Night time driving

[sebbyr]

So when driving home tonight I had to stop at the traffic lights as you do. Now I am not in anyway saying that they are pointless, however on a quiet road at about 1 in the morning is there any real reason for them to be on?

Then it dawned on me why can't we have the same system that is put in place in Europe. In europe at night the traffic lights are changed to flashing amber to warn drivers that there is a pedestrian crossing or junction coming up. There are no red or green lights just amber all night long. This saves time and saves drivers pointlessly having to stop for no reason.

So my question out to you guys is does anyone know why this is not in place here?

[kprm77]

I'm sure they are trialing (or considering trialing) flashing amber lights somewhere at the moment, so that at quiet times you can proceed with caution rather than having to stop.

Found it: linky

[deveng]

Because the average uk motorist sees Amber (flashing or not) and hoofs it! So you'd have a collection of drivers driving faster as a result.

Is it really that big an issue to stop for 20 seconds?

[Man from UNCLE]

deveng said:

Because the average uk motorist sees Amber (flashing or not) and hoofs it! So you'd have a collection of drivers driving faster as a result.

Is it really that big an issue to stop for 20 seconds?

How many 20 seconds? I can sit at 5 sets of traffic lights on 1 roundabout near me, which is extremely pointless if there's no traffic.

[deveng]

Man from UNCLE said:

How many 20 seconds? I can sit at 5 sets of traffic lights on 1 roundabout near me, which is extremely pointless if there's no traffic.

100 seconds. Crikey.

Roundabouts are different as there is already an existing give way system and the lights can be turned off all together.

If you are driving at a time where it is feasible to implement such an idea then are you really in that much of a hurry? Surely you're just drink driving home from the pub because you spent your cab money buying unattainable girls drinks?

[BDR529]

deveng said:

100 seconds. Crikey.

Roundabouts are different as there is already an existing give way system and the lights can be turned off all together.

If you are driving at a time where it is feasible to implement such an idea then are you really in that much of a hurry? Surely you're just drink driving home from the pub because you spent your cab money buying unattainable girls drinks?

Or said girls are stuffed in the boot, and you want to get to your home/abandoned warehouse as soon as possible.

[Man from UNCLE]

deveng said:

100 seconds. Crikey.

Roundabouts are different as there is already an existing give way system and the lights can be turned off all together.

If you are driving at a time where it is feasible to implement such an idea then are you really in that much of a hurry? Surely you're just drink driving home from the pub because you spent your cab money buying unattainable girls drinks?

100 stupidly wasted seconds for 1 person, how many people are going to wait for 100 seconds over 1 night? times it up & what you get is a lot of wasted time & a lot of wasted fuel.

Yes, everybody who drives at night is drunk after spending money on unobtainable girls, but usually when I'm driving drunk at night on this particular roundabout I usually jump the red lights because I feel more confident after 12 pints of Stella, this approach has never caused any more harm than a quick & speedy journey home to my den of iniquity where I take the more obtainable girls that I haven't been wasting my money on.

Once there, & after enthralling them with my collection of model trains, I start interesting them by dropping subtle hints about my secret "playroom" hidden discretely behind my fireplace, they can't wait to see it so after I ply them with a couple more flutes of Moet & another line or two of charlie I swing back the fireplace revealing the hidden "playroom"..

But that's another story, basically I agree with the op & some traffic lights should be switched off at night.

Edited by Man from UNCLE on Friday 15th April 03:55

[Xilent]

i totally disagree, i think all traffic lights should be red at night, that way rapists and bank robbers are fked when it comes to the getaway, crime will be reduced and bambi's mum wont die

[Shaw Tarse]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...