Should traffic lights be switched off at night?

Should traffic lights be switched off at night?

Author
Discussion

MoggieMinor

Original Poster:

457 posts

144 months

Saturday 6th February 2016
quotequote all
Something which I firmly believe! Most traffic signals just go through their sequence all day and night. During the day that may make sense but at night time/early morning with very little traffic it is very frustrating to be brought to a stand only for no traffic to pass through the section of road with the green light and then have to start off again when your light turns green.

Would it not be better to knock them off at night? Or have something like flashing reds meaning treat them as Give Way?

James2593

570 posts

136 months

Saturday 6th February 2016
quotequote all
Many countries already do this, they have flashing amber during the night and junctions are treated as a give way. It's a great system, makes for much smoother progress.

It was brought up a couple of years ago by the government, but, like the 80mph motorway limit, it quickly fizzled out.

Deerfoot

4,897 posts

183 months

Saturday 6th February 2016
quotequote all
MoggieMinor said:
Or have something like flashing reds meaning treat them as Give Way?
The Germans have a system of flashing ambers during silent hours for some junctions. It works well.

standards

1,117 posts

217 months

Saturday 6th February 2016
quotequote all
Can we please try that French thing wherby at night other than at the busiest places, they all go to flashing amber. I like that...

Vaud

50,289 posts

154 months

Saturday 6th February 2016
quotequote all
Switch off? Nope.

Flashing ambers - ok for some junctions but think it would need to be case by case.

rambo19

2,737 posts

136 months

Saturday 6th February 2016
quotequote all
No!

chazwind

130 posts

124 months

Saturday 6th February 2016
quotequote all
An increasing number of medium-major roundabouts are being converted to 'circular junctions' with at least 3-4 sets of traffic lights. Total waste of time to trundle from one red light to the next, at 4am with not another car in sight, as is usually the case.

Flashing ambers should be the answer.

silverfoxcc

7,683 posts

144 months

Saturday 6th February 2016
quotequote all
Rambo, you havent sat a a roundabout that ws sans light, and now have them ,at 2am witing for naf all to use the geens while you sit there waiting your turn.
Certainly at all roundabouts from say 20.00 to 07.00 , but i think it would be a recipe for disaster at junctions knowing the mentality and general driving skills of those on the road already

Willy Nilly

12,511 posts

166 months

Saturday 6th February 2016
quotequote all
chazwind said:
An increasing number of medium-major roundabouts are being converted to 'circular junctions' with at least 3-4 sets of traffic lights. Total waste of time to trundle from one red light to the next, at 4am with not another car in sight, as is usually the case.

Flashing ambers should be the answer.
Anyone that has anything whatsoever with installing traffic lights on roundabout should face a firing squad and the rifles used should be fairly low powered so it hurts more. The people involved in the traffic lights on the roundabouts at Tesco and Cuckoo corner in Southend should also be subjected to prolonged and sustained violence before facing the firing squad.

Ki3r

7,806 posts

158 months

Saturday 6th February 2016
quotequote all
chazwind said:
An increasing number of medium-major roundabouts are being converted to 'circular junctions' with at least 3-4 sets of traffic lights. Total waste of time to trundle from one red light to the next, at 4am with not another car in sight, as is usually the case.

Flashing ambers should be the answer.
There's a roundabout outside work (Fleetsbridge in Poole if anyone knows it). Finish work late and get stuck at every sodding light.

Year or two ago they were out whilst being upgraded and it worked brilliantly. Shame they put them back.

BobSaunders

3,027 posts

154 months

Saturday 6th February 2016
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We struggle with keeping left on the motorway - and you want a system like this introduced? Pandemonium.

Dave Finney

381 posts

145 months

Saturday 6th February 2016
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Definitely yes ... but only within scientific trials:
http://speedcamerareport.co.uk/02_scientific_trial...

That way we would know what effect it has. smile

gazza285

9,780 posts

207 months

Saturday 6th February 2016
quotequote all
Yes. While we are at it, anybody that parks on the pavement should have their car crushed, and banned from having another forever. Same with poor lane discipline on motorways. That should free up enough room on the roads to make traffic lights more or less obsolete anyway.

Evanivitch

19,803 posts

121 months

Saturday 6th February 2016
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Yes to Flashing Ambers!

Or just getting better traffic sensors that react to approaching traffic better.

T5XARV

600 posts

133 months

Saturday 6th February 2016
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While we're at it, why not a system as in Spain where the Red and Green traffic signals are also displayed at drivers eye level as opposed to some around here which are on top of a ten-foot fking pole, causing the driver to squish his face up to the screen and stare up at the light like a madman.

caelite

4,273 posts

111 months

Saturday 6th February 2016
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gazza285 said:
Yes. While we are at it, anybody that parks on the pavement should have their car crushed, and banned from having another forever. Same with poor lane discipline on motorways. That should free up enough room on the roads to make traffic lights more or less obsolete anyway.
Haha why? Especially with these new "triple wide" pavements that some councils are putting in at expensive of road space, In many places it is becoming more and more neccassery to bump a couple of wheels up on the kerb to prevent obstruction to traffic flow.

Baryonyx

17,990 posts

158 months

Saturday 6th February 2016
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Yes to flashing ambers and treating some junctions as 'turn left on red with caution' like in America would be fantastic. This country could make so many small changes to the road network to improve it's function for everyone.

daytona355

825 posts

198 months

Saturday 6th February 2016
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Trouble is, there are a whole load of morons driving around who are so busy watching their speedo and trying to save fuel that they barely notice red ones, let alone cope with seeing flashing ambers and have to look for themselves to see its safe, I reckon it would be carnage. Mind you, it might be a good solution to the pensioners crisis we face, as probably half of those over 70 would either get nicked and lose their licences for causing carnage, or be involved in it. I had to go to a meeting a few days ago, and in light traffic, slowed well in advance of a red light. As I stopped, I checked my rear view,and a donut in a focus suddenly realised I had stopped, and was taking evasive, slamming on the brakes and serving madly across the road, missing the line and getting himself flashed by the red light camera as he slew through past it. What a tool, the light had been red so long by then, within a second or so, the light changed and everyone else pulled thru past him, as he stalled the car. Makes you wonder what he was thinking about, it wasn't a fast road, and cove with scameras, so I doubt he was travelling too quickly in the traffic

Porkbrain

406 posts

236 months

Saturday 6th February 2016
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There are many 'intelligent' traffic lights from the south of Croydon down to the M25 that monitor the traffic, when there is a steady flow then they maintain the normal cycle, when the traffic in one direction thins out then they will give a green light to the other joining road even if they have only had a red light for a very short period of time.

Nickyboy

6,700 posts

233 months

Sunday 7th February 2016
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Instead of flashing amber (which is a good idea) maybe they should all turn to red, that way taking away the risk from morons as someone else said. They change with approaching vehicles in theory not needing to impeed their progress as at silly O'clock you're unlikely to meet someone else at the same junction.

There is a couple of bridges near me with the same system, it runs day and night, during the day obviously you sit and wait by by night as there is rarely anything coming in the opposite direction the lights change as you approach, barely any need to slow down