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Eko: A Red Light with a Twist
15 Crazy Traffic Signals

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Turboner
11/30/09

In reply to Eko: A Red Light with a Twist
Sweet, when do we get to see yellow lights with the same "warning?" :)
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High Speed Indeed
11/30/09

@Turboner: My first thought as well.
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tonyola
11/30/09

In reply to Eko: A Red Light with a Twist
When I was a small child riding with Dad, he would occasionally blow through a light that had just changed from yellow to red. Once when I had the temerity to say that the light was red, he said "It's not red yet. It's pink". Afterwards I thought something was wrong because I could never see the pink-to-red transition. Dad wouldn't ever lie to me, would he? When, seeking an unimpeachable source, I mentioned it to Mom, her reaction was an irritated "Oh, he told you that, did he...?" Dad subsequently never mentioned the pink light again.

As for the countdown light, it's cool but I have to agree with others here - there's serious potential for hoonage and mayhem.
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Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet
11/30/09

@tonyola: I went out with a girl who blew through red lights all the time. After a while, I asked what she was doing. She explained that these were 'Soft Reds', because they had only just turned red, and therefore there was no need to stop for them.
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Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet
11/30/09

In reply to Eko: A Red Light with a Twist
Great concept with nice execution. With most traffic lights transitioning to LEDs this will be pretty easy to engineer and develop.

In Germany, the Red light will also briefly illuminate the Yellow light, before cycling to Green. People start a rolling start when they see the yellow. Always reminded me a bit of a drag strip christmas tree.
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that ain't the way to have fun, son
11/30/09

In reply to Eko: A Red Light with a Twist
While wholly unnecessary, it's a really good idea...one too good to spring (read: waste) on US "drivers".

There is something already kind of in-place which does this, just look at the light facing the cross street. If it's green, you've got a bit of a wait. If yellow, you've got a few seconds.

If you really want to narrow it down, watch the crosswalk lights. They blink DON'T WALK, or the 'talk to the hand' icon, 16 times, typically, before going solid. Solid = yellow, or damned close to it.

Tip: When in Vegas, if it's gonna turn, do yourself a favor and make certain cross traffic is going to stop before proceeding. There are some particularly nasty T-bone wreck there due to people blatantly ignoring reds.
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AmishJohn
11/30/09

@that ain't the way to have fun, son: A lot of lights, at least around Chicago, have polarized lenses so you can't see the other lights.
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that ain't the way to have fun, son
11/30/09

@AmishJohn:

Nice to see the area around Chi-town using money wisely.

Sigh.
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FTGDWolverineEdition'09
11/30/09

In reply to Eko: A Red Light with a Twist
China and India have had this for a while now (apparently). Not just red light but also for the green lights so you can prepare and slow down (or speed up) appropriately. Saw a couple in Shanghai last year. Maybe not as elegant, but still does the job.
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laxmax613
11/30/09

@FTGDWolverineEdition'09: Yeah, when I lived in Israel there was one red light that we went through often with this sort of system. Combined with the fact that the lights go yellow in between red and green, it was a good system.
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mechimike
11/30/09

In reply to Eko: A Red Light with a Twist
I think they should extend the idea to the yellow and green lights, while they're at it. This would actually provide far more environmental benefit, as you could see if a light were a "stale green" about to turn red and begin slowing down for it, rather than having to tromp on the brakes at the last second. It would also tell you how much yellow you can expect. This last feature would hold municipalities accountable and make it hard for them to pull shenanigans with short-cycle yellows meant to boost revenues from red light cameras (D.C., I'm looking at you!)

Of course, I share the general pessimism of the commentariat that any of this will ever actually see the light of day on US streets, anywhere. Or that the typical American driver would actually be smart enough to benefit from it, were it enacted.
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Axel-Ripper
11/30/09

@mechimike: that would be the best design ever, and should be mandatory for all stop lights... a timer for each light, since of course different areas have different times for yellow (Flint is about 3-5 seconds per light). This would allow you to know if indeed you can make the light, and if you should stay on the gas or let off because that red isn't changing any time soon
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Sloop_John_B
11/30/09

In reply to Eko: A Red Light with a Twist
I see enough people complaining that people would time the light and t-bone the yellow stretchers. However, don't tell me that nobody here looks at the opposite lights to time their launches on red. We all know it's close to a 2 second delay once the opposite light goes red. Not to mention the fact that nowadays the countdown cross walks are everywhere. These essentially do the same thing.
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pauljones
11/30/09

@Sloop_John_B: I do. I seriously do look at the opposite lights when I drive, and more than once is has damn near gotten me T-boned by some asswipe trying to run the light.
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brandegee
11/30/09

@Sloop_John_B: An interesting twist when driving in Spain (or Barcelona, at least) is that nearly everyone jumps the red light. On the big thoroughfares you have no choice but to jump with them.
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GreenN_Gold
12/01/09

@pauljones: If you're looking at the cross lights, you're probably also monitoring the cross traffic (I hope) to make sure everyone is stopping at the red light. That's why you were only "damn near" T-boned...and being an observant, active driver saved your life.
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Mobius
11/30/09

In reply to Eko: A Red Light with a Twist
Imagine this on an F1 circuit!

