Road Works Single Traffic lights..legal ???
Discussion
Hi 
I was driving on a normal country 2 lane road today....and came to a roadworks which was on the other lane with a single set of traffic lights at each end,around 10 yards long, I assume they were on an automatic timer system...nobody working on the hole in ground and no workmen anywhere in sight.
I waited for the lights to turn green and they never did....I waited around 5 minutes as in no rush....then "thought" I remembered that there had to be 2 sets of lights at each end of an unattended roadworks for them to be legal....
There was nothing coming the other way for at least 100 yards (dead straight road) so I went through the red lights.....
Huge blast of horn from car behind me....which I ignored and carried on....
Two questions here...
1. As the lights had obviously jammed...was I entitled to pass through them ??
2, Was I correct about unattended roadworks lights only being legal if TWO sets at each end rather than ONE set ???
All the best Brett
I was driving on a normal country 2 lane road today....and came to a roadworks which was on the other lane with a single set of traffic lights at each end,around 10 yards long, I assume they were on an automatic timer system...nobody working on the hole in ground and no workmen anywhere in sight.
I waited for the lights to turn green and they never did....I waited around 5 minutes as in no rush....then "thought" I remembered that there had to be 2 sets of lights at each end of an unattended roadworks for them to be legal....
There was nothing coming the other way for at least 100 yards (dead straight road) so I went through the red lights.....
Huge blast of horn from car behind me....which I ignored and carried on....
Two questions here...
1. As the lights had obviously jammed...was I entitled to pass through them ??
2, Was I correct about unattended roadworks lights only being legal if TWO sets at each end rather than ONE set ???
All the best Brett
An Irish case way back in 1959 held that under the circumstances outlined above then it was OK to proceed after waiting a reasonable time with caution.
Also it can be argued that because the lights are not working correctly, even if the other set were, then the lights did not comply with TSGD 2002 and therefore an illegal sign.
No requirement under Regs for two (2) sets of ligjhts at either end of the obstruction.
dvd
Also it can be argued that because the lights are not working correctly, even if the other set were, then the lights did not comply with TSGD 2002 and therefore an illegal sign.
No requirement under Regs for two (2) sets of ligjhts at either end of the obstruction.
dvd
They set some up here in December one year - all the lights and cones set up, then not the slightest sign of any workmen after that.
Basically they caused chaos, set up in the worst possible way with a huge long timer in a location where traffic waiting for one red light blocked the traffic that was being shown the green light, and both queues blocked a route that didn't go through the "roadworks" at all.
As the Christmas break started and traffic density decreased a bit, drivers started ignoring the traffic lights if nothing was coming the other way, and one day started more or less ignoring the whole thing altogether in favour of a common sense/honour based system.
The day after the lights were completely ignored, and normal(ish) traffic flow restored, the cones and lights setup disappeared. Funny, that.
Basically they caused chaos, set up in the worst possible way with a huge long timer in a location where traffic waiting for one red light blocked the traffic that was being shown the green light, and both queues blocked a route that didn't go through the "roadworks" at all.
As the Christmas break started and traffic density decreased a bit, drivers started ignoring the traffic lights if nothing was coming the other way, and one day started more or less ignoring the whole thing altogether in favour of a common sense/honour based system.
The day after the lights were completely ignored, and normal(ish) traffic flow restored, the cones and lights setup disappeared. Funny, that.
tvrgit said:
Traffic Signs Regs say only one light required at each end, no stop line required ("Stop Here when lights are red" sign replaces stop line) to make lights legal and enforceable.
Common misconception that they are not legal like permanent installations are. Wrong though.
Hi Common misconception that they are not legal like permanent installations are. Wrong though.
There were no "STOP HERE WHEN LIGHTS ARE RED" signs at all...nothing like that...just a hole in the ground , a few cones and one set of lights at each end ???
All the best Brett
Timberwolf said:
They set some up here in December one year - all the lights and cones set up, then not the slightest sign of any workmen after that.
Basically they caused chaos, set up in the worst possible way with a huge long timer in a location where traffic waiting for one red light blocked the traffic that was being shown the green light, and both queues blocked a route that didn't go through the "roadworks" at all.
As the Christmas break started and traffic density decreased a bit, drivers started ignoring the traffic lights if nothing was coming the other way, and one day started more or less ignoring the whole thing altogether in favour of a common sense/honour based system.
The day after the lights were completely ignored, and normal(ish) traffic flow restored, the cones and lights setup disappeared. Funny, that.
That'll be the dark forces of Nu Labia at work!!!!Basically they caused chaos, set up in the worst possible way with a huge long timer in a location where traffic waiting for one red light blocked the traffic that was being shown the green light, and both queues blocked a route that didn't go through the "roadworks" at all.
As the Christmas break started and traffic density decreased a bit, drivers started ignoring the traffic lights if nothing was coming the other way, and one day started more or less ignoring the whole thing altogether in favour of a common sense/honour based system.
The day after the lights were completely ignored, and normal(ish) traffic flow restored, the cones and lights setup disappeared. Funny, that.
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