Red Lights? What Do They Mean

[spen666]

In the last few days, I have commuted to work by bike, driven at rush hour and been out for a non commute ride at rish hour.
The amount of people in whatever mode of transport who do not stop at red lights is astounding. I always was taught to believe that a red light means STOP.

These days it seems to mean stop if you want to and if not you are ok to carry on and its not your problem.

It seems to me to be a societal issue towards authority and rules rather than a particular type of road user. We seem to have moved into an era where people do what they want and complain if they suffer any adverse consequences
Rant over - instead I'm off to shelter from the 14996 mph winds in Cambridge that the BBC tell me are here. Meanwhile those in florida are panicing about wionds of only 1/10th of the speed BBC say we are getting here

 

[Badger_Boom]

Not just traffic lights, but all types of stop or give way junctions. I was on four wheels rather than two last week when the car in front of me was almost t-boned by an articulated tanker truck which entered a roundabout from our left without braking at about 40 mph. It scared the carp out of me me and I wasn't the one having to emergency stop with only a couple of feet spare.

 

[mjr]

I agree. Green does not mean "go" but merely "the others are being told to stop but watch out". We need a ton of red light cameras to collect a new idiot tax to fix this.

It would also be a good idea to replace red man and red man+bike lights with amber ones that would accurately reflect their legal meaning and how road designers use them. Having red lights used for "give way" is needlessly muddying the waters.

 

[Chris S]

South Birmingham is particularly bad for this sort of thing. A lot of people don't know what box junctions mean or who has priority at roundabouts. I doubt if they've got licenses.

 

[PaulSB]

Taking a chance on a red light is becoming more and more common here in Lancashire, along with unwarranted overtaking etc. etc. I was on the M61 southbound on Monday at rush hour, about 7.30am. Not by choice I should add. I used to do this commute years ago. There was an accident and tarffic came to a complete stop for 15 minutes. The number of drivers using the hard shoulder was astonishing. Not one or two but a stream of vehicles driven by idiots at speed down the hard shoulder. I'd like to think there was a police officer at the accident who stopped them but I doubt it.

 

[lazybloke]

Drivers using bus lanes to illegally bypass the traffic queue I'm patiently sitting in. Grr!

 

[derrick]

Lack of police, judges not punushing wrong doer's mp's not abidding by the law, the list goes on, We are doomed.

 

[Brandane]

Lack of police, judges not punushing wrong doer's mp's not abidding by the law, the list goes on, We are doomed.

That is the bottom line. When there are no consequences for their actions, people don't care. And that goes way beyond red lights and other traffic offences. But there's a dark forum associated with CC for that particular discussion, if you're brave enough.

 

[spen666]

.....". We need a ton of red light cameras to collect a new idiot tax to fix this.

....

Far too namby pamby wishy washy liberal.

We need laser guided missiles on all traffic lights to take out offenders and their vehicles. Then charge their estate the cost of the missile system as a priority debt so it ranks higher than all other debts of the estate

To comply with human rights laws, we will allow a post humous appeal by the deceased, but only if they appear in person at the hearing

 

[spen666]

Lack of police, judges not punushing wrong doer's mp's not abidding by the law, the list goes on, We are doomed.

We need a traffic Judge Dredd type


PS I may or may not be joking about a serious problem

 

[vickster]

Just having more cameras on lights would reduce (well at least anyone with a legit number plate)

 

[slow horse]

We need a traffic Judge Dredd type

I give red light jumpers a look of grave disappointment aimed squarely at their backs. Can't say it's having an effect.

 

[spen666]

I give red light jumpers a look of grave disappointment aimed squarely at their backs. Can't say it's having an effect.

Can you get your eyes replaced with laser beams ...or at least one of them?

 

[spen666]

Just having more cameras on lights would reduce (well at least anyone with a legit number plate)

Therein lies another problem as well

 

[roley poley]

I find it scary to remember a red light is not a shield of steel that rises from the floor preventing passage but just a glowing filament that depends on consent to hold tonnes back