But imagine this on a public roa..

*crash*

Never mind, actually.
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Bertone77
11/30/09

In reply to Eko: A Red Light with a Twist
I good idea but it could prove to be very bad in a lot of states (like CA,MI and CO). In these states (that I've lived) you literally need to wait a sec or two after the light changes to allow for all the people running the red light to go or to allow all the people caught in the center trying to take a left to get through.
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DooDaBeeDooBaa
11/30/09

@Bertone77: Well I know here in Jersey they have delayed greenlights, exactly for this problem.
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A strolling player
11/30/09

@DooDaBeeDooBaa: Yeah, they do that at certain intersections around New Orleans, too. Difference is that we don't have those garish "DELAYED GREEN" signs which, I think, would just encourage more people to run the light because they know the other side is going to be waiting longer.

Good one, Jersey.
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DooDaBeeDooBaa
11/30/09

@A strolling player: Yea, you know we're know for our...um...exceptional drivers up here.
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smalleyxb122
11/30/09

In reply to Eko: A Red Light with a Twist
A stick shift in every car, and a Christmas tree at every intersection.

I have a dream.
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pauljones
11/30/09

In reply to Eko: A Red Light with a Twist
It often amazes me that best ideas are the simplest ones, and that no one has ever thought of these stupidly simple ideas before. It's almost like it's so stupidly simple, that people have thought of it, but then figured that someone else has probably already thought of it, and failed, so they dismiss it altogether.

However, that is without a doubt the coolest traffic light I have ever seen. Sadly, I'm not enough of an optimist to think that it will help American drivers pay attention to when the light turns green.

I would like to see these incorporated in the US, though.
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Edited by pauljones at 11/30/09 10:05 AM pauljones was starred pauljones was unstarred

stoke
11/30/09

@pauljones: I don't think it will ever happen. The hoonage potential is just too high.

Do you think it'd be Pro Tree (.400 seconds from red to green) or Sportsman Tree (.500 seconds)? Either way, the average American would become much more adept at cutting a good light.
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Ford Tempo Fanatic
11/30/09

@pauljones: True that. This stop light is so simple, it makes ya wonder what other great ideas haven't gotten attention.

I want this really badly Stateside. I know it won't happen, but it would be great.
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Grive
11/30/09

@pauljones: This one is great, but a small part of this concept is alive in germany, in that the yellow is turned on at both transitions, (red+yellow before green, so there's no confusion).

It doesn't give you any information until it's about to turn green, but it's a step in a very similar direction.

Still, this thing is awesome both in design and function, and I want them all over my city.
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Timtoolman, sporadically speaking
11/30/09

@pauljones: I love it, but I think it would invite more street racing. Not to mention the care I take in pulling into an intersection. One could only to imagine the number of times that infitessimal second of delay has preserved their vehicles and possibly lives by creating enough of a pause to allow the other driver trying to beat the red. It happened once to me where the guy in front was off in some other world and failed to go at the green, and some guy, running the red, blasted through the lght, just barely missing the guy ahead of me.
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pauljones
11/30/09

@Timtoolman, sporadically speaking: That can extra second can be accounted for, though. All they have to do is program that in to the time it counts down. We all already know that there is a delay of approximately two seconds between when the light in the opposite direction goes red and your light goes green. It wouldn't be too difficult to add the same delay in the countdown.
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that ain't the way to have fun, son
11/30/09

@stoke:

It'll be I'm-on-the-phone/eating-a-burger/swatting-at-the-kids tree.

2.5 seconds.
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Timtoolman, sporadically speaking
11/30/09

@pauljones: True 'nuff.
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MushyHeirloom
06/04/09

In reply to 15 Crazy Traffic Signals
Whenever the sun's out, it's legal to ignore #7, right?
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Novaload
06/04/09

In reply to 15 Crazy Traffic Signals
I think Aussie 11 is supposed to be "hooning" and not "honning" unless they have invented something new. Or maybe it was "honking."
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Syrax
06/04/09

In reply to 15 Crazy Traffic Signals
I'm pretty sure #14 is in Amsterdam.
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combat chuck
06/04/09

In reply to 15 Crazy Traffic Signals
Do cyclists in Amsterdam actually pay attention to those signals? Because that would be an evolutionary step forward.
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