Irish Traffic Light Sequence ...

Andy From Sligo

OK -the Irish Traffic lights. why are they sort of part UK'ish but not the full monty? - what I mean is they look exactly like the UK ones, but that why do they go directly from Red to Green and no amber (get ready to go) like the UK ones? - what is the idea ... I mean why?

Here's a few apologies in advance:

1.) Sorry (if) this has been done to death before
2.) Sorry if it sounds like I am saying the UK Traffic light operating system is superior to the Irish traffic light sequence and that the UK things are better than the Irish things, I'm not saying that at all and am not insinuating that it is.
3.) sorry if it sounds a very 'nerdy' and pointless thing to be posting about!

artanevilla

Flashing orange means get ready to go/go if safe, solid orange means prepare to stop.

I think it's just pedestrian crossing that flash orange though.

kneemos

Saw one the other day at roadworks with a countdown timer,thought it was a great idea.

artanevilla

Another idea would be to post on the Facebook of the driver that the light has changed, as they tend to be paying more attention to that when stopped at the lights anyway.

Andy From Sligo

er I think your talking about pedestrians - I am talking about when your driving

Wacker The Attacker

red means crash into a luas


http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0604/705711-dublin-traffic/

artanevilla

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

er I think your talking about pedestrians - I am talking about when your driving

No I'm talking about driving.

Andy From Sligo

artanevilla wrote: »

No I'm talking about driving.

oh right, havent seen that - and this is your normal run of the mill traffic lights yeah ? - or roadwork lights ye talking about?

ctrl-alt-delete

Saves money.

artanevilla

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

oh right, havent seen that - and this is your normal run of the mill traffic lights yeah ? - or roadwork lights ye talking about?

Pedestrian crossing lights, ie, not at a junction, their only sole purpose is to allow someone to cross. The orange starts flashing at the same time as the green man does, if no one is crossing, you can move off.

Tony Beetroot

Safer to break red lights sure.

Andy From Sligo

judging the way some people seem unaware the lights have changed to green and are still sitting there to the point you have to 'toot' them , maybe an amber 'get ready to move' and then green would be the way to go!

artanevilla

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

judging the way some people seem unaware the lights have changed to green and are still sitting there to the point you have to 'toot' them , maybe an amber 'get ready to move' and then green would be the way to go!

The problem in Ireland is that a lot of drivers would see the amber as put the foot down and accelerate off as fast as possible, like the orange before the red light means drive as fast as possible through the junction before it turns red.

Connemara Farmer

Countdown timers are great yokes, I'd also agree with the OP, there should be an amber in the Red (amber) Green sequence. It's silly not to have it, don't agree people would just take off on amber.

DareGod

Because Ireland simply does not possess the ability to do anything in a non-arseways manner.

There, I said it.

But it does do some things better than other countries so we shouldn't complain. [sarcasm detector explodes.]

Tony Beetroot

The amber before green works well in the UK.

dxhound2005

artanevilla wrote: »

Another idea would be to post on the Facebook of the driver that the light has changed, as they tend to be paying more attention to that when stopped at the lights anyway.

Send them a message saying Please move along, they are not going to get any greener.

Gringo180

Whats the point in having the bulb in between of red and green if there not going to use it?

Sunnyisland

I think the traffic lights should be green,white. And orange :-)

Andy From Sligo

Gringo180 wrote: »

Whats the point in having the bulb in between of red and green if there not going to use it?

well they do use it - it goes 'green' - 'Amber' then 'Red' but then it goes 'Red' straight to 'Green' in Ireland.

I think in UK it goes 'Green' then 'Amber' then 'Red' then goes 'Red & Amber together' (i believe I have that correct) and then 'Green'

Andy From Sligo

wonder why when traffic lights were invented they didnt make the Red stop light flash? .... mind you maybe it would give some motorists an epileptic fit! :eek:

Andy From Sligo

realies wrote: »

I think the traffic lights should be green,white. And orange :-)

Early Irish traffic lights ran on Spuds

jay-me

Another annoying thing about the traffic lights system is that you would think they would allow time for cars to get through a couple of sets without waiting at one only for the other one 100m up the road to go red and the next after that! Blackrock and North Circular Road I am looking at you! :mad:

Andy From Sligo

jay-me wrote: »

Another annoying thing about the traffic lights system is that you would think they would allow time for cars to get through a couple of sets without waiting at one only for the other one 100m up the road to go red and the next after that! Blackrock and North Circular Road I am looking at you! :mad:

got that in Sligo too on the inner 'relief??' road

dxhound2005

jay-me wrote: »

Another annoying thing about the traffic lights system is that you would think they would allow time for cars to get through a couple of sets without waiting at one only for the other one 100m up the road to go red and the next after that! Blackrock and North Circular Road I am looking at you! :mad:

Would that not depend on how many cars there are, and at what speed they are travelling?

