Flashing yellow arrow traffic lights--safer? or dangerous? (Atlanta, Suwanee: 2014, license)

[billl]

Originally Posted by demonta4

It's basically the same thing as a green left turn light so I don't get the confusion, though maybe a flashing green light would've made more sense for most people. For me yellow means caution, but most people fly through yellow lights.

No, it doesn't.

Solid green arrow means you have the right of way.

Flashing yellow arrow means you are allowed to turn but must yield the right of way to oncoming traffic.

I have no idea what a flashing green would mean.

[primaltech]

I still maintain it's a good idea, that works. At least once people get used to it.

The flashing yellow light essentially makes it as if the intersection had no turn arrow, so the rule is that you can turn left on green light but you have to yield. This setting was not available before at intersections that have a turn arrow (which is most everywhere in the suburbs, less in the city). The only settings without this new setting, are red for 'you can't turn even if you could', and green arrow where you have the right of way but oncoming traffic has to wait at a red light.

I like it.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by primaltech

I still maintain it's a good idea, that works. At least once people get used to it.

The flashing yellow light essentially makes it as if the intersection had no turn arrow, so the rule is that you can turn left on green light but you have to yield. This setting was not available before at intersections that have a turn arrow (which is most everywhere in the suburbs, less in the city). The only settings without this new setting, are red for 'you can't turn even if you could', and green arrow where you have the right of way but oncoming traffic has to wait at a red light.

I like it.

Protected left turn signal.

[demonta4]

Originally Posted by billl

No, it doesn't.

Solid green arrow means you have the right of way.

Flashing yellow arrow means you are allowed to turn but must yield the right of way to oncoming traffic.

I have no idea what a flashing green would mean.

The old solid green meant yield. Back then there was only two light phases, either one road would be green or the other would be. Now we have a system where lights change by directions. A flashing green light would be the same as yellow, since many associate green with being able to go, and yellow with not missing the light.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by demonta4

The old solid green meant yield. Back then there was only two light phases, either one road would be green or the other would be. Now we have a system where lights change by directions. A flashing green light would be the same as yellow, since many associate green with being able to go, and yellow with not missing the light.

Green means drivers have the right of way and can go. The flashing yellow and corresponding signage, let's left turning drivers know they must yield to TheU traffic. Same as a signal that is on flash. The yellow phase on signals does not flashing.

[demonta4]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Green means drivers have the right of way and can go. The flashing yellow and corresponding signage, let's left turning drivers know they must yield to TheU traffic. Same as a signal that is on flash. The yellow phase on signals does not flashing.

I was talking about the old system people are used to.

[samiwas1]

In this city, people don't even know how to deal with flashing yellow or red lights, either. I wouldn't expect them to understand the flashing yellow arrows, either.

[jeoff]

Originally Posted by primaltech

I still maintain it's a good idea, that works. At least once people get used to it.


I like it.

You don't want to be traveling 40MPH through your green light while someone is having trouble getting used to that flashing yellow arrow on the other end.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by jeoff

You don't want to be traveling 40MPH through your green light while someone is having trouble getting used to that flashing yellow arrow on the other end.

No surface roads in metro Atlanta should be higher than 35mph.
Also, when they convert to the new flashing yellow arrow a sign is always installed.

[jeoff]

Originally Posted by cqholt

No surface roads in metro Atlanta should be higher than 35mph.
Also, when they convert to the new flashing yellow arrow a sign is always installed.

So, you don't see how the bottom 1% of drivers might misinterpret a flashing yellow arrow the first time they see it, and rush through the light at night? Do you really want to be going through the other side of that light at 35MPH when they screw up? Some folks are alert, cautious and see well, others are the opposite. I want traffic signals to be as close to idiot-proof as possible--I just don't think these signals meet that standard.