Temporary traffic lights - most pointless

[Gary Prentice]

1 hour ago, Billhook said:

One other thought on the subject is something I bet that thousands do every day and  everyone of us has done at some time, and that it to follow the last cars in a queue at a roadworks past a red light. 

Funny how folk thinks it's okay to ignore a traffic signal, even though it's an offence. 

 

[Squaredy]

11 minutes ago, Gary Prentice said:

Funny how folk thinks it's okay to ignore a traffic signal, even though it's an offence. 

 

Yes, though I think they are so often set up wrong that drivers lose respect for them.  

[Gary Prentice]

33 minutes ago, Squaredy said:

Yes, though I think they are so often set up wrong that drivers lose respect for them.  

I got stopped once going through a temp. red light. I should have thought of telling the traffic officer that I didn't respect the red light, as a reason for ignoring it. Maybe that would have worked 

 

Jokes aside, I know what you mean, but traffic signs and signals are what they are ignore them at your peril. In an ideal world they'd all be fit for purpose.

[Billhook]

1 hour ago, Toad said:

Some temporary traffic lights will sense the cars passing after switching to red and will hold the all red phase for longer as a safety measure, therefore you're making the problem worse.

I would think that 90% of roadworks lights do not have this sensor and my argument is that it may be bad manners/ form to hold the traffic up for what , ten seconds, but it is in no way dangerous and does not compare with jumping the lights at a dangerous junction.  Yet from what people are saying here it has exactly the same penalty.

[Gary Prentice]

9 minutes ago, Billhook said:

I would think that 90% of roadworks lights do not have this sensor and my argument is that it may be bad manners/ form to hold the traffic up for what , ten seconds, but it is in no way dangerous and does not compare with jumping the lights at a dangerous junction.  Yet from what people are saying here it has exactly the same penalty.

Traffic signals are traffic signals at the end of the day, it's not up to drivers to choose which ones to obey.

 

Realistically, how difficult is it to phone the relevant HA to query why lights are there, if they seem to be unnecessary. Maybe it's the way of todays world, that we jump on social media to complain rather than spending a little bit of time (to every ones benefit)to try to sort a problem. Just saying 

 

When I had TM companies numbers on my phone it was infrequent to bell someone just to let them know their lights weren't working or were causing havoc due to their settings. I can't remember ever getting a narked response, normally they'd just reply with a thanks, they'd get someone down there.  

[Squaredy]

1 hour ago, Gary Prentice said:

Realistically, how difficult is it to phone the relevant HA to query why lights are there, if they seem to be unnecessary. Maybe it's the way of todays world, that we jump on social media to complain rather than spending a little bit of time (to every ones benefit)to try to sort a problem. Just saying 

I totally agree and indeed I have raised a few issues like this with the LA over the years.  Last time I did this it was swiftly dealt with, but back in the summer I made a complaint about temp lights near where I live and I got a load of abuse from the company who installed them.

 

So yes we should do something about it and not just whinge on social media, but sometimes you think "I just can't be bothered".

[Woodlover]

I was told years ago ...flash your lights at these temp traffic lights and it will change asap due to emergency services ...All the ones I have seen have a sensor thing pointing towards oncoming traffic and this is the device that picks up a flashing light like that of the emergency services.

It does seem to change them quicker when I have tried.

Edited December 11, 2019 by Woodlover

[Bolt]

...

Edited December 11, 2019 by Bolt
After I posted I remembered I don’t give a rats arse about traffic lights.

[Billhook]

7 hours ago, Gary Prentice said:

Traffic signals are traffic signals at the end of the day, it's not up to drivers to choose which ones to obey.

 

Realistically, how difficult is it to phone the relevant HA to query why lights are there, if they seem to be unnecessary. Maybe it's the way of todays world, that we jump on social media to complain rather than spending a little bit of time (to every ones benefit)to try to sort a problem. Just saying 

 

When I had TM companies numbers on my phone it was infrequent to bell someone just to let them know their lights weren't working or were causing havoc due to their settings. I can't remember ever getting a narked response, normally they'd just reply with a thanks, they'd get someone down there.  

So you are sitting at a set of faulty lights with both ends stuck on red.  You cannot reverse as there is a queue behind with a big artic.  You phone the HA, how long do expect to sit there, an hour, four hours, all day and night?

[eggsarascal]

1 hour ago, Woodlover said:

I was told years ago ...flash your lights at these temp traffic lights and it will change asap due to emergency services ...All the ones I have seen have a sensor thing pointing towards oncoming traffic and this is the device that picks up a flashing light like that of the emergency services.

It does seem to change them quicker when I have tried.

The sensor is a motion sensor the detects approaching vehicles, nothing to do with flashing lights.