Does anyone know why our Traffic Lights form the sequence:
RED/ RED and AMBER /GREEN?
Surely the RED and AMBER phase is unnecessary.
I can see the need for the single AMBER phase, after GREEN.
If the lights went straight from RED to GREEN it would eliminate "Red light jumping"
Lights at road works sometimes do not include amber and seem to work effectively.
Is there a historical reason relating to early electronics, or early cars that needed a "get ready" phase?
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The red/amber phase is just a warning of the impending green and as such warns you to get ready to go. It is more efficent and safe for traffic signals to work in this way as delays and accidents are reduced. The red/amber that you are seeing is at the same time as an amber on one of the other approach roads. So it is purely a early indication of the green. To remove the red/amber would mean a jump from red straight to green, the red would be longer as it would need to still be showing as the amber are still shown elswhere on the junction. This would result in additonal delays.
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Mathew,
I'm sorry but I don't follow your reasoning.
As red and amber means STOP, (Highway Code) I don't see how removing amber can cause any delay, nor do I see how retaining red
and amber "reduces accidents"
Many junctions that I travel through already have an 'all red phase'
RK
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The red and amber serves to warn you to "get ready" to go, whereas a red only would not and as such allows people to move more quickly when they are entitled to on the green signal . The red/amber phase can overlap with the amber phase on a other limbs.
The above is to squeeze out the maximum efficiency from traffic signals. All red phases are introduced in the interests of safety at proven accident sites, but can aslo be a time for pedestrians to cross.
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The red and amber serves to warn you to "get ready" to go, whereas a red only would not and as such allows people to move more quickly when they are entitled to on the green signal . The red/amber phase can overlap with the amber phase on a other limbs.
The above is to squeeze out the maximum efficiency from traffic signals. All red phases are introduced in the interests of safety at proven accident sites, but can aslo be a time for pedestrians to cross.
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I've just been driving in London on Sunday (a rare thing and certainly not a treat) and noticed quite a few junctions where the red/amber phase has been eliminated.
Is this a deliberate policy thing to stop people going early and prevent accidents, or just a fault - there were more than a few sets showing this effect.
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The red/amber phase encourages drivers to start too soon, especially in London. The traffic light sequences were introduced in the 1930's when starting a vehicle moving was a slower process.
French traffic lights, for example, plus most other continental countries, go straight from red to green and I believe that adopting that principle in the UK would be a positive advantage to safety.
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