Traffic Lights

Pippy1976

How come it goes: Green - Amber - Red and then from Red - Green?

Wouldn't it be a great idea to have red - amber - green. It'd give all the aul grannies a chance to get their car in gear and not be holding up traffic on the GO!

Ficheall

Pippy1976 wrote: »

How come it goes: Green - Amber - Red and then from Red - Green?

Wouldn't it be a great idea to have red - amber - green. It'd give all the aul grannies a chance to get their car in gear and not be holding up traffic on the GO!

And those who were driving as they approached the traffic lights wouldn't have to stop - they might as well just go through the amber, rather than risk delaying folks by slowing down. Good idea, OP.

prettygurrly

totally agree...but then people will give out cos we're adopting a UK thing...not like everything else is a carbon copy of our neighbours eh!

The One Who Knocks

Pippy1976 wrote: »

How come it goes: Green - Amber - Red and then from Red - Green?

Wouldn't it be a great idea to have red - amber - green. It'd give all the aul grannies a chance to get their car in gear and not be holding up traffic on the GO!

Hey!
I hold my own on the track. Thank you very much.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/08/granny-driver-628.jpg

Pippy1976

It is a good idea, isn't it? Why don't we have lights like that here?

Does anyone know or can anyone provide a definitive answer.

Big Nasty

Because half of us would launch on amber and create more accidents.

I prefer it as is TBH.

Also isn't this more suited to the motors forum?

Pippy1976

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Also isn't this more suited to the motors forum?

Probably but I didn't know there was one!

stoneill

I'm sure he means Red/Amber at the same time as per the UK.
I think it's a good idea.

Merkin

Wouldn't it make people put the pedal to the metal on amber though?

Pippy1976

yeah exactly, that's what I mean. I think it'd speed things up a bit.

I was sitting at lights for ages today. People weren't ready for the off when the green light came on

oppenheimer1

If you had the UK system here, it would mean that the lights would have to stay red for slightly longer. The driver reaction time of drivers is factored in to the time the lights are all red in both directions. If drivers were to react faster (say by being given a warning that the lights were about to change) then this all red time would need to be longer.

james142

Don't they do this in the UK and Germany?

Pippy1976

james142 wrote: »

Don't they do this in the UK and Germany?

I think so, which means it's a system that works. If you get people to slow down (amber) before the red then why can't you get people to get ready (amber) for the green.

zuroph

if people had enough cop on to get the car in gear, they'd do it already. its a nice idea, but i doubt it would have much impact for the cost of implementation.

oppenheimer1

Pippy1976 wrote: »

I think so, which means it's a system that works. If you get people to slow down (amber) before the red then why can't you get people to get ready (amber) for the green.

They do it in the UK and other countries, but you don't get to move away any quicker - the lights stay red for longer to compensate for the decreased reaction time.

That said the UK system is slightly more efficient, due to driver behaviour not being perfect - but ours is marginally safer.

The One Who Knocks

zuroph wrote: »

if people had enough cop on to get the car in gear, they'd do it already. its a nice idea, but i doubt it would have much impact for the cost of implementation.

congrats on the 12,000th

Pippy1976

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

They do it in the UK and other countries, but ours is marginally safer.

Aha! I see. How do you know it's marginally safer? And why would it be?

zuroph

Jamez735 wrote: »

congrats on the 12,000th

ah bollox.

Lenin Skynard

Maybe a small blue light on the bottom that signals 5-6 seconds before the light is going to go from red to green so people know to be in gear.

An amber before green would just mean "go" to most so would be pointless.

colly_06

Don't some go Red-Flashing Amber-Green?

zuroph

top tip...

JUST WATCH THE OTHER DIRECTIONS LIGHTS! when theirs goes AMBER, get ready.

Pippy1976

colly_06 wrote: »

Don't some go Red-Flashing Amber-Green?

Here? Or abroad? I think NZ use that system, if memory serves me right.

Pippy1976

zuroph wrote: »

top tip...

JUST WATCH THE OTHER DIRECTIONS LIGHTS! when theirs goes AMBER, get ready.

haha, I do this but I've recently started thinking it's quite dangerous 'cos some idiot will try break the amber / red light and BOOM!

colly_06

Pippy1976 wrote: »

Here? Or abroad? I think NZ use that system, if memory serves me right.

Here

I'm quite sure actually..

southcentralts

Red is Stop
Green is Go
And Amber is Hurry the hell up, as far as I have seen.

zuroph

Pippy1976 wrote: »

haha, I do this but I've recently started thinking it's quite dangerous 'cos some idiot will try break the amber / red light and BOOM!

meh, his loss.

Pippy1976

southcentralts wrote: »

Red is Stop
Green is Go
And Amber is Hurry the hell up, as far as I have seen.

Totally! When going through lights I've pretty much made up my mind to plough on regardless LONG before I even get to them.

One quick wiki, and here we are..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic-light_signalling_and_operation#Change_from_red_to_green
Change from red to green

In some European countries (such as Austria, Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom), as well as in Argentina, Colombia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Pakistan, and Paraguay, particularly at urban intersections, the red and yellow lights are displayed together for two or three seconds at the end of the red cycle to indicate that the light is about to change to green. This phase aids the drivers of vehicles with manual gearboxes, giving them time to change into first gear during the short phase, as well as drivers of vehicles that may have been yellow-trapped whilst turning right a chance to clear the intersection in more safety. It also informs drivers who may be approaching the intersection at speed that a green light is imminent, so they may proceed through the junction without having to stop (or, with another of a lead distance, even having to slow), reducing the potential annoyance (and safety risk) of braking sharply to a halt only to have the green light appear immediately after.

Moody_mona

colly_06 wrote: »

Here

I'm quite sure actually..

Lights at pedestrian crossing :-)

keith16

It really is very easy to gauge the general stupidity of people when it comes to traffic lights in this country.

Lights turn green = sit there like a fcuking vegetable until someone 10 cars back in the queue beeps.
Lights turn red = GO GO GO, DON'T STOP.