Red light jumping - a confession

[hackbike 666]

I will add a pic later.They are on the other computer.

 

[Dan B]

That sounds like a good system - safer too - so you know when they're going to change. How many times have lights changed to red just as we're about to go through them and having to make a split second decision whether to hit the brakes or keep going?

Never. I usually find that the amber phase is sufficient clue that the lights are about to go red - there's not really any split-second decision-making involved

 

[Jake]

Anyone want a race tonight? no stopping at lights, courier style

 

[hackbike 666]

No.

 

[Jake]

lol. too late. Ended up having one with, i think, the guy i was moaning about on friday night. had a bit of a dual which didn't mean much but when I notied out the corner of my eye that he was trying to over take, i put my foot down again. most enjoyable, but left me out of breath lol.

Thought better of trying to race a very nice bike going over blackfriers thogh. TT bike, lovely. lycra clad guy.

 

[smeg]

Never. I usually find that the amber phase is sufficient clue that the lights are about to go red - there's not really any split-second decision-making involved

Traffic lights go from amber to red a bit too quickly for my liking. Anyhow, when they go to amber the same applies - they're changing so you need to decide whether to stop or keep going. Depends how fast you're going, if you're going slowly it's not an issue.

 

[hackbike 666]

Saw some fat bird at Waterloo this afternoon and as I waited at the lights I watched her on her fixie no brakes,v shrt handlebars (yes I worked out why) sort of stop quickly at ped lights.Saddest thing with fixies now is it has all come the rage or come into fashion if you like.Still perhaps I will be able to pick up a cheap one when people get bored with them.

 

[Dan B]

Traffic lights go from amber to red a bit too quickly for my liking. Anyhow, when they go to amber the same applies - they're changing so you need to decide whether to stop or keep going. Depends how fast you're going, if you're going slowly it's not an issue.

If you're going too fast to stop safely when the lights turn amber, you're almost certainly going fast enough to have cleared the junction by the time they turn red.

I'm really not seeing the problem here. What useful information does a countdown timer give you that the current "lights are going to change soon" indication lacks? Isn't "lights are going to change soon" exactly what you need to know?

 

[hackbike 666]

That's the hotel I stayed at last time and will stay at next month.Click for bigger image.

 

[smeg]

If you're going too fast to stop safely when the lights turn amber, you're almost certainly going fast enough to have cleared the junction by the time they turn red.

I'm really not seeing the problem here. What useful information does a countdown timer give you that the current "lights are going to change soon" indication lacks? Isn't "lights are going to change soon" exactly what you need to know?

If you know that the lights are about to change to amber/red you're less likely to speed up and try and get through before they change making it potentially risky, i.e. on my commute there's traffic lights at the bottom of a hill so I can fly down there if I choose to do so. Also, in the town there's one particular set of lights that I don't trust the timing of. I noticed once when I stopped at the lights, there was very little time duration between the light going to red and the traffic from the left (from a blind corner) going to green, if I hadn't have stopped/reacted as quickly I could have been side swiped from the traffic from the left because they wouldn't have seen me. As soon as the lights go to amber they put their foot down despite not being able to see any traffic that may have just missed the lights changing from a blind corner - who waits for the lights to go green like you're supposed to rather than taking off on amber? You can get away with it on a bicycle, by the time you've got back on the pedals it'll be on green anyway.

 

[smeg]

Click for bigger image.

It's big enough as it is, could be printed off A3 poster size without any loss of detail