In case you run a light

[CanadianFZ6]

Beware, the red light cameras are set at 0.5 of a second after turning red....I know, I got done at 0.63 of a second....Wallet raping A**holes...

How about not running the light in the first place. You're suggesting they (government) are trying to trick you and you have no control over breaking the law? You ran the light, it wasn't the govenment's fault... Funny, I am willing to bet if you saw a cager run a light, you'd be all over that dude for it...

 

[mxgolf]

I see people running the lights all the time and have never seen a cop around when I need them. Everyone is in such a hurry now days. They will not get there any faster by running the light. Maybe a minute or two. Big deal. :thumbup:

 

[necrotimus]

One of the biggest problems is there doesn't seem to be a standard. I have seen quick yellows that have a delay after the light turns red and before the next set turn green as well as long yellows that have no delay before the next set turns green.

In any case you should never accelarate hard as soon as the light has turned green unless you are positive no one is going to run the light. I almost got pasted once in my SUV by a semi and I was three cars back at the light. If I hadn't looked I'd be dead. I always start off slow and then once I am sure I am clear then I will hit it hard.

Likewise if you run a red light and it is at an intersection without a delay...

Ride smart ride safe

 

[dako81]

When I'm in the cage I don't like to slam hard on my brakes or accellerate really hard. I also don't speed, I used to in high school and stuff, but now just a few short years later I seem to not be in as much as a hurry everywhere. Seems like lately every time I get close to an intersection the light turns yellow just after I've committed to going through, and it turns red about the time I'm in the middle, or 3/4 of the way across the intersection.

If it turns yellow and I feel like I have to slam on my brakes to stop, I don't stop.

All of our lights here have a overlapping red, where it turns red for one way, and then about 3-5 seconds later (which seems like FOREVER), the other direction gets a green. So, realistically, I'm several seconds away from the intersection by the time the other direction gets a green anyways.

That's what I do.

Also, they've gotten rid of the flashing red left turns in several intersections that should still have them. It's where when both ways in your direction have green, the left turn stays solid red instead of flashing red so you can't go if there's no traffic anymore.

It makes me angry, since if there is no vehicle in the left turn lane about 3-4 seconds before the cross traffic gets yellow, the left turn will not turn green, and it will allow the traffic going straight in both directions go. I always seem to get to the light just as cross traffic is about to turn yellow, so I have to wait a full cycle to turn left. In the mornings during the summer, when I go to work, I stop at the solid red turn when cross traffic has red and I check and go anyways since all cross traffic is stopped, and there is usually nobody coming in my direction from across the intersection.

 

[dako81]

How about not running the light in the first place. You're suggesting they (government) are trying to trick you and you have no control over breaking the law? You ran the light, it wasn't the govenment's fault... Funny, I am willing to bet if you saw a cager run a light, you'd be all over that dude for it...

I don't think anyone here is talking about intentionally running a RED light (except what I said about turning on red.). It is impossible to stop at every YELLOW light, especially if it turns yellow while your in the intersection. Also if the yellow is very short, it can be impossible to run some red lights, or to not be in the intersection while it turns red. It's poor traffic engineering.

Actually there has been stories and studies that show that the government manipulates (shortens) the timing of the yellow lights after they install red light cameras.

This is purely to increase revenue. If they really cared about the safety of it, they'd have traffic directors out in the middle of the intersection because they're smarter than a computer running the lights.

On a slightly related note, there was a story about a smaller town somewhere that their police cheif convinced them to install speed cameras. The major convincing factor was that they would provide a revenue stream for the city. They spent the money and got them and within about a month, the cameras stopped writing tickets. People slowed down and stopped speeding where the cameras were at so they wouldn't get a ticket. The ciry couldn't figure it out, and they were pissed they spent the money on it and it was generating nothing for them. So, they ended up taking the cameras down and selling them.

Red light cameras have the advantage of manipulating the light, but what happens as said before is people start slamming on their brakes, and it causes more accidents, but they don't care because they're making more money from it.

It's about the money. Revenue. Tickets are a MAJOR part of the budget.

 

[FZ1inNH]

I'm a bit surprised no one has asked this: What state puts a traffic light in a 55 MPH zone????? WTF is THAT about? In NH, almost all lights drop to at least 45 MPH, typically 40 MPH before you get to them. I've yet to see a traffic light in anothing over 45 MPH here in New England.

 

[dako81]

I'm a bit surprised no one has asked this: What state puts a traffic light in a 55 MPH zone????? WTF is THAT about? In NH, almost all lights drop to at least 45 MPH, typically 40 MPH before you get to them. I've yet to see a traffic light in anothing over 45 MPH here in New England.

Got em around here. Without thinking I have come up with 2 that are in 50mph zones. I've driven to Virginia and back and have seen them in other states as well.

 

[necrotimus]

lights in 55mph (or higher) I think depend a lot on the rural-ness (is that a word) of the area. There are a ton in Virginia. It is unsafe for stop signs but cross traffic is rare enough that it would be silly to lower the speed limit. Though they have started lowering the speed limit on route 1 in a lot of places near me iceholes

 

[SovietRobot]

I'm a bit surprised no one has asked this: What state puts a traffic light in a 55 MPH zone????? WTF is THAT about? In NH, almost all lights drop to at least 45 MPH, typically 40 MPH before you get to them. I've yet to see a traffic light in anothing over 45 MPH here in New England.

There's quite a few here on 60 and 65MPH highways.

 

[antijoy]

I'm a bit surprised no one has asked this: What state puts a traffic light in a 55 MPH zone????? WTF is THAT about? In NH, almost all lights drop to at least 45 MPH, typically 40 MPH before you get to them. I've yet to see a traffic light in anothing over 45 MPH here in New England.

We have plenty of them in SW Washington. I will not do emergency braking to stop for those yellow's.


Back in high school, way before camera's at intersections, my TSE teacher who was ex-state patrol, told us the excuse you can use to always have the judge drop the charges. He specifically mentioned this regarding running a light, but it might work for other scenarios too. You just say you sneezed at that moment, it would have to be ruled as an act of God, you can't be held responsible for an act of God!
Disclaimer: I've never tried this, my old teacher may have just be senile!

 

[Gilo-FZ6]

this is the law according to the british highway code..
"AMBER means 'Stop' at the stopline. You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident"

most people use amber as a 1-2 second extension of the green light..ive never seen police pull a vehicle for being an "amber gambler"

 

[jrf]

Who the HELL is ED REED......Sorry, dont follow the world series in Australia....

:eyebrow::eyebrow: :rof::rof:


Um, Ed Reed doesn't play Baseball. He plays Football.:rof: