How Long Would You Wait For a Red Light?

 

My wife and I were on vacation in Golden Colorado a couple of weeks ago and were were on our way to Denver airport to catch an early flight. We stopped for red red light and waited 6 full minutes but it didn't turn green. It was 2 AM and there was absolutely no traffic on the road. I backed up and pulled up to the stop line again thinking I didn't trip the timer. We waited another 4 minutes and still no green. Fearing we would miss our flight, I drove through the red light

Sure enough, a cop pulled out of a hidden spot and pulled us over. I told him I thought the light was broken. All he said was, "it's a long light". While he was checking my license, I continued to watch the light and it finally did turn green after another 4 minutes. The cop was nice enough though and let us go with a warning.

There is no doubt I broke the law but it raises the question as to how long must you legally wait for a traffic signal? Somehow, I think 14 minutes is excessive.

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The fathers and mothers doth protest too much

The only detectors that I was aware of in Colorado Springs were first inductive detectors and later photo detectors.

You could "detect" the inductive detectors by the characteristic cuts in the asphalt. Bicyclists hated them but some found that by laying their bikes on their sides just above the coils they could have an effect. The coal rolling pickup truck drivers were, to put it mildly, amused. The carbon fiber bikes had no hope. As a lover of titanium bikes I had, of course, no sympathy.

Then the city fathers and mothers decided to go to cameras. I used to work way back then and didn't stay on top of what was happening and what drove (pun intended) them. The city mothers and fathers did go to great lengths to tell us using unclear language (dumb, but again on purpose) that the cameras had exceedingly poor resolution and couldn't tell a bus from an artichoke. The fathers and mothers doth protest too much.

No more than a couple

No more than a couple minutes at most!

There isn't one

Melaqueman wrote:
sunsetrunner wrote:

I'm not aware of any traffic light that has signal change sequence activation by headlights. There are traffic lights that will change the light for approaching emergency vehicles responding, but this is not available (legally) on non-emergency vehicles. Flashing your headlights sounds good but it is fiction.

You are not aware of this feature does not make it not so.
There will be a small sensor mounted near the traffic light itself.

Because there are still many vehicles on the road that do not use daytime running lights this type of sensor would be useless. Now I realize you (Melaqueman) said it works at night, well how is traffic detected during the day light?

That said, here is a myth buster for you:

Quote:

Myth #1: The Flasher. If you flash your car’s high beams at a stoplight, it will turn from red to green more quickly.

Reality: Traffic light sensors do not detect headlights; they use other means to detect traffic at a light. Emergency light sensors read encoded and proprietary infrared signals from special emitters installed in emergency vehicles.

https://rhythmtraffic.com/7-traffic-signal-myths-debunked/

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. 2 Garmin DriveSmart 61 LMT-S, Nuvi 2689, 2 Nuvi 2460, Zumo 550, Zumo 450, Uniden R3 radar detector with GPS built in, includes RLC info. Uconnect 430N Garmin based, built into my Jeep. .

that's

I think the whole red light thing is blown way out of proportion.

Again, the sophistication with which NHL hockey players stay onside during a play is acrobatic. the way 5 year old kids do it in soccer is simply black and white. They are, or they are not.

The notion that licensed to drive adults can't figure a red light out is weird lol

Malfunctioning should simply be in the motorists' favors as if flashing yellow. These days? One can always shoot a video or have a dash cam to illustrate.

Interesting Side Note

Lost Anyway wrote:
camerabob wrote:

They may sit around at times doing nothing, but waiting at a long light because it is a 'target rich environment' is similar to a speed trap. Like baiting game. You know there's going to be people breaking the law there because of a device out of adjustment. If you were younger, or had purple hair or anything out of the norm, it may have escalated into something more. I'm not a fan of that behavior.

Agreed. bdhsfz6 didn't get ticketed, but his finally going against the light did give the lying-in-wait cop an excuse to stop the car, and if there had been another issue, an outstanding warrant, contraband seen through the window, smell of marijuana, etc., the cop would have been able to make an arrest. If it was a setup, I suspect that's why.

Fun thread--good discussion.

It's interesting you mention this. Here's another thing I learned from this incident. In addition to asking for my license, the cop also asked for proof of insurance, which is standard procedure.

I was driving a rental car which is covered under my home auto insurance policy but I had no form of proof. Luckily, I had purchased the insurance option from the rental agency. It was noted on the invoice which the cop accepted. Other wise, with no proof of insurance, the cop said he definitely would have issued a ticket.

This is something I never considered. I never thought to carry a copy of my home auto insurance policy when renting a vehicle. I know it's a waste of money but I always take the insurance rider from the rental agency. Here's a case where it actually paid off.

Of course

If you've got a smart phone, you could pull up your policy..

I have 2 cell phones..

One live one not.

The one that's not connected had things like insurance cards, auto registration and the like.

Each have different pin access codes.. and under no condition would I ever give access to my phone that has cell access...

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Never argue with a pig. It makes you look foolish and it anoys the hell out of the pig!

treat it like a stop sign

johnnatash4 wrote:

~snip~

Malfunctioning should simply be in the motorists' favors as if flashing yellow. These days? One can always shoot a video or have a dash cam to illustrate.

A malfunctioning traffic signal is to be treated like a 4 way stop sign, at least in Pennsylvania.

--
. 2 Garmin DriveSmart 61 LMT-S, Nuvi 2689, 2 Nuvi 2460, Zumo 550, Zumo 450, Uniden R3 radar detector with GPS built in, includes RLC info. Uconnect 430N Garmin based, built into my Jeep. .

What to do now

I have had pretty good luck calling state's Department of Transportation and registering a formal complaint. Also, I suggest that you send a letter to the Golden Chamber of Commerce and State Tourism Bureau to explain that you will be voting with your wallet in the future and the hundreds or possibly thousands of your tourism dollars will not be spent in Golden in the future AND that you will be telling your friends, and using social media to warn others away from the area as well.

What this means to them, and you should suggest, is that the merchants of the area and others who depend on tourism dollars will not just loose your business but that others will keep their money at home as well.

Write a letter, and get your thoughts edited down to a businesslike, reasonable, sounding presentation. Send it and also use it as a script for any one you contact on the subject.

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rvOutrider

Wait on Red

I normally have to wait 3 to five minutes. what I don't like is when they a have left turn lights for both ways then only allow one to turn left and the other lanes to go through. Then you have a blinking yellow light to make a left hand turn with 4 or five cars behind you

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johnm405 660 & MSS&T

Traffic light sensors

Here is a picture and description and I know I have changed the sequence by flashing my headlights (AT NIGHT !!!!) a couple of times, because I know if I do not I sit for a predetermined time!

https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/streets-parking-tra...

Though i have seen much smaller ones mounted on the traffic lights.

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Nuvi 2797LMT, DriveSmart 50 LMT-HD, Using Windows 10. DashCam A108C with GPS.
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