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| Corporate666:
--- Quote from: Richard Crowley on May 02, 2017, 09:06:11 pm ---Precisely. There has been a problem with those red-light cameras in that city since the day they were installed. People have been attempting to have a meaningful discussion with the city government for DECADES. This incident is only one recent example of the stone wall that the city government has maintained. And it appears to demonstrate a counter-offensive strategy on the part of the authorities. Alas, something that has become commonplace in this state. The programmed timing of the traffic lights at the four intersections with cameras is DEMONSTRABLY shorter than similar intersections across the state and even in the SAME city. One can only conclude that the intervals are shorter in order to boost revenue from the cameras. Certainly if they had any real concern for safety, they would INCREASE the intervals rather than DECREASING them. That is why many (most?) of us simply detour around those intersections whenever possible. Perhaps THAT is their "safety strategy"? :-// --- End quote --- With all due respect to you, whenever I hear someone complaining about the duration of yellow lights, especially in a comparative sense, it is blindingly obvious that the person complaining is just trying to run through the light when yellow and upset at the prospect of getting caught. News flash - yellow lights are not "quick, get through before it goes red" lights, they are supposed to give drivers an opportunity to slow down before they turn red. There are two types of drivers in my many years of driving experience. The type that notice a yellow light and, if they have time to decelerate at a reasonable rate of speed, will slow down and come to a stop. The second type will accelerate and try to get through the light before it turns red - often and usually crossing the line after the light has gone red already (and another car behind them does the same). This second driver is the one who is loud and outspoken about comparative delays between yellow lights and the vileness of red light cameras. I don't want red light cameras around here. We don't have them and I generally don't want them - but if we did have them, I don't think I would have ever gotten a ticket from one. On the other hand, there are a few intersections that get busy and every...single... time the light changes, there would be 2, sometimes three cars that would get tickets. And it would have nothing at all to do with short yellows or anything of the short - but everything to do with assholes that don't want to wait at a red light and instead try to squeeze through a yellow and don't want to take any personal responsibility for doing so and getting it wrong and the resultant ticket. I travel a LOT in this country and I drive a LOT and I have never, ever, ever seen any intersection with a yellow that was such that a driver did not have sufficient time to recognize the yellow and slow at a perfectly reasonable rate of speed to a stop. I challenge anyone to point out that intersection - I wager it doesn't exist. The problem is people who want to beat the yellow but end up getting a ticket instead. |
| james_s:
Such an intersection was pointed out, that's what started this whole thread. The purpose of the yellow light is to give drivers sufficient time to make a decision then either come to a stop safely, or get through the intersection before it turns red. This duration is going to depend on a lot of factors, a large one being the posted speed limit. If intersections in one particular local are significantly shorter than average then a LOT more people are going to end up getting ticketed and that's the point. If one expects the yellow light to be a certain length and is in a borderline position where they may have to stop more abruptly than they're comfortable doing in a non-emergency, make a decision to go proceed and then get a ticket then they're going to be upset, and justifiably so. There is no reason short of revenue to make the yellow duration any shorter than necessary, it should be long enough that a driver traveling at the posted speed limit can get through the intersection without accelerating, starting from a position far enough back that a heavier or older vehicle with a longer stopping distance could come to a complete stop. |
| MarkS:
--- Quote from: james_s on July 01, 2017, 12:14:20 am ---The purpose of the yellow light is to give drivers sufficient time to make a decision then either come to a stop safely, or get through the intersection before it turns red. --- End quote --- No. The yellow light is a warning that the light is about to turn red. The delay is to give traffic already in the intersection time to clear. It is expected that once the light turns yellow, you are to stop. |
| EEVblog:
--- Quote from: Corporate666 on June 30, 2017, 11:47:28 pm ---News flash - yellow lights are not "quick, get through before it goes red" lights, they are supposed to give drivers an opportunity to slow down before they turn red. --- End quote --- |
| retrolefty:
--- Quote from: MarkS on July 01, 2017, 12:20:52 am --- --- Quote from: james_s on July 01, 2017, 12:14:20 am ---The purpose of the yellow light is to give drivers sufficient time to make a decision then either come to a stop safely, or get through the intersection before it turns red. --- End quote --- No. The yellow light is a warning that the light is about to turn red. The delay is to give traffic already in the intersection time to clear. It is expected that once the light turns yellow, you are to stop. --- End quote --- I had to go to 'traffic class' after speed limit ticket in the 90s. At the school (taught by an off duty policeman) he told us what the deal was with the yellow light and what would attract a ticket. He said as long as your vehicle 'breaks the plane' while the light is still yellow, the fact that it turns red while you are still inside the intersection does not warrant a ticket. He did suggest that speeding up to try and catch the tail end of the yellow would probably get a ticket if witnessed by the police. |
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