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I have just had a few days in Yorkshire and have come across a new confusing traffic signal. At some cross roads the main ahead signal is RED but underneath or at the side is a GREEN signal for the same direction!? This of course put me in great confusion....which do I obey? I sort of slowed down and observed what the state of play was with other traffic and went when I thought it was safe. Any N Yorks folks able to elucidate.?
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What do you mean the same direction?
It's normal to have an arrow to the side, and for that to be green while the main lights are red. Are you saying a straight ahead arrow was green while a red one above was red?
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I mean that a red light shows as normal but contradicting it is a green arrow indicating that one may proceed straight ahead.
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I'd read this as meaning ahead only until the main light turns green. Seems a slightly unusual way of doing it - we have a similar thing at a junction very near me but they have two sets of lights, one for ahead/left and one for right so there is no confusion. It would suggest to me that there will be a filter for right turners separate from the main lights - could you tell if the other green signal was an arrow or just the usual circle?
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barney100,
the highway code says (my emboldening)
"A GREEN ARROW may be provided in addition to the full green signal if movement in a certain direction is allowed before or after the full green phase. If the way is clear you may go but only in the direction shown by the arrow. You may do this whatever other lights may be showing. White light signals may be provided for trams"
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We have a similar confusing trafic light in Camberley on the A30 at a tee-junction. Approaching on the main road with the side road to the right, the traffic lights are red, amber, green, then a green arrow below the "normal" green. When it is OK to carry straight on, but NOT turn right, the lights show red at top, with the green arrow at the bottom also illuminated. To strangers in the area, it is a little confusing at first!
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Oh these pee the hell out of me. It is not just certain areas. I even have some in my 'loverly' Kent district.
I *hate* the lights where locals know what they have to do, and I don't. Whether it be what lane to get into or what light to take notice of, how on earth does one know what to do unless one knows the area?
More than a little confusing to strangers, in many places, I would imagine.
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While I agree, HF, that it can be confusing if you aren't familiar with the area, I do find that in the main these lights have been put in as a response to local circumstances which can't be a bad thing. At the very least, IMO, there should be more 'left turn only' lights at many junctions where left turners are sat waiting for no obvious reason. (Or do it the American way where this is allowable as long as the road is clear to do so)
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I *hate* the lights where locals know what they have to do, and I don't. ..... or what light to take notice of, how on earth does one know what to do unless one knows the area?
Personally I don't find these lights confusing.
They are essentially filter arrows whichever way they point.
Movement is allowed only in the direction shown, when the main lights show Red.
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To change the subject just a bit to temporary traffic lights. Everyone has experienced the situation where 'your' lights are green and cars still keep coming through the lights at the other end. This isn't due to some sort of time lag or delay in the signal system. It's due to drivers going through a red light. For safety reasons temporary lights are wired so that the green light at one end uses the same current (?) as the red at the other end. It's impossible for two green lights to show at the same time. On longer or more complicated systems, delays are built in to allow traffic clearance, but these can only show multiple red lights.
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Whilst I know folk do cary on red sometimes, if the lights are seperated by a distance greater than you can drive in the time it takes to go from red to green, then this will happen.
Assuming the lights are made that way, and I don't know.
I do have a theory though that such lights are a status symbol for the roadworks. That is with lights, they must be important. Tongue in cheek but you know what I mean.
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I'm sure that in a few years temporary traffic lights will have small cameras built in, to catch the drivers going through on red. After all they have the technology to detect if a car is there, and it wouldn't take much to adapt them.
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