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That's one thing I miss from our years in VA and MD. The lights were programmed to work in line with traffic patterns.
Around here, they can't even program the traffic lights to work in tune with the volume of traffic:
- It's not uncommon to sit at red lights on main thoroughfares at 11PM when there no other traffic in sight.
- Or the traffic light will cycle to red on the main road at the moment a car pulls up to the intersection from a side road. As the traffic light senses that other car, it should have time to allow traffic on the main road to pass through for 5 to 10 seconds before cycling.
- Or, having to sit at a desolate intersection because they plaster up No Right On Red signs in the strangest places.
That's what drives me crazy. People get all worked up about the environment and forcing manufacturers to build more and more fuel efficient cars at whatever cost, yet simple traffic like timing would safe dramatically more fuel than a few city mpg would ever do. In all of Tampa Bay, with the exception of two main in and out roads in downtown Tampa, there's not a properly timed series of lights that I've ever seen. It's not uncommon to get hit with 6 red lights to go 5 miles on a 50mph six lane divided street, so of course everyone is stop, mash on gas to get to 50, red, repeat.
Thats a contradiction. Yellow light runners don't cause accidents. Unless the green light car actually believes that he has the right away, just because he has a green light. Why would anyone ever think that?
Everybody should know to wait a few extra seconds after the light turn green, to allow yellow light runners time to get through the intersection. Then they should wait a few more seconds to see if any red light runners would like to use the intersection first.
Here is an idea. How about we all just follow the same rules. Red light means stop. Green light means go. Yellow light means clear the intersection. Do not enter it.
There will not be a green light and a yellow light at the same time, so your logic is flawed.
That's what drives me crazy. People get all worked up about the environment and forcing manufacturers to build more and more fuel efficient cars at whatever cost, yet simple traffic like timing would safe dramatically more fuel than a few city mpg would ever do. In all of Tampa Bay, with the exception of two main in and out roads in downtown Tampa, there's not a properly timed series of lights that I've ever seen. It's not uncommon to get hit with 6 red lights to go 5 miles on a 50mph six lane divided street, so of course everyone is stop, mash on gas to get to 50, red, repeat.
It would be impossible to time the lights in both directions so drivers in both directions would always hit a green light if traveling at a constant speed. Unless every interval between lights would be exactly the same. Which in the real world is not the case.
Ever wonder how long it will take a traffic light to change? Audi has developed a solution, and we took a ride through the Las Vegas strip during the CES 2014 in an A6 sedan equipped with Traffic Light Assist to check it out.
The Audi technology is integrated with the city’s traffic signal system, monitoring the light change data
If you don't want to be forced to buy a new Audi, you can simply look at the cross-street light. When it turns yellow, your light is about to go green.
It would be impossible to time the lights in both directions so drivers in both directions would always hit a green light if traveling at a constant speed. Unless every interval between lights would be exactly the same. Which in the real world is not the case.
I'm talking main thoroughfares versus side streets of less importance. Most big city downtown areas are the only place I ever see lights timed properly, but get too far away from the sky scrapers and it's rare to never that you see lights with any type of communication from one to the next. You could find six lanes of traffic stopped 30 seconds after it began at the previous light because one car just pulled up to a light to turn; avoiding that would save a huge amount of fuel.
I do the same thing about waiting a second or two. I've seen some close calls when people are talking on the cellphone and not watching where there going.
agree, even at red lights I look BOTH ways before I proceed.
Usually you can tell how much time is left at lights with crossing lights as the hand will blink the number of seconds anyway.
Around here the Yellow light means - Red light coming - Stand on it. Crossing the intersection on Yellow is not an offense but crossing on Red is. We also have rotary intersections and 4-way stop sign intersections. These are a learned perversion.
I will deny any knowledge or execution of such, since it isn't technically legal.... but back when I was an engineer (quite a while ago).... go to the local fire station, have them run the modulated strobe light that forces the lights to change the traffic control lights, record it with a high-speed video camera, download it to a PC add little hardware that will pulse a xenon strobe... and you won't be waiting long at any traffic light. ;-) The coding algorithm is quite simple.
Note: I claim utter ignorance about any of this.
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Thats a contradiction. Yellow light runners don't cause accidents. Unless the green light car actually believes that he has the right away, just because he has a green light. Why would anyone ever think that?
Count to 1003, before stepping on the gas. Saved me a few close calls and perhaps an accident.
