Traffic lights out, what's the proper procedure.
Traffic lights out, what's the proper procedure.
Author
Discussion

TheKeyboardDemon

Original Poster:

713 posts

237 months

Sunday 11th February 2007
quotequote all
Driving home today I had to pass through a junction where the lights were out, I've never really been too sure about how to deal with junctions when this happens, so I treated it like there was a roundabout at the junction and stopped to give way to traffic from the right.

Is that the proper procedure at times like that?


Edited by TheKeyboardDemon on Sunday 11th February 21:46

daveenty

2,385 posts

240 months

Sunday 11th February 2007
quotequote all
Treat it as an unmarked crossroads and you'll be OK.

No-one has priority if the lights aren't working (So I'm led to believe)

Edited for couldn't be arsed reading properly first. Just realised what you wrote.

NOT just giving way as on a roundabout....give way to anything you ain't sure about. Not tank

Edited by daveenty on Sunday 11th February 21:48



Edited by daveenty on Sunday 11th February 21:51

mickk

30,514 posts

272 months

Sunday 11th February 2007
quotequote all
Simple, close eyes, foot down. cool

bi9_jk

883 posts

295 months

Sunday 11th February 2007
quotequote all
Since the traffic lights are not working then there are no traffic signals!

Go through, if its a blind junction then if in doubt give your horn a clout so others will know you are coming!

tigger1

8,477 posts

251 months

Monday 12th February 2007
quotequote all
I treat it like ai would a stop line at an unmarked junction.
"STOP" hmmmm...well, nearly.

nobleguy

7,133 posts

245 months

Monday 12th February 2007
quotequote all
mickk said:
Simple, close eyes, foot down. cool


LOL!

Fidgits

17,202 posts

259 months

Monday 12th February 2007
quotequote all
generally just proceed with caution.

It all depends where you are, and how the other drivers are behaving.

Around here it goes pretty politely, but in other places i've seen a mad dash where you need to force through!

puggit

49,821 posts

278 months

Monday 12th February 2007
quotequote all
I'd assume like a 4-way stop in South Africa or USA. Give way to those who got to the line before you. However, as per above, the overriding principle is safety first!

hahithestevieboy

845 posts

244 months

Monday 12th February 2007
quotequote all
What about if the lights are "stuck" on red?

Fidgits

17,202 posts

259 months

Monday 12th February 2007
quotequote all
hahithestevieboy said:
What about if the lights are "stuck" on red?


no, officer, really they were, i was sat there for 30 minutes with a red light....




honest..

mechsympathy

58,806 posts

285 months

Monday 12th February 2007
quotequote all
Fidgits said:
hahithestevieboy said:
What about if the lights are "stuck" on red?


no, officer, really they were, i was sat there for 30 minutes with a red light....
.


AFAIK red means red means red. You're meant to find another way to go.

combemarshal

2,030 posts

256 months

Monday 12th February 2007
quotequote all
Funnily, this happened on the way home, again, you can't go another way as it's the only way out, unless you got a boat!

Just make sure every one is aware and go carefully, drives me mad when someone just sits there for ages doing nothing, doesn't take a scientist to work out there buggered!

Parrot of Doom

23,075 posts

264 months

Monday 12th February 2007
quotequote all
I find traffic flows much more easily when traffic lights fail.

Which is somewhat bizarre considering the numbers of traffic light controlled roundabouts that are popping up. I mean whats wrong with yellow boxes? You don't need lights. Especially not at 3am.

eliminator

762 posts

285 months

Monday 12th February 2007
quotequote all
Exactly what happened in part of London today. Power outage took out an area around Kingsway, traffic lights and all. Traffic flowed very sensibly, with reduced congestion. No pedestrians waiting to cross - everyone took there turns at each junction.

After a short distance, I came upon the back of a traffic queue and, yes, the next lights were functioning.

How much carbon saving if we switch out the traffic lights in London? No electricity used, and less congestion.

gpshead

657 posts

271 months

Tuesday 13th February 2007
quotequote all
Parrot of Doom said:
I find traffic flows much more easily when traffic lights fail.

Seconded. Which of course is why Livingstone is about to put in thousands more sets.

The worst thing about London is that very few if any sets are traffic-actuated, so, particularly in the middle of the night, you sit at red when no-one else is about. No accident I'm sure. A perfect excuse for all sorts of anti-car measures, headed up by the congestion charge, to combat the resulting gridlock.

Of course it also leads to disrespect for red signals, which in turn leads to nasty perpendicular collisions. Nice one Ken.

TheKeyboardDemon

Original Poster:

713 posts

237 months

Tuesday 13th February 2007
quotequote all
gpshead said:
The worst thing about London is that very few if any sets are traffic-actuated, so, particularly in the middle of the night, you sit at red when no-one else is about. No accident I'm sure. A perfect excuse for all sorts of anti-car measures, headed up by the congestion charge, to combat the resulting gridlock.
Perhaps a Petition is in order, after all Livingstone and all his followers are so concerned about taking anti-polution measures. I would propose that maybe it's time they considered having traffic actuated lights as I'm sure that a car in constant motion will generate lower emissions than those produced by the same car covering the same distance which then stops and starts through staged intervals ie. traffic lights etc..