Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've noticed.

[Aldo]

At first I thought this was purely a Texas thing, because up until recently that's the only state I drove in. But now that I've been in Washington for two years it appears that this "I don't give a fuck" attitude is prevalent in every state.

So there you are, sitting at a stop light, it changes to green. What do you do? Do you drive through it? Well yes...but not before pausing while one or two (and, amazingly enough, sometimes three) careless assholes run that damn thing.

What is the deal? Now I know not everyone runs the red lights. I sure don't. But what about the people that do? Is it really that important to get where you're going that you can't wait a few extra minutes for someone else to go? It's like the kids in pre-school who didn't allow anyone else to have a turn with their toys.

Now I admit, I'm not the greatest driver in the world, in fact I downright suck. Many of my passengers have admitted to being scared to death when riding in my car. I have not however, driven through a red light on purpose. Not ever.

 

[propita]

Re: Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've notice

I really hate that! There are some intersections around me where some drivers evidently think the green light lasts for five additional seconds after it's turned red. I wish they just have it go red and have a couple seconds pass before the cross-traffic light turns green.

 

[Aldo]

Re: Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've notice

Well in Texas the traffic lights actually do have a delay from when one turns to red and the other changes to green. This is probably in anticipation of all the assholes that run red lights. Course this still doesn't make it right.

 

[Kestra]

Re: Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've notice

In the city everyone would end up turning through the red because left turns would get impossible otherwise.

 

[MacLeod]

Re: Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've notice

Add it to the list,

Running red lights

failing to use indicators

speeding (what can be equally annoying is going 40 ina 60 zone, then continuing at 40 in a 30 zone)

tailgating

use front fog lights (when visibility is above 100yds)

using a mobile (non hands free) whilst driving (which is against the law)

Hogging the middle lane on Motorways.

I could go on.



Now of course I'm not a perfect driver.

 

[Guartho]

Re: Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've notice

What's wrong with the lights? I have my lights on all the time.

 

[CaptainStoner]

Re: Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've notice

The underlying problem is the sense that you should go through a yellow and try to beat the red. Probably a huge percentage of crashes are due to this practice. It's a lot more common that just blatantly running the red light.

 

[Aldo]

Re: Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've notice

The underlying problem is the sense that you should go through a yellow and try to beat the red. Probably a huge percentage of crashes are due to this practice. It's a lot more common that just blatantly running the red light.

The only time I'll blatantly run a yellow light is when I feel I am too close to the intersection to stop in a safe manner.

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

Re: Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've notice

I have never on purpose ran a red light. I have, on occasion, ran a yellow like that turned red while i was in the intersection.

 

[Kestra]

Re: Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've notice

The underlying problem is the sense that you should go through a yellow and try to beat the red. Probably a huge percentage of crashes are due to this practice. It's a lot more common that just blatantly running the red light.

The only time I'll blatantly run a yellow light is when I feel I am too close to the intersection to stop in a safe manner.

Yeah, same. It often has to do with whether I think the
person behind me would stop in time as well.

 

[Yoda]

Re: Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've notice

My favorites are the fucks who don't pay attention on a left turn light. Even though there's enough time for everyone to make the turn, they squander those precious seconds. THEN they run the red light leaving the rest of you behind.

 

[TrekkieMonster]

Re: Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've notice

Wow, I sort of thought this was mostly a Boston/Eastern Mass. problem. It's one of my many pet peeves about drivers here (along with many on MacLeod's list). It has just become common custom that at least 2 or 3 cars (and I am absolutely not exaggerating) will blow through nearly every red light. I see it daily on my commute. It is also not uncommon for me to be honked at for actually stopping at a red light (and heaven help me if I actually stop for a yellow.) Someone mentioned left turns; that's one of the worst times for red-light-runners. There is one particular intersection I pass through every day. People from the cross street have a devil of a time making a left turn because the opposing traffic on their street is very heavy (especially at commute time), so they usually end up making the turn just before or just as the light turns red. Of course, all the people behind them have been honking madly the entire time and now feel entitled to run the red light because they were made to wait. I am not kidding; a couple of nights ago I counted 7 cars driving through the red light in this exact scenario while the cross traffic I was sitting in was forced to wait. *sigh*

 

[MacLeod]

Re: Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've notice

The underlying problem is the sense that you should go through a yellow and try to beat the red. Probably a huge percentage of crashes are due to this practice. It's a lot more common that just blatantly running the red light.

Last I checked, when approaching a set of traffic lights on green, you should be thinking that they'll change to red. besides in the UK it's fairly simple a red light means stop to not proceed doesn't matter if you are going right/left/straight.

 

[Aldo]

Re: Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've notice

Last I checked, when approaching a set of traffic lights on green, you should be thinking that they'll change to red.

It's been my experience that a traffic light with heavy traffic flow is going to stay green while a traffic light with no traffic will almost always change. Granted I'm just reinforcing what you said, but it's not too difficult to judge when a green light is about to change.

 

[Finn]

Re: Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've notice

Last I checked, when approaching a set of traffic lights on green, you should be thinking that they'll change to red.

It's been my experience that a traffic light with heavy traffic flow is going to stay green while a traffic light with no traffic will almost always change. Granted I'm just reinforcing what you said, but it's not too difficult to judge when a green light is about to change.

[Jack O'Neill] WHAT? [/Jack O'Neill]

What are you talking about? The traffic lights are automated by a configured system depending on the intersection, based on studies of traffic patterns periodically. It won't change timing of changes based on amount of traffic on a given road.

I've seen green lights stay for a long while on a road with no traffic at all...., and lot of cars on one road waiting for a red light to change when there's no traffic on the intersecting road....

 

[Yoda]

Re: Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've notice

Traffic lights most definitely have sensors here. It's pretty frustrating when you just barely miss triggering them, knowing you're stuck waiting for an entire cycle.

 

[MacLeod]

Re: Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've notice

You can see the sensors in the road, or sometimes ontop of the lights they'll have a sensor. If it has a light sensor on top of the lights flashing your headlights alerts the traffic control system that there is a car appraching and trigger a change of lights.

 

[TheBrew]

Re: Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've notice

Last I checked, when approaching a set of traffic lights on green, you should be thinking that they'll change to red.

It's been my experience that a traffic light with heavy traffic flow is going to stay green while a traffic light with no traffic will almost always change. Granted I'm just reinforcing what you said, but it's not too difficult to judge when a green light is about to change.

I just watch the crosswalk countdown for when it is about to turn red.

 

[Canadave]

Re: Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've notice

Last I checked, when approaching a set of traffic lights on green, you should be thinking that they'll change to red.

It's been my experience that a traffic light with heavy traffic flow is going to stay green while a traffic light with no traffic will almost always change. Granted I'm just reinforcing what you said, but it's not too difficult to judge when a green light is about to change.

I just watch the crosswalk countdown for when it is about to turn red.

Same. My driving instructor taught me that one. On average, it means you have about ten seconds until the light turns yellow.

 

[propita]

Re: Stop lights? Stop Lights!? They ain't stopping anyone, I've notice

I've seen green lights stay for a long while on a road with no traffic at all...., and lot of cars on one road waiting for a red light to change when there's no traffic on the intersecting road....

Ooh! I HATE that! Why should the light change to red when there's no traffic at all on the cross-road? It's a waste of time and a waste of gas.