Countdown red lights?
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 9:23am
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   17 years
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We have countdown pedestrian walk signals that can tell us when a signal will turn red, but how about a countdown timer to tell us when a light will go green?
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/12/ready-steady-go-count...
Count up the accidents...
The last paragraph of the story is the reason why this will never happen here in the US. While the idea is good, people will use it as their own Christmas tree starting light and start keeping track of their reaction times!
I would suggest putting the timer on the yellow light instead. Never mind, as I type this, this won't work either. It will give people an excuse to try to time beating the red light.
How about putting a couple of seconds of all lights red before someone gets the green. No extra cost for equipment, just some reprogramming. Dang, that thought hurt my brain!
Nuvi 265WT, 200W
why?
How about putting a couple of seconds of all lights red before someone gets the green. No extra cost for equipment, just some reprogramming. Dang, that thought hurt my brain!
That is what you do if the true goal is accident reduction not revenue "enhancement".
Countdown
That would be a great ideal, especially now they are taking pictures.
a_user wrote: We have
We have countdown pedestrian walk signals that can tell us when a signal will turn red, but how about a countdown timer to tell us when a light will go green?
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/12/ready-steady-go-countdown-stoplight-brings-fun-to-traffic-control/
I like the idea, except when used for drag racing.
Nope
It's not about safety--it's about revenue!
NP
In times of profound change, the learners will inherit the earth while the "learned" find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists...
It sounds like this could
It sounds like this could cause a lot more problems than good.
warning before green
We have countdown pedestrian walk signals that can tell us when a signal will turn red, but how about a countdown timer to tell us when a light will go green?
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/12/ready-steady-go-countdown-stoplight-brings-fun-to-traffic-control/
Actually in Europe you can see in many places that before light turns green you have for a second yellow on. So it goes like this: red; red+yellow (for about a second), green. It gives driver time to get ready for driving on green. And not much drag racing on the light change.
I am one with my machinery.
This would be due to mst driving manuals!
Nuvi 3790LMT, Nuvi 760 Lifetime map, Lifetime NavTraffic, Garmin E-Trex Legend Just because "Everyone" drives badly does not mean you have to.
Can we say ready Set GOOO!
Can we say ready Set GOOO!
Already Being Done
How about putting a couple of seconds of all lights red before someone gets the green. No extra cost for equipment, just some reprogramming. Dang, that thought hurt my brain!
You wouldn't be the first to suggest this. It is actually being used in some large metro areas to decrease accident rates (with some success). The problem is that traffic planners freak out when they hear a suggestion that requires them to reprogram/calibrate the entire traffic grid. Ask one to increase a yellow by 2 seconds. You can see the smoke coming from their ears. It's actually humorous to see them squirm.
Everybody stopped
Many intersections in Spokane WA have an "All-Red" for 2 seconds to clear left-hand turners out of the intersection.
1490LMT 1450LMT 295w
like a drag race christmas tree
I'm sure that will go over big here!
___________________ Garmin 2455, 855, Oregon 550t
red lights
The last paragraph of the story is the reason why this will never happen here in the US. While the idea is good, people will use it as their own Christmas tree starting light and start keeping track of their reaction times!
I would suggest putting the timer on the yellow light instead. Never mind, as I type this, this won't work either. It will give people an excuse to try to time beating the red light.
How about putting a couple of seconds of all lights red before someone gets the green. No extra cost for equipment, just some reprogramming. Dang, that thought hurt my brain!
Our town has been doing that for quite a few years now, I think ours are set for three seconds. When they first changed it I could have gotten a ticket if it would have been a hard-nosed cop behind me, because they didn't announce they were going to do it. I was sitting at a red light and looking off to my left at something and when I seen the light for the other direction go red I took off. The next thing I know I've got a cop behind me with his lights light up. He was nice about it, he explained what was going on and sent me on my way.
Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.
This is a dumb Idea
We have countdown pedestrian walk signals that can tell us when a signal will turn red, but how about a countdown timer to tell us when a light will go green?
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/12/ready-steady-go-countdown-stoplight-brings-fun-to-traffic-control/
In today's age we have enough things taking peoples attention and eye's off the road. I happen to have a read light camera and crosswalk indicators a block away from my house.
The problem is you have to take your eye's off the road at the time you think the light is going to change, and if the person in front of you makes the stop and your looking across the intersection, guess what, a rear end collision, and a statistic.
The type used in the link, would be a danger to everyone, because of the Motorheads on the roads that would use it for dragracing..
Unless your totally thick, when you drive your daily patterns enough you learn the light cycles on your own anyway.
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