To avoid suddenly having to stop at traffic lights when they turn red (which can cause a rear end accident), do you think it's best to speed up when approaching traffic lights to get past them quickly incase they turn red, or to slow down so if they do turn red you might not have to stop so suddenly?
Best way to avoid suddenly having to stop at traffic lights?
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25-04-09 13:34If you think you have to go to those lengths at traffic lights, complain to local Authority. They are supposed to be timed with regard to speed limits.
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25-04-09 14:14Traffic lights
If this is not a wind-up (and I sincerely hope it is!), it should be blindingly obvious that approaching a green light you should do a sustained change into a lower gear, back off the throttle slightly and be prepared to stop!
If a traffic light is green as you approach, what do you think might happen next? And please don't give me that "I might get hit from behind nonsense!".:cool: -
25-04-09 14:33
No it's not a wind up. I don't think I was ever taught on my driving lessons to change to a lower gear and slow down when approaching green traffic lights.
If the traffic light is green I don't know what will happen next, it'll either stay green or change to red. If I knew what was going to happen there wouldn't have been any need for me to make this topic. -
25-04-09 16:25just throttle back, take your foot off!
as a driver you should notice them far enough ahead and notice their colour! this should give you the idea of if they are going to change and prepare accordingly. -
25-04-09 16:42Well, I always lift off a bit and change down on approaching traffic lights and keep well back from the vehicle in front. If you do this, the vehicle behind is forced to do the same.
(I've been the meat in the sandwich once and would prefer not to repeat the experience of being booted up the rear with such force just after the lights changed from amber to green that I hit the car in front (both driver in front and self had just put vehicles into gear and were releasing handbrakes when this occurred!))
Work on the principle that the lights will, according to a certain law:) change and act as appropriate.
I'm sorry, but I really do find it hard - unless you live somewhere like me where traffic lights don't exist in one's normal driving route - that your driving instrutor didn't give you information on this. -
25-04-09 20:02
I do notice them far enough ahead and their colour. It's the fact that twice yesterday they changed to red when I was only a few feet away from them and I had to stop suddenly. -
25-04-09 21:36we have these idiot's, they seem to think that it's ok to keep driving through red light's after they have changed, and it's not even one or two, i counted five driving through the red light's on Friday, im surprised the police haven't started clamping down on this dangerous selfish act, i actually spotted the local shuttle bus (first group) going through on red, i knew it was on red because the road i was using was showing green, somebody is going to get hurt one day :eek:
the thing is, we all know what the sequence of traffic light's is, it shouldn't be a surprise when they change, youre never surprised when they change to green, after changing from red to amber and then green, so why do these idiot's say that they changed without warning -
26-04-09 10:55The red-light jumpers that get me, are those that do it at 'blind' junctions. (Which is why the traffic lights were put there.)
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26-04-09 12:41Bttw I forgot to add, that I'm sure these two traffic lights didn't change to amber before red, so there was no way of me knowing that they were going to change to red.
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26-04-09 13:05If they went straight to red, then they are either faulty, or 'specials'. The only 'specials' I know of are used at railway level crossings, and aerodromes when aircraft land across the road. In both these cases, the red lights flash for a while before becoming solid red, to give some warning. I am sure there are probably others, but not local to me.
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26-04-09 13:10Well if they did go to amber first they still seemed to change quite quickly when I was close to them. I guess maybe I should've been going slower then.
But even when going slower, is it still possible they could change when you're really close to them resulting in you suddenly having to slam the brakes on? -
26-04-09 13:50If they are working correctly, they should be set to allow for you to stop relevant to the speed limit. eg, on a 40mph road, the amber will show for a little longer than those set for a 30mph road, to allow stopping time. Also, bear in mind that some lights will now detect your speed, and change to red. This is apparently a new form of traffic calming.
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26-04-09 14:06Ok, thanks.
One of the traffic lights was one of those temporary ones, because of one long side of the road being used for road works.
So even as soon as it changes to amber it's still best to stop (as it's not a case of simply being able to quickly get across the road before it changes to red) and therefore isn't really any different from it just changing straight to red from green. -
26-04-09 19:49I you were going a bit too fast and had to stop suddenly for a red light and you were rear-ended, it would most likely be 100% the blame of the driver behind anyway. But obviously best avoiding that possibility in the first place, so yep as everyone else says, ease of a bit and be prepared to stop.
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29-04-09 20:48
Are you suggesting that traffic lights are only put on blind junctions?
I frequently drive through red traffic lights every day, but not on blind junctions though.;) -
29-04-09 21:16you dont know the highway code then, when a traffic light is green, whats it going to do next, change, i just hope you dont meet another idot jumping the gun, and doing a racing start on amber, :D
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29-04-09 22:33Ross- i have sympathy for you.
As today I kind of experienced what you had.
Approaching lights which were on green so i did think about slowing down, my foot was off the throttle, but as I approached the lights began to change. I found myself caught- I would have had to have performed an emergency stop IMO to stop intime for the line or go through. I chose to go through! As it happens, I was through on amber. But a taxi in the outside lane which was a car length behind me also went through! I was close, he was just jumping a light! -
29-04-09 22:42yeah, ive noticed that with quite a lot of traffic lights, they're on green, as soon as you get near them they change to red, and as soon as you stop, they change to green again, even when im the only car at 1.30am some may be tempted to carry on through, but that's when you get the boy's in blue hiding in the bushes, :D
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29-04-09 22:49Locally, a lot are being changed for the type with a speed sensor, which changes them to red if you approach above the speed limit. Problem is, they are being set below the speed limit, so approaching at or near the speed limits triggers the change to red. Try approaching them below the speed limit, see if they still change to red.
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Guestwagolynn30-04-09 20:03
Sorry, what I meant was the amber light is there for just that scenario, just keep an eye out for anyone jumping the lights which I am sure you would. -
03-05-09 16:48If you read your Highway Code thoroughly, you will find that, even on the green light, it is only acceptable to go through the light if it is safe to do so.
And speeding up when approaching traffic lights, green or not, is definitely a no-no.
If a light has been on green for some time as I approach it, I know there is a good chance that I will have to stop. I begin to ease up in such cases and, if another vehicle is close behind, i touch my brakes without causing a reduction in speed, which should be sufficient to alert the driver of that vehicle that I may shortly be stopping.
