A question for everyone that speeds.

[supertramp]

Good points, jellyman.

Another angle on the "light-controlled intersection" subject is to consider what happens when the lights "go out" due to a technical malfunction.
I have some rather amusing recollections of many years ago in the early 80's when I used one of the old 29mhz CB systems (guess what my "handle" was?). I heard about and experienced several cases where the traffic lights failed in the rush hour, and traffic still managed to flow surprisingly well, no accidents and good throughput. Once the police arrived to direct the traffic themselves, other breakers (CB users) always commented that the flow was reduced and that a jam was developing!
One particular case in point involved the junction of Bounds Green Road and the North Circular (Hobart corner?), a VERY busy junction in the rush hour. No lights & no police: reasonable flow with cars maneuvering successfully around each other. When the police started "controlling" things, the tailbacks developed.

Nothing against the police, but I think that it shows that most drivers can handle complex situations admirably well when left to use their initiative.

[bmwk12]

I disagree that to run a red light is always dangerous.

You are willing crossing the path of other vehicles, that have the right of way.

You are somewhat of a fool to believe this is any way acceptable

What makes you think, that the time of the day depicts their will be no other traffic on the road

[jellyman]

quote="bmwk12

You are willing crossing the path of other vehicles, that have the right of way.

No I'm not prepared to run a red light for the sake of my licence. But I yes I am prepared to cross the path of other vehicles that have right of way if its safe, and do so every time I pull out onto a a main road!

[SafeSpeed]

I disagree that to run a red light is always dangerous.

You are willing crossing the path of other vehicles, that have the right of way.

You are somewhat of a fool to believe this is any way acceptable

What makes you think, that the time of the day depicts their will be no other traffic on the road

Many states in the USA have a "turn right on red" rule. If we had such a rule in the UK it would be legal to treat a red light as a give way when turning left.

Clearly there are times and places where crossing a red light is safe, appropriate and even legal behaviour.

[Twister]

I disagree that to run a red light is always dangerous.

You are willing crossing the path of other vehicles, that have the right of way.

You are somewhat of a fool to believe this is any way acceptable

What makes you think, that the time of the day depicts their will be no other traffic on the road

I think jellyman was referring to light-controlled junctions where you CAN see quite clearly that no traffic is approaching from any other direction. There are several of these near me, and presumably hundreds if not thousands more around the country. So yes, I'd also disagree that running a red light is always dangerous.

[Homer]

you know there's no camera or anyone around, and it would clearly be safe to do so?

Disregarding the camera - if I could know it would be absolutely safe then I would proceed through with caution. And I have done in the past. For instance a narrow bridge controlled by lights at either end, in the wee small hours with the kind of fine mist in the air which helps spotting oncoming headlights and a good view across the bridge. I could have waited but why sit with the engine idling outside someone's front door for no benefit to anyone.

[tinytim]

I am sorely tempted to run a red light on a daily basis and have been for the past 2 weeks. Every morning and every evening I approach the roundabout that forms the intersection between the A48 and A473 and so far every morning bar 2, I have sat and waited for about 2 minutes for 3 or 4 cars to drive past. 3 weeks ago I would have quite confidently and willingly have crossed the path of these vehicles. What exactly is the difference now? They switched the lights on. I hit the same roundabout in the evening rushhour, it WAS nice and safe with good traffic flow sometimes a bit of a delay but in all honesty not as long as the current light phase. Now it's downright dangerous. Traffic flow is hampered, drivers become irritated and now carry out sharp and sudden changes in direction because the lead distance on the roundabout cannot contain the traffic, so lanes become blocked and drivers try to find a way round quickly in order to get off at their exit before the lights change. Did I vote for this, did I heck, nor did the people who live in the quiet village set off the A473 that now has 100s of cars forcing through it between 4 and 5 pm in an effort to avoid the complete cluster that is at the roundabout.
In answer to the questions, yes I exceed the speed limit but no I do not run red lights
I am a keen supporter of the flashing amber light as a sign to give way. On any intersection one route is given a permenent green light and all others get a flashing amber. What's the problem it works over half of Europe.

[M3RBMW]

I regularly drive over the limit, probably 60% of the time in fact. How can a country road in outback South Australia have a 100kph limit and as you cross the border into the Northern Territory there is NO SPEED LIMIT. You can drive at 200+kph without the fear of being booked.

It's the same road, same conditions, same surface, same weather, same car, same driver so why is it dangerous to drive over 100kph (60mph) in South Australia?

Of COURSE I SPEED. I drive to the conditions not to some arbitrary limit set by some stupid bureaucrat who has no idea.

Red lights are a different matter. Motorcyclists often have no choice late at night as a large number of our intersections are sensor operated and often do not register a motorcycle. So they either wait until a car comes (maybe hours) or run the red.

I used to go through them late at night on occassions (after stopping and looking carefully first) until I had a massive crash which put me in hospital for a week or so and lost me the use of my right hand for 2 years.

I actually had a green light but the situation would also apply to a red light. I was turning right at a very large intersection at around 2am. The intersection was incredibly well lit with huge orange lights that lit it up like daylight. Both roads are three lanes and I stopped in the intersection when turning right and was amazed to look in all directions an see no traffic at all. I commenced my turn and a car coming the opposite direction cleaned me up in a VERY big way.

Sound cut and dried that I was in the wrong but wait.... The car was painted in a matt finish dark grey undercoat and was driving without any lights. I do not understand the science of it but when a matt dark grey car is under orage lights it DISAPPEARS. I actually saw the car about 1 millisecond before we met when my headlights reflected off his chrome grille.

It taught me a valuable lesson that I still hold dear today. No matter how clear it may appear you can still have a big crash and if the other guy has a green light and you run the red it's going to be nasty.

My 2c worth...

[Roger]

No matter how clear it may appear you can still have a big crash and if the other guy has a green light and you run the red it's going to be nasty.

This could have happened at any well-lit crossroads. I submit the lights were almost irrelevant here (other than to act as yet another distraction).

[M3RBMW]

I agree, but if you run a red light the chances are greater, even though the colour of the lights was not relevant in my case.

[Ryujin]

If I really want a thrill-ride, I slow down to 70 mph on the motorway. The problem is that all the HGVs are going about 10 mph slower, while the passenger cars are going 10-20 mph faster, so I'm piggy-in-the-middle. Trying to maintain progress at the legal limit is an exercise in overtaking HGVs by dodging into the gaps between much faster moving traffic. The continual slowing down, speeding up and lane changing makes this a far more stressful and potentially dangerous activity than simply keeping up with the general flow of cars.

There are therefore two basic choices of speed on any but the clearest motorway: 80-85mph like most of the cars or 60 mph like the lorries. 70 is just asking for trouble.

[orange]

I disagree that to run a red light is always dangerous.

You are willing crossing the path of other vehicles, that have the right of way.

You are somewhat of a fool to believe this is any way acceptable

What makes you think, that the time of the day depicts their will be no other traffic on the road

Have you never been on a signal-controlled roundabout? If the traffic lights weren't there you would manage to negotiate the roundabout safely and successfully because you can see oncoming traffic; so why does there suddenly being a red traffic light there and no traffic coming change things?

[chrisdhall]

Jumping a red light: The Americans have "turn right on red" - Has that been problem??

[Mr_Binks]

At Longfield Roundabout in Trowbridge, Wilts, there are a series of traffic lights that operate 24 hours. This is pointless, as through the 'wee' hours there's very little traffic to control. Drivers regularily ignore the red during the silent hours, as I discovered when I sat there at 4am one morning! In fact, I got a horn up my backside for it, from a large truck.

The need for these traffic lights was further questioned when the juction box was 'flattened' during an accident and they were completely disabled. The traffic jams disappeared, the traffic flowed so beautifully it was almost poetry. Letters were sent to the local paper, suggesting no repair was needed and it would be more useful to spend the money elsewhere. Alas, no. They were repaired, and the tailbacks were back to normal levels. If we have a power shortage this winter, as is being predicted, I hope these schemes are one of the first things to be switched off.

[speed kills]

Trafic lights cause traffic.

Thats the plain and simple of it, wherever there is traffic lights there is trafic. Im supprised there is not a forum about getting rid of these, they slow the trafic down to 0, at least cameras you can do 50 through.

Still if I could get a set of traffic lights or two down my street, i would to slow the buggers down, make them go a different way.

[Gizmo]

Still if I could get a set of traffic lights or two down my street, i would to slow the buggers down, make them go a different way.

Would probably double the value of your house as well....

[stackmonkey]

back to topic;

I only ever go through traffic lights against red when they are obviously stuck on red. The last time i did this was for a contraflow near my home of the time with a clear view of the road ahead, and put my hazard lights on as I drove through.

I regularly speed on a daily basis on the way to and from work. In some areas it is safe to do 50mph in a 30 limit, in others (such outside the local primary schools) I don't speed and usually do 20mph or less. The speed bumps locally are actually reasonably placed (outside one of the primary schools that's on a T junction) on busy but constricted roads and reasonably well designed (i.e. Lowish cars can traverse without fear of grounding).

[bmwk12]

Have you never been on a signal-controlled roundabout?

Yes, and they are only Part time controlled by traffic lights. There are a number of roundabouts that cause massive traffic build up, as traffic across the round about is constant during rush hour's. The traffic lights allow others to access the roundabout.

If the traffic lights weren't there you would manage to negotiate the roundabout safely and successfully because you can see oncoming traffic

Traffic lights on roundabouts is not about safety, tehy are about keeping traffic moving, which you would not be able to do without stopping the constant flow.

no traffic coming change things

It does change things, the traffic lights get turned off

[bmwk12]

The speed bumps locally are actually reasonably placed (outside one of the primary schools that's on a T junction) on busy but constricted roads and reasonably well designed

No such thing as a reasonable placed speed hump, they should be removed from our roads altogether, even outside schools. Teach the kids, to cross at pedestrian crossings and the parents to park directley outside them

(i.e. Lowish cars can traverse without fear of grounding).

Have not found a speed hump yet, that my car does not ground out on

[bmwk12]

Thats the plain and simple of it, wherever there is traffic lights there is trafic.

Incorrect, traffic lights keep traffic flowing, without them our roads would come to a complete standstill.