Lights stuck on red
Discussion
So a set of lights near my work keep staying on red at night. It seems after 10pm (ish) they become reliant on sensors to change when people approach except they only work from one direction. I drive wagons for a busy supermarket and everyone gets stuck at night. We approach from the west and they seem to default to green for people approaching from the south and don’t change untill someone comes from the north, which is rare as it’s not a busy road that way.
Obviously going through a red is illegal but how long would you have to wait before creeping through and having a reasonable excuse as obviously you can’t sit there forever.
Almost all lads at night have to creep through on red, easy as visibility is good all round and can see no one is coming, but one got followed by an undercover police officer who was sat at the opposite side who followed him into our fuel station, driver explained and was let off with a warning but it doesn’t solve the problem.
Obviously going through a red is illegal but how long would you have to wait before creeping through and having a reasonable excuse as obviously you can’t sit there forever.
Almost all lads at night have to creep through on red, easy as visibility is good all round and can see no one is coming, but one got followed by an undercover police officer who was sat at the opposite side who followed him into our fuel station, driver explained and was let off with a warning but it doesn’t solve the problem.
First thing to do is report them, at least then you'll have a prior record of reporting them stuck before you actually get caught creeping through.
So long as it's safe, just creep through slowly. Probably worth reporting to your management too and logging it with them in case of any future issues.
Most councils / highway agency have easy web based reporting systems for these types of faults and you normally get a reference number to go with it.
So long as it's safe, just creep through slowly. Probably worth reporting to your management too and logging it with them in case of any future issues.
Most councils / highway agency have easy web based reporting systems for these types of faults and you normally get a reference number to go with it.
I was on my way to Manchester Airport at about 3am last year and stopped at a red light and nothing happened for about 5 mins.
I was gonna go through but realised car behind was a police car. I jumped out and asked I should go though. They told me to flash my lights first, I did and nothing happened so they said to go through carefully and so did they.
Same thing happened just as I got to the airport, this time not a soul was around so I went for it after trying the flashing trick, I don’t think that actually works.
I was gonna go through but realised car behind was a police car. I jumped out and asked I should go though. They told me to flash my lights first, I did and nothing happened so they said to go through carefully and so did they.
Same thing happened just as I got to the airport, this time not a soul was around so I went for it after trying the flashing trick, I don’t think that actually works.
carlove said:
I was on my way to Manchester Airport at about 3am last year and stopped at a red light and nothing happened for about 5 mins.
I was gonna go through but realised car behind was a police car. I jumped out and asked I should go though. They told me to flash my lights first, I did and nothing happened so they said to go through carefully and so did they.
Same thing happened just as I got to the airport, this time not a soul was around so I went for it after trying the flashing trick, I don’t think that actually works.
The flashing thing works on certain lights, with certain sensors, in certain areas, a few round by where I live will change ( out of normal sequence ) if I’m approaching on my bike, with lights set to flash, and aimed up at the traffic lights.The last time I had a set of lights malfunction and stick on red, I treated it as a give way.I was gonna go through but realised car behind was a police car. I jumped out and asked I should go though. They told me to flash my lights first, I did and nothing happened so they said to go through carefully and so did they.
Same thing happened just as I got to the airport, this time not a soul was around so I went for it after trying the flashing trick, I don’t think that actually works.
Edited by BrundanBianchi on Friday 18th December 15:10
Willy Nilly said:
There was a thread on here a couple of years ago on flashing lights at traffic lights. The sensor, if my memory serves me correctly, is to sense ambient light, not traffic. So you might as well moon at hem for all the good it will do
It depends on how bright your lights are, and how well they align with the sensors. For example, a relatively dim car light, in a well street lit area, which is legally aligned, may not trigger the sensor unless it’s going up a hill or something. Whereas a very bright easily adjustable light will trigger the same sensor, and if the traffic lights are in an unlit / poorly street lit area, the same car headlights could trigger the sensor. We had temp lights (4 way) installed in our street. From day 1 they stuck on red. After the council bin lorry got stuck there for 20 mins, I reported the fault to the company doing the roadworks.. No action. By day 3, I phoned the boys in blue. They said tey would contact the council and gave me a crime number.
After 5 calls to the council, and phoned complaints to to Morrisons (the company doing the roadworks) a guy turned ouy. He looked at the light and said that the sensor was working. I asked if the lights had been enabled through the control units wifi system. He looked blank - got in his van and left.
The lights remained on red for 3 weeks until they moved them to another street - where they stayed on red for another 3 weeks. They've been moved again but at least it now affects the local police Chief Inspector, and 2 members of the Coastguard, so a cover has been put over them with police authority
After 5 calls to the council, and phoned complaints to to Morrisons (the company doing the roadworks) a guy turned ouy. He looked at the light and said that the sensor was working. I asked if the lights had been enabled through the control units wifi system. He looked blank - got in his van and left.
The lights remained on red for 3 weeks until they moved them to another street - where they stayed on red for another 3 weeks. They've been moved again but at least it now affects the local police Chief Inspector, and 2 members of the Coastguard, so a cover has been put over them with police authority
BrundanBianchi said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
You’re wrong.Microwave Radar Detectors
These devices detect a large object travelling towards or away from them and their use is increasing when compared with induction loops. They do not detect light which is probably a surprise for all the taxi drivers who sit there flashing their headlights hoping to make the lights change quicker.
There's no mention of any traffic lights using light detecting sensors at all!
(Which comes as little surprise, as they wouldn't work in daytime, especially in pre-DRL days!)
4rephill said:
BrundanBianchi said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
You’re wrong.Microwave Radar Detectors
These devices detect a large object travelling towards or away from them and their use is increasing when compared with induction loops. They do not detect light which is probably a surprise for all the taxi drivers who sit there flashing their headlights hoping to make the lights change quicker.
There's no mention of any traffic lights using light detecting sensors at all!
(Which comes as little surprise, as they wouldn't work in daytime, especially in pre-DRL days!)
Animado said:
This happened every time I used to ride my motorbike to work very early in the day via a little used junction where the major road I was crossing had priority. My bike was never meaty enough to trigger the magnetic sensors, so I just waited for a gap and carefully went over.
I get the same at a right turn into a commercial/industrial park. The motorbike doesn't trigger the sensor so you sit there like a lemon watching all the other routes go through the light-change cycle until a car pulls up behind. So I can confirm that flashing your lights, waving your arms around, getting off the bike and running towards the lights, beeping your horn and swearing loudly have absolutely no affect whatsoever.
100% in agreement with flashing ambers outsaide peak hours esp ( Bracknell council are you listening) on roundabouts that were free flowing and then after lights installed you still there like a fanny at 21,00 watching the complete sequence for 2 minuteand feck all comes around. So much for reducing my carbon footprint
Spent a happy Uni holiday summer working on traffic lights. At that time all the black boxes on the top of lights were radar units - car moving towards them triggered demand and therefore change. Wouldn't pick up cars slower than ~6 mph. Motorbikes/cycles always pot luck. Swinging a Cornish shovel at them pretty effective - how we initially tested them... The rest inductive loops or more likely nowadays piezo sensor (just like Truvelo speed cameras).
Not sure how things have changed but the flash your lights always made me chuckle, sounds like the sort of thing us medics say to get rid of PITA patient "just hold your breath for 10 minutes twice a day and you'll be fine, come back in six months if it doesn't work..."
Not sure how things have changed but the flash your lights always made me chuckle, sounds like the sort of thing us medics say to get rid of PITA patient "just hold your breath for 10 minutes twice a day and you'll be fine, come back in six months if it doesn't work..."
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