What is it about traffic light timings at night?

RATM

Last night at 1am when turning right at a major junction I sat at the red light. In total it took just under four minutes to turn green. In that time several other directions had turned green for at least 30-40 seconds. But in the whole 4 minutes of waiting there I saw only 2 other cars.

It seems ridiculous to have the timings of lights on such long sequences when there is zero traffic at night time- a 10 second green sequence would clear any cars waiting there at those times of nights and make the whole junction a lot more efficient.

Who is responsible for traffic light timings and what the hell were they thinking?

Slunk

Some traffic lilghts allow traffic flow on the bigger road to continously flow. The traffic lights beside my job are always red until I drive up. There is a sensor that activates a green light, but only when you move up close enough to the line, otherwise you will be sitting there like a spare until you do move up

Vic_08

It depends on the specific junction.

Some lights are on fixed timers, others have different timings at different times of the day and others use sensors with varyious settings from almost instant triggering to shortening the timing sequence.

Is it possible you had stopped short of the sensor? There are lots of junctions that at quiet times will stay green for one direction for extended periods unless a sensor is triggered on one of the other approach roads.

RATM

Vic_08 wrote: »

Is it possible you had stopped short of the sensor? There are lots of junctions that at quiet times will stay green for one direction for extended periods unless a sensor is triggered on one of the other approach roads.

If there is a sensor (and its a new enough junction) then maybe this is what happened because I could nearly swear every other light went green then red then green again before my one even turned. Im on a motorbike, are these sensors more designed for the bulk of a car? And whats the best way to trigger them, just move your front wheel right onto the white line ?

corktina

not front wheel...engine block...;)

loyatemu

they should turn the main roads to green and the side roads to flashing amber at night - either that or just turn them all off (which I've seen in other countries). Traffic lights only improve traffic flow for a small part of the day, they rest of the time they're a nuisance.

Run_to_da_hills

loyatemu wrote: »

they should turn the main roads to green and the side roads to flashing amber at night - either that or just turn them all off (which I've seen in other countries). Traffic lights only improve traffic flow for a small part of the day, they rest of the time they're a nuisance.

They have been doing this for years in the States along with turn right on a red when the coast is clear. Australia has similar rules with turning left on red in some states.

ian_m

loyatemu wrote: »

they should turn the main roads to green and the side roads to flashing amber at night.

Excellent idea. Unfortunately our councils don't come up with logical concepts like this. They prefer to just introduce laws to stop us doing things.

My tip for you is when you approach the junction you might see a box shape on the ground with a thin black tar outline. Do you best to stop the car over this box and the lights should change for you.

padma

I swear that this works at night. As you approach the lights slow down and flash your beams a few times and by the time you get to the lights they'll have changed for you Note: only flash your beams when safe to do so.

Stark

I'm convinced they give more red time to mainline roads at night to stop people speeding and the like. At least that's the impression I get any time I use the N11 in the evenings anyway. Takes me longer to traverse it off-peak than it does during peak times with the green waves.

Run_to_da_hills

A worse and more frustrating problem is knocking them out of sequence, this can be particularly noted along the Blackrock bypass.

BrianD

Report it to the council and they'll investigate.

At the Junct of Haddington Rd and Morehampton Rd. there was a similar problem. Approaching traffic on Haddington Rd. obviously triggered a signal change except it didn't work for traffic heading west and you'd have to wait for an east bound car to approach. Seemed to be a faulty sensor. Reported it to council and got a surprisingly swift response.

Slunk

padma wrote: »

I swear that this works at night. As you approach the lights slow down and flash your beams a few times and by the time you get to the lights they'll have changed for you Note: only flash your beams when safe to do so.

Thats true, I dont stop anymore, just slow a little and wait for it to sense me and it will have changed when I got to it.

Gulliver

padma wrote: »

I swear that this works at night. As you approach the lights slow down and flash your beams a few times and by the time you get to the lights they'll have changed for you Note: only flash your beams when safe to do so.

If that works, it sounds like there is a sensor for emergency services vehicles on the lights.

