is bulletproof though ....
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Not so bothered about creeping at traffic lights - it might be annoying but I can't see that its that dangerous if you're looking carefully. However, am greatly bothered by cyclists in Cambridge who have no regard whatsoever for traffic lights, especially when red. They just cycle on through regardless...Now that's dangerous.
Splodgeface
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Here in Nottingham, alterations of traffic light phasing to (as their policy document states) "punish drivers". has resulted in people going through red lights, I have even started doing this myself, as you can be going along at night with noone around, and every set changes red, for no reason and you sit looking at an empty junction just to punish you.
I also see that bus lanes and the SCOOT system, make car drivers and bus drivers no longer cooperate, cars won't let them pull away from the kerb and box them in, just as they cause havoc for car drivers....
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spinner - obviously wouldn't want it to get like London, but I do wish people would try a bit harder here, . Know what you mean about the pedestrians though, gets mad come Festival time.
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Try the Cheively roundabout (M4/A34). Traffic coming from the south will continue through the lights long after they are red - they still travel through after ours (leaving the M4) are green. One night last week I was able to pull forward from the green lights and then had to wait until someone lost their nerve and actually stopped. I guess that because the flow of traffic is so heavy and they're going so fast they feel that as long as they stay close enough to the car in front they will be OK.
This is one place I would dearly love to see cameras flashing the red light jumpers.
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LOL: where I live they anticipate the light change by observing the lights changing on the intersection and hoot you for not moving while yours is still red!!
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Hello.
You will also find that people who creep or use the clutch to stop at traffic lights wear their clutch out quicker so mr bloggs who was edging at the traffic lights may find that 2 miles down the road he cant get up the steep hill because he wore the clutch out.
Regards.
(iam not a mechanic)
Martin Winters
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Of all the places I've driven a car just about the only place I haven't seen it is the States.
Cheers,
Bill
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