Safe Speed Forums

So, a four way cross roads.

I'm turning right, across oncoming traffic.

My light goes green, so does the light for oncoming traffic. I proceed into the middle of the junction and wait to turn right, but I can't due to oncoming traffic.

My light goes red.

However, the light for the oncoming traffic stays green and does so for about 30 seconds, so oncoming traffic keeps coming.

Light for oncoming traffic goes red, I make my turn. About a second later the lights for the other road across the juntion go green.

The bit it italics, anybody know where else opposing lights go red out of phase of each other? There are no filter arrows.

There is a juction like that in Goddalming. It is a breathtakingly stupid and dangerous layout/phasing!

_________________
"The road to a police state is paved with public safety legislation"

Yes, lots of them round here.

I think it is to do with allowing traffic from the opposite direction from you to turn right and avoid tailbacks. Is the junction one where the tidal flow is more in one direction than the other?

_________________
Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

I've never come across this other than if there was a right filter on the opposing direction.

It seems highly illogical, but as long as you are given sufficient time to clear the crossing after the opposite direction's light has gone red then I suppose it would work-ish.

At least it's better than the modern trend of giving every arm a separate green phase.

Perversely the red is shown longer to the road that always has the queues on it.

Was this in London? Sounds like a "Ken Special"

I've seen it catch a few out now. People turning right asume that because their light has gone red that the light for the oncoming traffic has gone red too, leads to a bit of a jolt and a sudden stop when they realise that the other cars are still coming.

I got a beep there the other day too, I think because the person behind assumed I should move off and turn right because my light was red, I turned round and pointed at the green light behind me and shouted "it's still green for them".

They use a red arrow in parts of North America in those circumstances.

_________________
When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

I often wonder if people who design these junctions actually drive?

_________________
My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

I've a got a Tory council, and you know how most Tories like their cars.

And if it's a TFL maintained junction the the proprietor of TFL (one B Johnson) is quote famous for his taste in expensive cars.

At long last I can connect with you I have a junction near my work which sounds the same bud...

I have honestly felt compelled to write to 'whoever would do something' about it in fact

I know several crossroads which seem almost deliberately timed only to p1SS drivers off and delay people

I can Google Earth them here on request...

_________________
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

The trouble with this layout is that it seems specifically designed to kill people!

_________________
"The road to a police state is paved with public safety legislation"

I'm not saying it's ideal in the least, but waiting to turn right in the middle of the junction for the oncoming traffic to clear seems to be the same situation whether your light is red or green. As long as you passed the light at green, you're not doing anything wrong.

I am no longer amazed at how much more dangerous our roads are being made by incompetent councillors. Luckily for all of us car manufacturers are improving car safety faster than the partnerships are destroying safety.

I often wonder what the death toll on the roads would be if we all still drove cars with the crash protection available in the 80's. I reckon we'd be close to 20,000 fatalaties per year now.

Traffic lights just like this in Lostock Hall - seen numerous near misses here

_________________
That's how Nazi Germany started. They'll be burning books next. (Brian Noble, Wigan coach - updated 20/4/06!!).

There are at least 2 like that in sunny Southend. If you are lucky, 2 vehicles can make the right turn

2 seconds, I'd wager.

I don't think it is illegal. As long as the amber lights last 3 seconds and the green at least 7.

Sounds a little confusing, but if there's traffic coming at you still, not all that confusing?

_________________
Andrew.

The real danger is when a small gap appears in the oncoming traffic that coincides with the right turners light going red (so he expects that the oncoming light to be red as well) so he turns across the oncoming traffic expecting it to be stopping when infact it has a green and is coming on through.

(IYSWIM)

I have seen this happen many times at the junction in Goddalming. I am Amazed not to have witnessed a nasty accident!

_________________
"The road to a police state is paved with public safety legislation"

Suppose the junction had no traffic lights. If you wanted to turn right, you would wait for a suitable gap in the opposing traffic and then turn. What is the difference caused by the presence of the lights?

_________________
Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

That there is an assumption that when your light goes red that the light for the people coming at you goes red at the same time.

It's a bad assumption to make, but I've seen a fair few make it already since this phasing has changed.

I've seen a couple of waved fists, I presume the driver turning right thinks the driver coming at him has jumped his red light.