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Does anyone think the yellow lights are lasting a shorter period of time? Possibly on the lights with red light cameras?
Friday I went through 3 red lights with cameras. The yellow light must have lasted half as long as normal. Each time I thought I had plenty of time. After that I just stopped, or tried to.
My Jeep is having issues and it was raining so if I get a ticket I get a ticket. Better to keep going than to spin out in circles in an intersection!
This is a common complaint of red light cameras. Generally, when the yellow light is set to a sensible timing the revenues plunge. You can thank all the payola being allocated to your local law enforcement for their popularity.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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There were some in nearby Redmond, WA but they took them out after finding that people either sped up to beat the red on yellow, or stopped short and got rear-ended.
I always thought the standard should be universal on a yellow light--based on the time it takes a 100,000 pound tractor-trailer that is going along at the speed limit to comfortably come to a complete stop.
Of course, I'd rather have rotaries than traffic lights anyway. It's much easier, and much safer, to slow down and look for a gap, than it is to choose between gunning it or slamming on the breaks when a light turns yellow. Not to mention that there is no way they could put up a ticket camera!
We don't think, we KNOW.
According to NTSA regulation, yellow lights were changed to 3 seconds on intersections governed with cameras. Why, they did not care to rationalize, and the reason I know this is because of an article in Seattle Times.
Used to be 6 seconds, or even 9. I have little doubt THEY came up with some sort of "scientific" explanation to why this was done but, loud and clear, it will nab you with fine much faster now.
Also, in my humble opinion, as MANY intersections are physically impossible to cross in 3 seconds at normal morning traffic speeds, a driver learns to keep one eye on the street light approaching such an intersection, to NOT enter it on yellow. As a result, such a driver may slam on brakes right before the intersection, being rear ended by a driver behind him.
It all went from "beating the yellow" to "avoiding the yellow".
Hi fans and ladys .How can a car enter and leave an intersection in 3 seconds? Some intersections are much wider than others.The amount of time the yellow stays on should be the same at every intersection.I know some traffic patterns require the length of the red and green to vary but the yellow light should always remain the same.
I always thought the standard should be universal on a yellow light--based on the time it takes a 100,000 pound tractor-trailer that is going along at the speed limit to comfortably come to a complete stop.
Of course, I'd rather have rotaries than traffic lights anyway. It's much easier, and much safer, to slow down and look for a gap, than it is to choose between gunning it or slamming on the breaks when a light turns yellow. Not to mention that there is no way they could put up a ticket camera!
I can't give you rep right now but if I could I would. You are exactly right on everything you said.
I was recently told that even if you stop at the red light with the cameras but over the line, the camera is still going to snap the picture and it will be treated as you ran the red light even though you did not. I have seen the cameras take pictures when people go over the white line at some lights.
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