Don't race yellow lights please

[JC]

Originally Posted by csv8

Not to make light of this..but Captain Bligh is introducing Red light /Speed cameras this year. HOW will they stop these kinds of accidents ?????????
Captain Bligh reckons they will stop these kinds of accidents !!!!!!!!!!

They will (as long as there are signs - from experience, these signs actually drop 10 to 20km/h off the posted limit for around 500m; it gets bloody annoying when the posted speed limit is legal!).

However, those sort of accidents get replaced by lower speed, car up the rear end accidents - canberra has heaps of red light cameras, and according to a local police mate, those intersections have the highest incidence of rear enders because (some) people stop as soon as the lights turn amber, regardless of what's behind them and how close they to the lights.

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by JC

They will (as long as there are signs - from experience, these signs actually drop 10 to 20km/h off the posted limit for around 500m; it gets bloody annoying when the posted speed limit is legal!).

However, those sort of accidents get replaced by lower speed, car up the rear end accidents - canberra has heaps of red light cameras, and according to a local police mate, those intersections have the highest incidence of rear enders because (some) people stop as soon as the lights turn amber, regardless of what's behind them and how close they to the lights.

These front to rear accidents don't kill people.

Added to that, if all motorists followed at a safe distance they would not happen.

After what I have seen this week, bring on the cameras.

[JC]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

These front to rear accidents don't kill people.

Added to that, if all motorists followed at a safe distance they would not happen.

After what I have seen this week, bring on the cameras.

Agreed - they work well, and yes the front to rears aren't as bad as head on or side impacts (depends how fast the car following is going). Sometimes the "safe" distance is not enough!

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by JC

Sometimes the "safe" distance is not enough!

Or any distance that was not enough was not safe.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Do light change times alter with different street speeds and circumstances in geography? Does it take the same time to go from green to red on a road that is 50km/h as it does with a road that's 90km/h?

Very sorry to hear if the death. I don't envy some of the situations you face in your job Gecko.. I know I couldn't do it.

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Do light change times alter with different street speeds and circumstances in geography? Does it take the same time to go from green to red on a road that is 50km/h as it does with a road that's 90km/h?

It is my understanding that they alter the phasing of the lights to suit the posted speed limit, therefore you would assume the phasing would be longer in a 80 zone than it is in a 50. This seems to be backed up by the fact that the lights at the end of Valley Way in Mt Cotton (80 km zone) seem to have quite a long yellow light phasing, longer than the average. Maybe someone here that works for the RTA etc could answer this.

Very sorry to hear if the death. I don't envy some of the situations you face in your job Gecko.. I know I couldn't do it.

Thanks, normally I love it but this week has been tough, need some holidays.

[220]

Saw 3 cases of red light running today?
First one I pulled up for the amber light no trouble at all slowly coming to a stop when it went red and had cars both inside and outside me whistle through. The light was red when the entered the intersection. Given it was raining and the car in the outside lane was towing a trailer I can understand his hesitation at braking, but he was at least 20m behind when the light went amber and his speed should off been adjusted to suit any increase in stopping distance. The inside lane was just stupidity.
Next one we were stopped at a red with another set of lights 50m further up the road also red, the lights up the road turned green and the car beside me set off straight through the red we were sitting at.
Thankfully no accidents in either case.
Bring on the red light cameras on all intersections hopefully a few of these idiots loose their licences before they kill someone.

[ST]

Originally Posted by flappist

Driving requires a lot of skill and constant attention to everything around you not just concentrating on the speedo with an occasional glance down the road.

Drive like everyone is out to kill you and trust no one.......

That is pretty much spot on. People get too relaxed and too confident when driving; they drive with tunnel vision till they reach their destination. People are more concerned with getting a speeding ticket than lane changing into another vehicle.

I'd like to see how aggressive people would drive if they had explosives that detonate on the slightest impact strapped to every part of their car. Might actually make them realise they aren't driving bumper cars that surround you with big comfortable balloons in the event of a crash. The stereotype of mums in big SUV's comes to mind.

The fact that people are hugely concerned with safety ratings when purchasing a vehicle says a lot about the confidence they have in themselves and/or others. There is only one reason we need so much safety equipment in our transport and it isn't global warming...

[The Monty]

Saw an older guy run a red today. We stopped at a red light but were turning right (major intersection), two lanes turn right, three go straight ahead. The thee that go straight ahead went green, right turning stayed red, so he just went at a nice leisurely pace through the intersection and on his merry way. Very lucky man, as there is usually multitudes of semis in the area, and they chase the red both ways as its on a bit of a hill.

[XRSIKS]

You guys dont drive in canberra often do you..... Orange lights mean GUN IT! does not matter if its Dad in the Holden on the way to the pub, Mum in the SVU heading to work, or Uncle John flooring it to get to work befor everyone... WHY!? Because canberra is a hole, and its a competition.


I hate canberra.
I do not enjoy driving in canberra due to the idiots on the road.

[04redxr8]

Originally Posted by SNBXR

You guys dont drive in canberra often do you..... Orange lights mean GUN IT! does not matter if its Dad in the Holden on the way to the pub, Mum in the SVU heading to work, or Uncle John flooring it to get to work befor everyone... WHY!? Because canberra is a hole, and its a competition.


I hate canberra.
I do not enjoy driving in canberra due to the idiots on the road.

Umm, I gunned an orange in Canberra once. Got a lovely photo of the car speeding through an orange light. It was the first time I had ever heard of a redlight/speed camera.

If Canberra is such a hole for you, maybe you need to move.

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by SNBXR

You guys dont drive in canberra often do you..... Orange lights mean GUN IT! does not matter if its Dad in the Holden on the way to the pub, Mum in the SVU heading to work, or Uncle John flooring it to get to work befor everyone... WHY!? Because canberra is a hole, and its a competition.


I hate canberra.
I do not enjoy driving in canberra due to the idiots on the road.

Thats why I actually think the red/speed camera combo is a great idea. Imagine you are cruising at 60 km/h, light turns yellow so you gun it to get through. If it is red when you go through you get a ticket (and deserve it), if it is yellow you get a speeding ticket (and still deserve it, if you have time to accellerate you have time to stop). People will learn, eventually, then I have to scrape up less people. Bring it on!

[04redxr8]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

Thats why I actually think the red/speed camera combo is a great idea. Imagine you are cruising at 60 km/h, light turns yellow so you gun it to get through. If it is red when you go through you get a ticket (and deserve it), if it is yellow you get a speeding ticket (and still deserve it, if you have time to accellerate you have time to stop). People will learn, eventually, then I have to scrape up less people. Bring it on!

LOL, it worked for me. Light had only just changed to yellow, I was pretty much on it, just booted it for the fun of it I guess. (just fitted a growler and SS throttle body before driving to Canberra that year). After that fine, I changed the way I approached traffic lights in Canberra. Would slow down if the lights had been green for a while and generally paid more attention.

See the positives of this system for sure. However, also see the negative. Our Government has raped every safety measure brought out in the interests of revenue and nothing else. I see this idea going the same way.

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by 04redxr8

LOL, it worked for me. Light had only just changed to yellow, I was pretty much on it, just booted it for the fun of it I guess. (just fitted a growler and SS throttle body before driving to Canberra that year). After that fine, I changed the way I approached traffic lights in Canberra. Would slow down if the lights had been green for a while and generally paid more attention.

See the positives of this system for sure. However, also see the negative. Our Government has raped every safety measure brought out in the interests of revenue and nothing else. I see this idea going the same way.

Not sure I see how. If you approach every set of lights with an appropriate amount of caution, do not accellerate through yellows and always stop when safe to do so, you will not be involved in an accident (safe) and never contribute to state revenue (save money). You seem to contradict yourself in that you gave a prime example of the system working in your own experience.

Honestly, how many people here can honestly say they scan the road ahead, note the green light far ahead and note that it is a stale green (therefore prepared for the yellow), I bet not many. How many cover the brake pedal and glance down cross streets as they roll through a green, I bet not many.

I am sure not many because if more did I would not go to so many crashes at traffic lights.

[JC]

Originally Posted by SNBXR

You guys dont drive in canberra often do you..... Orange lights mean GUN IT! does not matter if its Dad in the Holden on the way to the pub, Mum in the SVU heading to work, or Uncle John flooring it to get to work befor everyone... WHY!? Because canberra is a hole, and its a competition.


I hate canberra.
I do not enjoy driving in canberra due to the idiots on the road.

I also live and drive in Canberra, and I do enjoy driving here (much better flow than Sydney or Melb), but agree that idiots make it less enjoyable. By idiots I mean those who slow down to 60 in an 80 zone because there's a fixed speed camera. Those that sit in thr ight hand lane on our many multi lane roads, blocking everyone else (usually under the speed limit too). And ALL VL commodore drivers, ALL female P-platers in Hyundais and ALL subaru drivers.

[220]

Originally Posted by 04redxr8

See the positives of this system for sure. However, also see the negative. Our Government has raped every safety measure brought out in the interests of revenue and nothing else. I see this idea going the same way.

The big difference is running red lights will result in tradgedy a lot of the time.
Sure speeding may contribute to an accident but you could do it a million times without incident. I doubt you could run a red 10 times without incident.

[Swordsman88]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

Honestly, how many people here can honestly say they scan the road ahead, note the green light far ahead and note that it is a stale green (therefore prepared for the yellow), I bet not many. How many cover the brake pedal and glance down cross streets as they roll through a green, I bet not many.

I am sure not many because if more did I would not go to so many crashes at traffic lights.

In at least 75% of cases if i see a 'stale' green as you call it i will prepare myself for braking...have a look in rear vision mirror, sometimes even lift off gas if i am certain it will change (cars on the side roads etc.).

I can't claim to be perfect but i think only a handful of times have i ever gone close to seeing a red light as i passed through the intersection...i've certainly never crossed an intersection entry line after a red has appeared.....

Of course others have lower standards. Waiting at a traffic lights (near Stafford rd for those in brisbane) i was thinking of this thread and noticed the opposing lights go yellow....so i start preparing myself to go. Just as it goes red a car flashed through the lights..this was a middle aged man in a honda accord i think it was. No hooning, no powerful car etc. Just someone trying to nick 30seconds of time (that is about how long these lights would stay red since i was the only other car around). Now given his approach was up hill he could have easilly stopped but he did such a bad job of not only making a decision but even running the light at all (he was hardly doing the speed limit i say) no wonder it was red by the time he got there.

Thankfully i also check to see if anyone is coming before i fire out of this side street given visibility is poor in one direction (the direction he was comng from). The few seconds of lay between the red and green would have been just enough to cover me had a i gone flat out into the intersection as it went green....

[04redxr8]

Originally Posted by 04redxr8

LOL, it worked for me. Light had only just changed to yellow, I was pretty much on it, just booted it for the fun of it I guess. (just fitted a growler and SS throttle body before driving to Canberra that year). After that fine, I changed the way I approached traffic lights in Canberra. Would slow down if the lights had been green for a while and generally paid more attention.

See the positives of this system for sure. However, also see the negative. Our Government has raped every safety measure brought out in the interests of revenue and nothing else. I see this idea going the same way.

Originally Posted by geckoGT

Not sure I see how. If you approach every set of lights with an appropriate amount of caution, do not accellerate through yellows and always stop when safe to do so, you will not be involved in an accident (safe) and never contribute to state revenue (save money). You seem to contradict yourself in that you gave a prime example of the system working in your own experience.

Honestly, how many people here can honestly say they scan the road ahead, note the green light far ahead and note that it is a stale green (therefore prepared for the yellow), I bet not many. How many cover the brake pedal and glance down cross streets as they roll through a green, I bet not many.

I am sure not many because if more did I would not go to so many crashes at traffic lights.

Bold happened in January, 2008. I was on top of the lights when they changed to yellow. Had no time to stop. I gunned it anyway. That was when the speed camera got me. I didn't need to gun it to make it through on the yellow. I would never have stopped in time if I tried. It was a classic case of you must go through on yellow.

After the fine, I stopped booting it on yellow (a bad habit accumalted over time), I also began scanning the road further ahead to see what is going on. I do cover my brake pedal now around lights that have been green for a while, I also do it around pedestrian crossings, or if I see kids any where near a road. (I slow right down when kids are near a road)

My post was rather short and didn't explain thoroughly. I did try and rectify 20 odd years of bad habits after it. Covering the brake pedal around these type of hazards was something I was taught in driving lessons 20 years ago.

[geckoGT]

After the fine, I stopped booting it on yellow (a bad habit accumalted over time), I also began scanning the road further ahead to see what is going on. I do cover my brake pedal now around lights that have been green for a while, I also do it around pedestrian crossings, or if I see kids any where near a road. (I slow right down when kids are near a road)

In at least 75% of cases if i see a 'stale' green as you call it i will prepare myself for braking...have a look in rear vision mirror, sometimes even lift off gas if i am certain it will change (cars on the side roads etc.).

I can't claim to be perfect but i think only a handful of times have i ever gone close to seeing a red light as i passed through the intersection...i've certainly never crossed an intersection entry line after a red has appeared.....

Of course others have lower standards. Waiting at a traffic lights (near Stafford rd for those in brisbane) i was thinking of this thread and noticed the opposing lights go yellow....so i start preparing myself to go. Just as it goes red a car flashed through the lights..this was a middle aged man in a honda accord i think it was. No hooning, no powerful car etc. Just someone trying to nick 30seconds of time (that is about how long these lights would stay red since i was the only other car around). Now given his approach was up hill he could have easilly stopped but he did such a bad job of not only making a decision but even running the light at all (he was hardly doing the speed limit i say) no wonder it was red by the time he got there.

Thankfully i also check to see if anyone is coming before i fire out of this side street given visibility is poor in one direction (the direction he was comng from). The few seconds of lay between the red and green would have been just enough to cover me had a i gone flat out into the intersection as it went green....

Some fine examples of good driving and a responsible road users, well done people and I hope it catches on.

[04redxr8]

I never said I was innocent. But as I get older I most certainly try and do the right thing more and more. I also have 2 small children. I think some people forget that the little people in their lives see everything that they do. Its about being a role model as much as it is about making it home to be with the most important people in life.

Also, it's very easy to accumalte bad habits in 20 years of driving. I have done a couple of skidpan days at Roadcraft in Gympie. One of the instructors reguarly attends accidents. The information he gave us was so eye-opening, it was frightening. Something as simple as (I learnt to drive pre airbag), not resting your hand on the top of the steering wheel, especially when wearing a watch. Larger blind spots in newer cars (larger A,B and C pillars), and so many other little things that we barely think about day to day.

Thats why I am firm believer in mandatory advanced driver training for all drivers.

BTW, sorry to hear about the out come for the poor pedestrian unfairly caught up in this tragedy. Also, Gecko, I live near Nemies Rd at Runcorn. Not far from the accident. There really is some bad drivers in this area.

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by 04redxr8

BTW, sorry to hear about the out come for the poor pedestrian unfairly caught up in this tragedy. Also, Gecko, I live near Nemies Rd at Runcorn. Not far from the accident. There really is some bad drivers in this area.

Yes I often drive the same road both at work (obviously I work in the area, thats why I attended the incident) and traveling to and from work. It is amazing there have not been more serious crashes there. Lots run red and yellow lights because they want to get through while they have a chance so they do not also get held up by the rail crossings.

[spring77]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

Ok a few here are making assumptions on what happened, no the magna was not turning across traffic for a start.

Also it is a large intersection with multiple lanes that leads to many people planting the foot to get through the yellow. Apparently this is what happened here, the subaru planted it to get through and did not make it. Lets wait to see what happens in the investigation and not have any more discussion on who did what. What I have said so far is from witnesses to the accident when I asked for information regarding what happened (primarily to calculate impact speeds).

The simple rule, if you have to accelerate to make it through before it turns red, you could have braked.

Gecko..as tragic as this accident was ...you need to get your facts straight before writting something like this. Nr. one the driver of the subaru was driving under speed limit...nr two it was momentary innatention as the arrow turning left onto nathan rd just turned green and like many people this driver made this mistake of assuming that the light turned green for her too. She was not speeding, she was not accelarating to get though the intersecton it was just a horrible tragic accident.

Dont get me wrong, I am not disagreeing with you when it comes to hooligans accelarating to make it though...and i do feel sorry for the family and friends of the girl and i can just imagine what they went though. however this particular case was a pure accident..and the driver of ther forrester has to live with those consequences that they have killed someone for the rest of their life. if you had any idea about the drivers character you would not putting all this blame on her. No one ever mentioned that the Magna driver was speeding, and if the magna driver didn't speed the forrester would not have rolled that many times hence avoided the girl. Therefore if you want to put a message out there for people to stop running red lights ..state it without attacking people.

[billy302]

This gets serious.
Amber or yellow means the same in every state; the wording may be different, but the intent is the same.
In the west it seems to be a competition to see who can get through from the longest distance from the lights.
The other day my wife and I were sitting at lights which turned green and vehicles were still turning right, through the intersection, against a red light.
Somewhere this has to stop. All our safety is at risk.

[2011G6E]

Unless something was seriously wrong with the timing of the other set of lights, when one light turns red "seconds before she entered the intersection", then the other should have still been red for a couple of seconds at least. No set of lights I have ever seen has the one in front of you go red and instantly the other set goes green. This is especially noticeable at night when you can see the other light in a side view at some intersections.

No excuse for running a red light at all. Running a yellow? Bit of a grey area, especially if you are approaching it when it turns yellow a few meters away.
I will say I take care approaching what a driving instructor from many years ago told me he called a "stale green"...one which you can see has been green for a long time as you approach from down the road...surely soon it's going to go yellow, so I usually start to back off a bit to be ready to stop.

[Jim Goose]

Er um... this thread is over a year old ?
Some people must be bored?