Road Works Traffic Lights

[VWOC]

I have been told that if you get to a set of traffic lights that are not classed as fixed, i.e. road works traffic lights, you can pass through them even on a red as long as you can see that the otherside is clear and you are not risking a head to head.

Anybody know anything about this?

Thanks

[PeteG]

[i]Q: What is the legal status of temporary traffic lights? A colleague of mine says that if you can safely see the way ahead is clear, you do not have to stop at a red temporary light, is this true?
James Francis

A: Your colleague is wrong. If a set of temporary traffic lights are showing red, you do have to stop, by law. The 1994 Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions gave portable temporary lights at road works and temporary road traffic control schemes equal validity with permanent lights and signs.[/i]

[Lonely]

IIRC endorsable fixed penalty offence as well - contravening temporary road traffic signal.

[Lonely]

Here we go.......

The offence of contravening a red light signal is contained in s. 36 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Regulation 10 of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 specifies which signs come within the ambit of s. 36. One of these signs is "(g)the red light signal when displayed by the light signals prescribed by regulation 33 or by regulation 35".

Reg 33 provides for fixed traffic lights. Reg 35 provides for "Portable light signals for the control of vehicular traffic". So as long as they comply with the requirements of Reg 35 they are enforceable under s. 36. Penalty is a fine and obligatory endorsement/optional disqualification.

[streaky]

And, IIRC, the 'white line' behind which you must stop (if the signals are red) is formed by an an imaginary line drawn at a right-angle to the road centre line from the leading edge/corner of the board proclaiming "STOP" - Streaky

Edited by streaky on Tuesday 17th August 07:38

[CommanderJameson]

Based on my BiL's experience, for the purposes of insurance, you don't want a TS10 on your licence, either.

The insurance companies took great delight in loading his policy to the nines as a result of his TS10 (caught by red light camera).

[eybic]

I had a TS10 (turning right where the blue arrow showed straight ahead only) a few years ago and saw no major detrmimental effect on my policy price (yes it was declared)

[anonymous-user]

And how long do you wait if both ends are stuck on red ?

[BHML]

Part of the problem that people jump these lights is the idiotic signal timings set by clueless works staff/engineers.

[Doniger]

speedyguy said:

And how long do you wait if both ends are stuck on red ?

Roughly 12 mins last time...could have been longer, didn't start counting until I'd been there a few minutes and decided to give it 10 before going through. Would have preferred to find another route but it was the only way in/out of an industrial park and I wasn't going to stay there forever.

[streaky]

As posted 2 July 2010, in Traffic lights stuck on red

streaky said:

Portable signal heads operating in vehicle-actuated (VA) mode (preferred by the DfT) are fitted with microwave (muwave) detectors - the boxes mounted above (usually) the signal heads.

Note that vehicles approaching at speeds lower than 10mph between 5 to 40m upstream from the detector will not be detected, so don't approach at a low speed in the expectation that the signals will change as you get to them. [So approach at the speed limit and brake hard to a stop right on the 'line'. ]

To 'ensure' vehicles are not left waiting too long, the sequence controller has a 'nudge' function that forces a system cycle approximately every 2.5 minutes.

In VA mode, if there are no approaching vehicles, the signals will revert to red in both directions. The first vehicle to arrive will register a demand for the signals to change on that approach.

The detectors do not react to departing vehicles.

One of the problems with temporary traffic signals triggered by muwave, is that, if the muwave head is not properly aligned, an approaching vehicle will not trigger a change (even at higher than 10mph).

A 'fun' trick therefore is to turn the muwave heads at both ends of the controlled section so that they point back along the section. This way, the head triggers a change at one end when it sees a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction! Although there is a time delay, if there are numerous vehicles approaching, the opposing light can switch to the 'green' aspect while there is still traffic in the controlled section.

There are detectors that transmit fore and aft, using discrimination to determine whether it is safe to change the aspect of the signal.

Streaky

Streaky