different traffic light sequences from state to state- causeaccidents

schrieb

Would you like to comment on (or defend) a ONE SECOND YELLOW
LIGHT next to a ticketing camera?!

http://knowledge.fhwa.dot.gov/cops/opspublic.nsf/discussionDisplay?Open&id=7CFB51E04C66D86685257058 00461560&Group=Signs&tab=DISCUSSION
There is a recommended amber phase duration of 3 to 6 seconds.

Ask whoever programmed the traffic lights why they did not follow the
FHWA guidelines.

Jochen

Would you like to comment on (or defend) a
ONE SECOND YELLOW LIGHT
next to a ticketing camera?!

Ah-ha, we finally know the reason for your original "write your
congressman" post.

I doubt if it was really a "one second" yellow, no one would have time
to stop and there would be constant collisions. But if it was less
than 3 seconds then you certainly have a legitimate complaint.

Short yellow lights can not only lead to unfair traffic tickets, but
they can also lead to accidents. If it was too short then the traffic
engineer wasn't following the guidelines. In fact in some states I
believe the law says that 3.5 seconds is the legal minimum.

James

I haven't lived in Massachusetts in 20+ years but when I did live there they
had a red and yellow at the same time, too. I don't recall for sure but I
think it meant something like all intersection traffic was stopped and
pedestrians could cross in either direction. (The standing joke at the time
was red=we suggest you stop and red & yellow at the same time=we think that
you should stop! I remember when I first moved to Boston sitting at a red
light waiting for it to turn green and having a Boston cop pull up behind me
and tap his horn. When I didn't move he got out, walked up and asked what I
was waiting for. I politely told him that I was waiting for the light to
turn green and he, as politely as a Boston cop could, informed me that if
there was no traffic at a red light that I should just treat it like a stop
sign and go thru after I stopped. And, no this wasn't in the middle of the
night--it was in the middle of the afternoon in Southie! I never did really
learn to do it that way--I guess all my earlier experience of stopping at
red lights stuck. I don't have a problem doing the "right on red".
"Straight on red" was a different story!)
--
Gary
Visit Lucy & Gary and do the jigsaw puzzle at
www.under-1-roof.com/PuzzlePage.html


"James Silverton" wrote in message
...
Henry wrote on Fri, 6 Feb 2009 09:47:23 +0200:

They don't differ from state to state except in timing.

Well, then, they differ, don't they?

True enough but what I meant was that they don't differ in patterns like,
for instance, in Germany where there is a red and yellow combination to
let people get ready to let out the clutch (or whatever you do with it :-)

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Gary wrote on Fri, 6 Feb 2009 17:05:32 -0600:

"James Silverton" wrote in
message ...
Henry wrote on Fri, 6 Feb 2009 09:47:23 +0200:

They don't differ from state to state except in timing.

Well, then, they differ, don't they?

True enough but what I meant was that they don't differ in
patterns like, for instance, in Germany where there is a red and
yellow combination to let people get ready to let out the
clutch (or whatever you do with it :-)

I haven't lived in Massachusetts in 20+ years but when I did live there
they had a red and yellow at the same time, too. I don't recall for
sure but I think it meant something like all intersection traffic was
stopped and pedestrians could cross in either direction.

Massachusetts is a weird place, IMHO, but this is probably not the place
to discuss driving in Boston even if I have strong views on that
subject! I don't doubt that you are correct but I don't remember ever
seeing that red-yellow combination.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Fri, 6 Feb 2009 12:16:44 -0800 (PST), JamesStep
wrote:


Short yellow lights can not only lead to unfair traffic tickets, but
they can also lead to accidents. If it was too short then the traffic
engineer wasn't following the guidelines. In fact in some states I
believe the law says that 3.5 seconds is the legal minimum.

James

It would depend on the speed limit. A light on a 50 mph road would
require a longer light than one on a 25 mph road.

In message

JamesStep was claimed to have wrote:


Would you like to comment on (or defend) a
ONE SECOND YELLOW LIGHT
next to a ticketing camera?!

Ah-ha, we finally know the reason for your original "write your
congressman" post.

I doubt if it was really a "one second" yellow, no one would have time
to stop and there would be constant collisions. But if it was less
than 3 seconds then you certainly have a legitimate complaint.

Why would there be constant collisions? Increasing the
all-directions-are-red time by the same amount the yellows were reduced
would avoid cross-traffic collisions, although not helping those
tailgating too close to stop.

I doubt if it was really a "one second" yellow, no one would have time
to stop and there would be constant collisions.

Why would there be constant collisions?

Safety guidelines (and in some cases state law) require around 3 to
3.5 seconds minimum for yellow lights, to give people time to stop
safely. Otherwise you'll have people who can't stop in time and go
thru a red light and collide with cross traffic, or if they slam on
their brakes then possibly getting hit by the car behind them.

"James Silverton" wrote in message
...
Gary wrote on Fri, 6 Feb 2009 17:05:32 -0600:

"James Silverton" wrote in
message ...
Henry wrote on Fri, 6 Feb 2009 09:47:23 +0200:

They don't differ from state to state except in timing.

Well, then, they differ, don't they?

True enough but what I meant was that they don't differ in
patterns like, for instance, in Germany where there is a red and yellow
combination to let people get ready to let out the
clutch (or whatever you do with it :-)

I haven't lived in Massachusetts in 20+ years but when I did live there
they had a red and yellow at the same time, too. I don't recall for sure
but I think it meant something like all intersection traffic was stopped
and pedestrians could cross in either direction.

Massachusetts is a weird place, IMHO, but this is probably not the place
to discuss driving in Boston even if I have strong views on that subject!
I don't doubt that you are correct but I don't remember ever seeing that
red-yellow combination.

My son lived in Somerville (just outside of Boston) for awhile. I always
knew where his street was because the street just before his had a flashing
green light. It constantly flashed green until a car tripped it when
exiting the side street.

On Feb 5, 9:05*pm, "James Silverton"
wrote:
*Mark *wrote *on Thu, 5 Feb 2009 20:33:36 -0500:

wrote in message
....
After all- since driving on the right side of the road is a
national rule-UNIFORM signaling should be one also.

demand a UNIFORM national STANDARD for traffic signal design and
light sequences!!!

email/write your congressman

Different state to state??? * Try intersection to intersection! * But
one thing is always the same - they will be green until I approach and
then immediately turn RED!!!!

They don't differ from state to state except in timing.

Oh, don't they? Has Boston quit using a red-yellow combination as a
walk light?

"sechumlib" wrote in message
...
On Feb 5, 9:05 pm, "James Silverton"
wrote:
Mark wrote on Thu, 5 Feb 2009 20:33:36 -0500:

wrote in message
...
After all- since driving on the right side of the road is a
national rule-UNIFORM signaling should be one also.

demand a UNIFORM national STANDARD for traffic signal design and
light sequences!!!

email/write your congressman

Different state to state??? Try intersection to intersection! But
one thing is always the same - they will be green until I approach and
then immediately turn RED!!!!

They don't differ from state to state except in timing.

Oh, don't they? Has Boston quit using a red-yellow combination as a
walk light?


Boston is one whacked-out city. You moving there?