Grayson

Random fact (that's kinda relevant)

I heard that most pedestrian lights change green for something something like 4.7 seconds and then amber for 1.7 seconds per metre width of the road.

That's why when you're walking across a pedestrian crossing the little green man disappears so quickly.

Andy From Sligo

Grayson wrote: »

Random fact (that's kinda relevant)

I heard that most pedestrian lights change green for something something like 4.7 seconds and then amber for 1.7 seconds per metre width of the road.

That's why when you're walking across a pedestrian crossing the little green man disappears so quickly.

#learnsomethingneweveryday ....

dxhound2005

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

OK -the Irish Traffic lights. why are they sort of part UK'ish but not the full monty? - what I mean is they look exactly like the UK ones, but that why do they go directly from Red to Green and no amber (get ready to go) like the UK ones? - what is the idea ... I mean why?

Here's a few apologies in advance:

1.) Sorry (if) this has been done to death before
2.) Sorry if it sounds like I am saying the UK Traffic light operating system is superior to the Irish traffic light sequence and that the UK things are better than the Irish things, I'm not saying that at all and am not insinuating that it is.
3.) sorry if it sounds a very 'nerdy' and pointless thing to be posting about!

In the North every time I was second at the lights the first driver always, always took off at amber. Nobody ever waited for green.

the groutch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR10t-B9nYY

Andy From Sligo

dxhound2005 wrote: »

In the North every time I was second at the lights the first driver always, always took off at amber. Nobody ever waited for green.

true there is that too - i always used to think that red & amber before going green meant 'off you drive if its safe to do so because its going to change to green in a second anyway' when i used to drive in the UK.

Yeah, the Irish traffic light sequence must feel weird going straight from red to green with no amber in between for some drivers down from the North and UK.

YFlyer

What colour comes after green?

InTheTrees

The question is why the UK feels the need to have an amber warning before the green.

How many other countries do it that way, I dont think its very many?

Andy From Sligo

I wonder how hard it would be for them to re-programme lights in Ireland to the sequence of NI/UK sequence? - cant be no more harder than what they are doing with speed signs lately changing them at the moment. Mind u the Irish rules of the road book would have to be changed too.

dxhound2005

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

true there is that too - i always used to think that red & amber before going green meant 'off you drive if its safe to do so because its going to change to green in a second anyway' when i used to drive in the UK.

Yeah, the Irish traffic light sequence must feel weird going straight from red to green with no amber in between for some drivers down from the North and UK.

I don't see the issue. The amber/red lights controlling the traffic with which you could collide hold them back for a sufficient time to make it safe to go on green. And the green/red man is similarly timed for pedestrians.

Andy From Sligo

YFlyer wrote: »

What colour comes after green?

er goes amber then red - then red and amber together then green, according to this:

http://www.drivingtesttips.biz/uk-traffic-lights.html

Andy From Sligo

when the lights are Red & Amber together it gives the 'boy racers' a signal to rev up their cars because green it will be in seconds and then let rip! :eek: - they wouldnt be able to cope with going straight from Red to Green!

Andy From Sligo

InTheTrees wrote: »

The question is why the UK feels the need to have an amber warning before the green.

How many other countries do it that way, I dont think its very many?

in no way saying that UK is superior to other countries but im sure that if it didnt work well or no reasoning for it , then it would have been changed by now. I think they have had those sequences ever since traffic lights were brought to the UK (invented by Americans I think)

InTheTrees

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

in no way saying that UK is superior to other countries but im sure that if it didnt work well or no reasoning for it , then it would have been changed by now. I think they have had those sequences ever since traffic lights were brought to the UK (invented by Americans I think)

I understand. I lived in the UK for years and it never bothered me. I'm curious wy they do it though. Some sort of motorsport heritage thing?

I lived in the USA for years too and most (all?) states use the irish sequence, red straight to green.

Andy From Sligo

InTheTrees wrote: »

I understand. I lived in the UK for years and it never bothered me. I'm curious wy they do it though. Some sort of motorsport heritage thing?

I lived in the USA for years too and most (all?) states use the irish sequence, red straight to green.

yes strange, and if its correct that they were actually invented in the US and brought over to UK you would think they would go from red straight to green

jimgoose

It's very simple. In Ireland, the traffic light sequence goes like this:

1) Grand, bah.
2) Focking floor it, Fintan!
3) Take it hawndy, noy!

Andy From Sligo

you aint half got to have your wits about ye though at traffic lights - even the other week as i was going to go through green and a woman jumped a red light. Just as I was approaching the lights I thought to myself 'she's not gonna stop' - I just let her go even though my light was green. I know in an accident it would have been her fault for running a red light but even so to avoid all time and hassle of an 'accident' if you have enough time and can safely do so if it looks like someone is not concentrating and it looks like they are gonna run a red light then let em get on with it - one day they will get caught out (if they are repeat offenders) ... hopefully!

jimgoose

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

you aint half got to have your wits about ye though at traffic lights - even the other week as i was going to go through green and a woman jumped a red light. Just as I was approaching the lights I thought to myself 'she's not gonna stop' - I just let her go even though my light was green. I know in an accident it would have been her fault for running a red light but even so to avoid all time and hassle of an 'accident' if you have enough time and can safely do so if it looks like someone is not concentrating and it looks like they are gonna run a red light then let em get on with it - one day they will get caught out (if they are repeat offenders) ... hopefully!

Did you read my post? Are you a-frum aroun' here, boy??

theteal

I'm gonna be honest, I'm driving in the UK just over 4 years. I don't know the official rules but I push off when it turns amber. . .no issues yet

Andy From Sligo

theteal wrote: »

I'm gonna be honest, I'm driving in the UK just over 4 years. I don't know the official rules but I push off when it turns amber. . .no issues yet

i suppose thats the unwritten rule - but i dunno how it would hold up in court if you was found to drive off under amber and not green - are people over there who go through amber light still called 'amber chasers' - or whatever it used to be called?

jay-me

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Would that not depend on how many cars there are, and at what speed they are travelling?

No, I am talking about the first car in the line!

DareGod

Where are ya from OP anyway?

Tony Beetroot

Gringo180 wrote: »

Whats the point in having the bulb in between of red and green if there not going to use it?

cerastes

ctrl-alt-delete wrote: »

Saves money.

Would save money and time if the sequence alerted people that it was about to go green, especially for the idiots that wait half the day to notice before moving off and worse still on lights with a short time for the sequence.

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

judging the way some people seem unaware the lights have changed to green and are still sitting there to the point you have to 'toot' them , maybe an amber 'get ready to move' and then green would be the way to go!

Be good if they could do this, but knowing most people dont seem to give rats arse and can hardly understand the systems we have, it probably would just confuse morons even more.

Id be happy enough if they got rid of being shown a red when there is a green also, that has got to be a big waste of time, money, energy as people will spot the red first upon approaching it and start braking, I cant even blame them, especially in the dark or wet when its duller as the red is much more visible, especially from a distance than a small green filter. Ive even been caught out myself but usually either have to brake because someone in front of me is caught out or let off the acclelerator and then realise, there is a green.


I see it fairly regular, red to not allow you go in one direction and usually a filter to denote the way you can go.
The thing is the filter denotes the only direction option which allows a driver to proceed, in the UK a straight filter wont be beside a red light (ie unlike here where a red would be lit to disallow a right turn)

The mere fact that the straight filter light is on and the right (or turning filter is off) is enough information to tell a driver they are only allowed go straight (or in the direction of the filter arrow only).

Not really thought gone into it and a hodge podge of ideas cobbled together without any thought of how it all works integrated,
especially annoying is lights that dont allow you to make it to the next set even when no one else is around other than if you were to floor it, so you get an utter waste of stop starts, maybe its to discourage use though, likely the same kind of ill considered or inconsiderate thought processes to come to these decisions.
Just like the quays in Dublin, hadnt been down them in years, maybe only a few times since the 30kmh limit was introduced, even 50kmh would have been way more sensible, completely impractical if not unsafe as people need to drive at a ridiculously low gear where in the end no one observes it and it is not enforced, yet the limits for driving around housing estates are higher than this! or not even regulated for.
So same ill considered moronic decision makers at work.

Gringo180 wrote: »

Whats the point in having the bulb in between of red and green if there not going to use it?

Alerst driver lights are about to turn red!
Same reason it should be used to alert drivers its about to turn green.

Maybe just making it very brief before green comes on to limit accidents (even though synchronised with other junction lights), as even a brief warning would save wasted time at moving off.

InTheTrees wrote: »

The question is why the UK feels the need to have an amber warning before the green.

How many other countries do it that way, I dont think its very many?

To alert a driver the lights are changing, makes better use of the lights sequence so more cars can use the system more efficiently, likely saves energy, time.

InTheTrees

cerastes wrote: »

To alert a driver the lights are changing, makes better use of the lights sequence so more cars can use the system more efficiently, likely saves energy, time.

Why does having an extra light to warn you the light is going to change make the system more efficient?

cerastes

InTheTrees wrote: »

Why does having an extra light to warn you the light is going to change make the system more efficient?

If it alerts the first driver in a queue that the sequence is about to change and moves more cars from that queue along in an allotted time do you not think that is a more efficient use of the traffic light system?

that you cannot comprehend that or even come up with a reason suggests to me you might be one of those drivers going around in oblivion.

PowerToWait

theteal wrote: »

I don't know the official rules but I push off when it turns amber. . .no issues yet

Amber gambler. You're officially gonna have an accident I would say.