I'd feel like a bit of a gimp flashing coming up to a light, though.

padma

Only if there are others around who can see you I found this out from an ex from South Africa who told me at night time there your not supposed to stop at traffic lights because of carjackings etc, so they just break them or they flash them the beams a few times. I applied it here and it works, but, you do need to slow down coming to them. I see your from leitrim, do they have traffic lights there?

Gulliver

padma wrote: »

Only if there are others around who can see you I found this out from an ex from South Africa who told me at night time there your not supposed to stop at traffic lights because of carjackings etc, so they just break them or they flash them the beams a few times. I applied it here and it works, but, you do need to slow down coming to them. I see your from leitrim, do they have traffic lights there?

How very DARE you! Of COURSE we have traffic lights in Leitrim!*

I frequently travel on the so-called "relief" road through Sligo at night and the lights are often all over the place.

*one set in Carrick-on-shannon that seems to have been removed lately

padma

I didn't mean to offend, maybe its roscommon but I heard a wee county up by you got their first traffic lights half a year ago.

Gulliver

padma wrote: »

I didn't mean to offend, maybe its roscommon but I heard a wee county up by you got their first traffic lights half a year ago.

I wasn't one bit offended! I'm a bit smileyphobic (ok, I just expect people to know when I'm messing) so I don't bother with them. Here ya go: :pac::rolleyes::pac::rolleyes::pac::rolleyes:

And "How very DARE you" is from the Derek sketch on the Catherine Tate show. I know it's a crap show, but I like that sketch.

Yeah it was Leitrim that got their first traffic lights and now they seem to be gone!

Carawaystick

loyatemu wrote: »

they should turn the main roads to green and the side roads to flashing amber at night - either that or just turn them all off (which I've seen in other countries). Traffic lights only improve traffic flow for a small part of the day, they rest of the time they're a nuisance.

I saw this scheme in Cork a few times, mainly during the main drainage, but also near Turners X

The main route gets flashing amber and the minor road gets flashing red.

oddiot

padma wrote: »

Only if there are others around who can see you I found this out from an ex from South Africa who told me at night time there your not supposed to stop at traffic lights because of carjackings etc, so they just break them or they flash them the beams a few times. I applied it here and it works, but, you do need to slow down coming to them. I see your from leitrim, do they have traffic lights there?

Most junctions in recent years use induction loops to detect the presence of vehicles. The are visible as diamond or rectangular lines on the road surface just before the stop lines at junctions. They work by creating a large magnetic field that is broken when the metal in a vehicle goes over them. This tells the traffic light computer at that junction that you're there, and when it's quiet, your light will turn green quite quickly. They are not cycle friendly, not sure about motorbikes.

By driving slowly coming up to a red light, what's happening us that you're activating other induction loops in advance of the lights giving them time to change to green for you. Induction loops use magnetic fields, and I'm afraid flashing headlights have no effect.

Watch out for these sensors on motorways too. They are used for counting vehicles there.

Victor

The sensor is typicially either:

(a) a TV camera like device on top of the traffic light pole that detects changes in light and darkness as a vehicle passes.

(b) a wire buried in the road, that triggers when a metal object passes over it, disturbing a magnetic field. Just drive along the black tar seal over the wire.

loyatemu wrote: »

they should turn the main roads to green and the side roads to flashing amber at night - either that or just turn them all off (which I've seen in other countries). Traffic lights only improve traffic flow for a small part of the day, they rest of the time they're a nuisance.

And for pedestrians?

Tragedy

Victor wrote: »

The sensor is typicially either:

(a) a TV camera like device on top of the traffic light pole that detects changes in light and darkness as a vehicle passes.

(b) a wire buried in the road, that triggers when a metal object passes over it, disturbing a magnetic field. Just drive along the black tar seal over the wire.

And for pedestrians?

They use pedestrian lights that turn all other lights red, like normal?

HonalD

padma wrote: »

I swear that this works at night. As you approach the lights slow down and flash your beams a few times and by the time you get to the lights they'll have changed for you Note: only flash your beams when safe to do so.

Sorry padma, it is technically impossible to change traffic signals in Ireland by flashing your beam (or any other part of your anatomy!). It may work in other countries but not here - sorry to burst that bubble!

padma

Maybe it's the universe man :D:D conspiring to give me what is needed.

loyatemu

Victor wrote: »

And for pedestrians?

common sense?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlXwumQxrRw