Red light "jumping"

[domhart10]

Down here in Cornwall they dont know how to deal with traffic lights. if there is a junction or roundabout, doesnt matter if its their right of way or the light says green / amber or red ... they will stop regardless if they can just see another car on the road

[Grimble]

Originally Posted by 60041

Eventually, after several months, and under huge pressure, the council agreed to a “temporary” reinstatement of the roundabout and the problems disappeared. They never admitted that the scheme had been a disaster.

In private industry, that kind of scenario and waste of money would lead to the sack, and rightly so.
But they never will admit a mistake, they just sit behind their desks and look at computer 'predictions'. Any competent driver could tell them how to arrange a road junction to maximise flow and reduce congestion, but it rarely happens. I'm sure every poster on here could list numerous stupid changes to road design, all involving the introduction of unnecessary traffic lights at great expense which generate nothing but congestion.
The cynic in me tells me its to discourage us getting in our cars but what these cretins don't understand (or refuse to believe) is that that particular genie got out of the bottle decades ago.

[AndyJudge]

Shared Surface between traffic & pedestrians what absolute numpty thought that would work.

Oh somebody with a degree on town & highway planning.

[GreenBrick]

Originally Posted by Grimble

from a different perspective......

Perhaps the reason more people are jumping red lights is the complete and utter idiocy of the numbers and frequency of lights clogging up our highways. Its an infestation.

Very slowly, many roundabouts are being destroyed by lights or even replaced.

What complete idiot thinks that a set of lights is a better solution than a proper roundabout?

Middle of the night? You must stop
No traffic? You must stop
All the while putting out the spawn of the devil, emissions while idling.

Traffic lights are an evil that must only be deployed when no other form of junction is possible and the sooner we adopt the American idea of left turn on a red the better. After all, the whole point of a road is to get from A to B. Anything else is secondary.

Having lived in Milton Keynes for a year, you soon get fed up with roundabouts.

But I get the point about sitting idling.

On that topic - why do people sit for tens of minutes (even hours) in their can in a carpark with the engine running?
Where I used to work 2 people sat in their cars for an hour every lunchtime with their engines running. Windows open, so it's not for heat or cooling?!?!?!

[ThomasG]

Yeah.. T'sme again..

Been watching some clips on YouTube..

And me thinks.. Lights or roundabout, setting off from ones drive or skimming the motorway..

If we keep idiots behind wheels, we're doomed.


https://youtu.be/PFW04LBHJzM

Oh, and by the way- I used to watch Ukrainians etc doing the same, and I thought they swear a lot..


Edit:

First minute of this one, that narrow narrow narrow bend done just tad too fast.
https://youtu.be/iSA9FxQ19Ek

Buuaaaahahahahaha!

[GreenBrick]

I have got some good dash cam footage of 2 people flagrantly ignoring a red light at some road works and just pushing through.

Some people believe they (temporary traffic signals) are not legally binding, but I looked it up and they are.

Shame no copper in the country will care if I showed them the footage.

Ho hum.

[AndyJudge]

Originally Posted by GreenBrick

I have got some good dash cam footage of 2 people flagrantly ignoring a red light at some road works and just pushing through.

Some people believe they (temporary traffic signals) are not legally binding, but I looked it up and they are.

Shame no copper in the country will care if I showed them the footage.

Ho hum.

That's a common happening here. I've now seen signs saying that if the red light is showing you are legally required to stop & unmarked police cars operating in this area.

[Grimble]

Originally Posted by AndyJudge

That's a common happening here. I've now seen signs saying that if the red light is showing you are legally required to stop & unmarked police cars operating in this area.

I would suggest a 'marked' police car will have much more effect than a stealth one. After all, if it is an offence then it must surely be deemed to be dangerous. In which case is prevention of said danger not much better than a fine after the dangerous act has been committed?

Much better to prevent a murder than lock up the culprit afterwards.

[MikeGMT]

Originally Posted by AndyJudge

That's a common happening here. I've now seen signs saying that if the red light is showing you are legally required to stop & unmarked police cars operating in this area.

Originally Posted by Grimble

I would suggest a 'marked' police car will have much more effect than a stealth one. After all, if it is an offence then it must surely be deemed to be dangerous. In which case is prevention of said danger not much better than a fine after the dangerous act has been committed?

Much better to prevent a murder than lock up the culprit afterwards.

Counter argument would be if there is a visible police presence people will behave themselves, but when there is no visible presence people revert back to type. Whereas operating covertly keeps people guessing, and money in the coffers. ( Not that I am arguing, you understand).

[id5]

Originally Posted by MikeGMT

Counter argument would be if there is a visible police presence people will behave themselves, but when there is no visible presence people revert back to type. Whereas operating covertly keeps people guessing, and money in the coffers. ( Not that I am arguing, you understand).

The problem then is that it takes far too long for the word to get around that people have been caught and fined. Even more so now that the local paper has almost died, and police Farcebook Twit only hits those who have subscribed.

A visible presense stopping, fining and impounding stops the rot as the next would be jumper then has to check a little bit more before plowing through the next red light. The more they see being stopped the more they behave at the next light.