Why are "give-ways" dying?
Discussion
I've seen more and more across multiple cities where new road layouts are made, where they are removing the option of a free to flow give-way section, instead replacing it with a traffic light system which holds traffic up and creates lengthy delays. Why?
Is there new legislation, or is this a push to prevent something? It stinks of complete mismanagement - potentially like they have hired someone out of the city to design a safe layout without any experience of traffic flow!
See the below as an example;
In red, the flow left towards a give way marking on the road. The lines in green are traffic lights, prohibiting flow of traffic.
In most instances, this traffic can flow freely, making use of no cars coming in order to ease the congestion downstream. The addition of the lights just creates back-up traffic further back and blocking more junctions.
Am I just finding a problem with this because I hate traffic or is this a valid grumble?
Is there new legislation, or is this a push to prevent something? It stinks of complete mismanagement - potentially like they have hired someone out of the city to design a safe layout without any experience of traffic flow!
See the below as an example;
In red, the flow left towards a give way marking on the road. The lines in green are traffic lights, prohibiting flow of traffic.
In most instances, this traffic can flow freely, making use of no cars coming in order to ease the congestion downstream. The addition of the lights just creates back-up traffic further back and blocking more junctions.
Am I just finding a problem with this because I hate traffic or is this a valid grumble?
Traffic lights on many roundabout junctions used to be part time, that was sensible turn the things off in quiet periods, like most common sense options that appears to be consigned to history.
I start work usually between 3 and 4 am, its ludicrous having to sit at major roundabouts with not a vehicle seen or heard in any direction, thats the modern town by-pass for you hence why i drive through both towns on the way to work, almost all these traffic lights could be turned off between 7pm and 5am with extended off hours at weekends.
I start work usually between 3 and 4 am, its ludicrous having to sit at major roundabouts with not a vehicle seen or heard in any direction, thats the modern town by-pass for you hence why i drive through both towns on the way to work, almost all these traffic lights could be turned off between 7pm and 5am with extended off hours at weekends.
I don't know the factual answer but i'd imagine the standard of driving dropping (accident data & analysis) and the manipulation of flow of traffic especially in cities will play a big part.
You mention being worse for flow but it may be far better further up the road by creating an extended gap at that junction.
You mention being worse for flow but it may be far better further up the road by creating an extended gap at that junction.
Smint said:
Traffic lights on many roundabout junctions used to be part time, that was sensible turn the things off in quiet periods, like most common sense options that appears to be consigned to history.
I start work usually between 3 and 4 am, its ludicrous having to sit at major roundabouts with not a vehicle seen or heard in any direction, thats the modern town by-pass for you hence why i drive through both towns on the way to work, almost all these traffic lights could be turned off between 7pm and 5am with extended off hours at weekends.
Traffic lights on roundabouts make things worse in busy times too- for a roundabout to work traffic on it has to keep moving to allow lane changes. Maybe they could work if the lane guidance on and approaching the roundabout was changed to suit light control, but that doesn't seem to happen.I start work usually between 3 and 4 am, its ludicrous having to sit at major roundabouts with not a vehicle seen or heard in any direction, thats the modern town by-pass for you hence why i drive through both towns on the way to work, almost all these traffic lights could be turned off between 7pm and 5am with extended off hours at weekends.
Roundabout near me had the lights removed last year- improvement in flow, and less aggression on the roundabout. Win win, but seems rare.
In recent years (decades?) there does seem to have been a big increase in the number of traffic lights in areas I travel through. Junctions and 'give way' points that used to have no lights now have them. Also in some cases where there used to be a roundabout, that has been removed and replaced by lights forcing each entry road to wait for its turn. I suppose these measures have been taken for safety reasons, and maybe in some cases to deliberately restrict traffic, but the effect on the motorist is to increase delays. The same could be said of tinkering with the cycles at traffic lights, so that you wait around longer at a red light and then the green only lets three or four cars through.
mac96 said:
Traffic lights on roundabouts make things worse in busy times too- for a roundabout to work traffic on it has to keep moving to allow lane changes. Maybe they could work if the lane guidance on and approaching the roundabout was changed to suit light control, but that doesn't seem to happen.
Roundabout near me had the lights removed last year- improvement in flow, and less aggression on the roundabout. Win win, but seems rare.
The problem now at busy times is just how fast modern vehicles are and how fast they can corner.Roundabout near me had the lights removed last year- improvement in flow, and less aggression on the roundabout. Win win, but seems rare.
People often say that drivers should all spend a couple of years motorcycling to learn before the drive a car, i'd also say everyone should spend a day out with an experienced competent truck driver in a maximum weight artic to see things from the other side, trying to get out on some fast moving roundabouts can be a nightmare, which is why all truck drivers are against deliberately restricting vision at junctions as discussed in the other thread.
We're trying to make normal progress by judging our approach so we don't have to stop and make a standing start, because if we have to stop we're always going to baulk somone its inevitable given the length lack of instant power and incompetent auto boxes fitted that by the time we're half way out someone has come hairing round.
Smint said:
mac96 said:
Traffic lights on roundabouts make things worse in busy times too- for a roundabout to work traffic on it has to keep moving to allow lane changes. Maybe they could work if the lane guidance on and approaching the roundabout was changed to suit light control, but that doesn't seem to happen.
Roundabout near me had the lights removed last year- improvement in flow, and less aggression on the roundabout. Win win, but seems rare.
The problem now at busy times is just how fast modern vehicles are and how fast they can corner.Roundabout near me had the lights removed last year- improvement in flow, and less aggression on the roundabout. Win win, but seems rare.
People often say that drivers should all spend a couple of years motorcycling to learn before the drive a car, i'd also say everyone should spend a day out with an experienced competent truck driver in a maximum weight artic to see things from the other side, trying to get out on some fast moving roundabouts can be a nightmare, which is why all truck drivers are against deliberately restricting vision at junctions as discussed in the other thread.
We're trying to make normal progress by judging our approach so we don't have to stop and make a standing start, because if we have to stop we're always going to baulk somone its inevitable given the length lack of instant power and incompetent auto boxes fitted that by the time we're half way out someone has come hairing round.
Gassing Station | Roads | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff