Traffic lights with slats

[RonJeremy]

Ron thinks that supporting the nasty party means you have to be nasty to others.

 

How have I been nasty. And FYI I don't support a nasty party.

 

---------- Post added 13-06-2015 at 04:09 ----------

 

The ones I've seen the red light doesn't have slats.

 

I'm not familiar with the lights, but if you have to stop unnecessarily then it wouldn't really matter. If you got a false green then it may cause a serious accident.

[Eater Sundae]

The ones near the left turn at Argos are, I presume, to reduce the likelihood of drivers going straight over the pedestrian crossing beforehand when it is at red.

 

Clearly if there is an issue with drivers incorrectly reacting to a set of lights further ahead, then its important that the lights are hidden from the view of those drivers. Slats seem to be an effective way. Off hand, I can't think of another practical way of doing it.

 

Also, if the lights are a little harder to see, drivers are likely to take more care.

 

---------- Post added 13-06-2015 at 06:05 ----------

 

Despite the explanations above for their use, I completely agree with Bodie.Lets just have clear visible signals instead.

 

How would you suggest they can be improved?

 

---------- Post added 13-06-2015 at 06:06 ----------

 

They are a pain and all over the Country I drive UK and whoever designed or decided that these were a good idea needs sacking.

 

On approach to junction/roundabouts the only light you can see (when lit is red) when the lights have failed (it does happen) no one has a clue because you can't see the damn things anyway

 

I think the design is to make you creep at a ridiculous speed because you can't see amber and stop if safe to do so - you just see red (in more ways than one) and have to slam on Stupid.

 

How would you solve the problem?

[Ghozer]

They are a pain and all over the Country I drive UK and whoever designed or decided that these were a good idea needs sacking.

 

On approach to junction/roundabouts the only light you can see (when lit is red) when the lights have failed (it does happen) no one has a clue because you can't see the damn things anyway

 

I think the design is to make you creep at a ridiculous speed because you can't see amber and stop if safe to do so - you just see red (in more ways than one) and have to slam on Stupid.

 

If you dont see any light, then you slow down a little like you should be doing anyway... If it changes to red then you dont have to suddenly stop, or risk running a red light...

 

If it stays green, the. Great, continue as normal...

 

Why is that so difficult?

[Bodie]

T

How would you solve the problem?

Just have the lights all showing clearly like they used to be.

If you dont see any light, then you slow down a little like you should be doing anyway... If it changes to red then you dont have to suddenly stop, or risk running a red light...

 

If it stays green, the. Great, continue as normal...

 

Why is that so difficult?

 

If you slow down 'a little' and the lights do change the first one you see will be red. Greater risk in my opinion with the slats. At least before you could see the amber alone (which means STOP if safe to do so) before the red (definite stop)

[Eater Sundae]

Just have the lights all showing clearly like they used to be.

 

 

If you slow down 'a little' and the lights do change the first one you see will be red. Greater risk in my opinion with the slats. At least before you could see the amber alone (which means STOP if safe to do so) before the red (definite stop)

 

So we have clear lights and return to the situation where some drivers dangerously jump red lights because they incorrectly respond to the green light ahead instead of the red light next to them.

 

Do you even understand the problem that prompted the decision to fit slats?

[Bodie]

So we have clear lights and return to the situation where some drivers dangerously jump red lights because they incorrectly respond to the green light ahead instead of the red light next to them.

 

Eh? Incorrectly respond to a green light How's that then? Do you mean going when lights show red & amber? If so that's incorrectly responding to an amber.

 

Red - Stop

Amber - stop if safe

Green - Go

Red & Amber - Stop

 

What's hard about that? Any irresponsible licence holder will flout rules regardless of slats or not.

 

My point was. On approach to traffic lights (with slats) you can't clearly see any light except red. So you approach slower and in some cases nearly stopping to see if they are actually working. You can't clearly see green or amber but then suddenly see red and have to stop.

 

I drive a large heavy vehicle and my vision for these stupid lights are more disadvantageous to a car due to my height. If I can see a green light on approach (caution because it may turn amber, then red) sometimes I'm over the line and over when red appears and have to either block part of the junction (can't stop as quick as a car when loaded) or continue to leave the junction clear.

 

What I'm saying is (without trying to waffle ) If I can see the green & amber it gives me a few more seconds to react accordingly. I'm generally 55' - 60' long and those few seconds can be vital.

[Eater Sundae]

Eh? Incorrectly respond to a green light How's that then? Do you mean going when lights show red & amber? If so that's incorrectly responding to an amber.

 

Red - Stop

Amber - stop if safe

Green - Go

Red & Amber - Stop

 

What's hard about that? Any irresponsible licence holder will flout rules regardless of slats or not.

 

My point was. On approach to traffic lights (with slats) you can't clearly see any light except red. So you approach slower and in some cases nearly stopping to see if they are actually working. You can't clearly see green or amber but then suddenly see red and have to stop.

 

I drive a large heavy vehicle and my vision for these stupid lights are more disadvantageous to a car due to my height. If I can see a green light on approach (caution because it may turn amber, then red) sometimes I'm over the line and over when red appears and have to either block part of the junction (can't stop as quick as a car when loaded) or continue to leave the junction clear.

 

What I'm saying is (without trying to waffle ) If I can see the green & amber it gives me a few more seconds to react accordingly. I'm generally 55' - 60' long and those few seconds can be vital.

 

The point is that there are occasions when one set of lights is closely followed by another. On some occasions drivers can look too far ahead, see a green light and think they are free to go, because they have not realised that the light close to them is still at red. This is possibly more likely for a car driver at low level, waiting at the lights, who is so close to them that they are out of his vision, than it would be for a HGV driver at the same junction - as the red light will probably still be in view.

 

As mentioned above, I have witnessed this on two separate occasions at the junction of Doe Royd Lane with Halifax Road. I was waiting to turn right out of Doe Royd lane into Halifax Road. The lights changed to green and I set off, only to see a driver set off through the red lights on Halifax Road, travelling north. He had seen the lights on the pedestrian crossing further ahead change to green, though it applied to him, and set off. Without the slats, this is a fact of life - drivers make mistakes. The slats are an attempt to avoid the mistake being made.

 

The other one I know of on Halifax Road is near the Argos. Someone travelling south, who stops at the red light at the pedestrian crossing, can then only see the lights at the junction with Kilner Way. If he reacts to the green light at Kilner Way, while his light at the pedestrian crossing is still at red, then pedestrians who are correctly crossing at the green man, are put in danger.

 

Edit: "Incorrectly responding to a green light" in that they responded to this instead of the red light next to where they were stopped

Edited June 14, 2015 by Eater Sundae

[RJRB]

In response to Easter Sundae:

a)remove the slats

b)what problem

The only problem on the Halifax Road crossings is that you cannot tell what colour they are ,or if they are not operating until you are within a matter of yards away.

 

I have seen numerous incidents of people ignoring or failing to see traffic warnings but to deliberately obscure lights makes no sense to me at all whatever the rationale is.

Edited June 14, 2015 by RJRB

[RonJeremy]

The point is that there are occasions when one set of lights is closely followed by another. On some occasions drivers can look too far ahead, see a green light and think they are free to go, because they have not realised that the light close to them is still at red. This is possibly more likely for a car driver at low level, waiting at the lights, who is so close to them that they are out of his vision, than it would be for a HGV driver at the same junction - as the red light will probably still be in view.

 

As mentioned above, I have witnessed this on two separate occasions at the junction of Doe Royd Lane with Halifax Road. I was waiting to turn right out of Doe Royd lane into Halifax Road. The lights changed to green and I set off, only to see a driver set off through the red lights on Halifax Road, travelling north. He had seen the lights on the pedestrian crossing further ahead change to green, though it applied to him, and set off. Without the slats, this is a fact of life - drivers make mistakes. The slats are an attempt to avoid the mistake being made.

 

The other one I know of on Halifax Road is near the Argos. Someone travelling south, who stops at the red light at the pedestrian crossing, can then only see the lights at the junction with Kilner Way. If he reacts to the green light at Kilner Way, while his light at the pedestrian crossing is still at red, then pedestrians who are correctly crossing at the green man, are put in danger.

 

Edit: "Incorrectly responding to a green light" in that they responded to this instead of the red light next to where they were stopped

 

The two people you are discussing things with have a different "opinion " to you. Despite the fact they so utterly utterly wrong and unable to see the point here, is it true that they have a valid opinion?

[Ghozer]

Red - Stop

Amber - stop if safe

Green - Go

Red & Amber - Stop

 

 

Wrong order....

 

Red traffic light

A vehicle must stop just behind the white stop line at traffic light.

 

Red and amber traffic lights

Also means stop but can prepare to go. A vehicle must not pass through the lights until the green light is illuminated.

 

Green traffic light

When the light turns green, you may proceed providing the way is clear.

 

Amber traffic light

When a single amber light is illuminated, you must prepare to stop just before the first white line. You may only proceed through an amber is you have just crossed the stop line as it changes or are too close to the stop line that stopping may cause an accident.

 

 

With a difference on pelican crossings..

PEDESTRIAN CROSSING TRAFFIC LIGHTS SEQUENCE

All light controlled pedestrian crossings use the same light sequence as the traffic light sequence detailed above with the exception of the Pelican crossing. Where the Pelican crossing differentiates is with the flashing amber phase. The flashing amber allows vehicles to proceed only if the crossing is clear and safe to continue. The newer more efficient Puffin crossing is gradually replacing the older Pelican crossings. See pedestrian crossing for further information on the types of crossing and light sequences.