Tale Of The 3-Second Yellow Light

CBS News ^ | June 12, 2003

[Jeff Gordon]

The yellow light is a signal for the game of chicken to begin. The chickens go for the breaks. The others go for the gas.

[GregoryFul]

If you take 1/2 second to react, that leaves 2.2 seconds for braking. 51.33/2.2 = 23.33 feet/second/second.

Thats 51.33/(2.2)^2 = 10.6 feet/sec^2

[JTN]

The chemical works to reflect the flash back to the camera, thereby creating an enormous blur on the photo.

Is that for real?

[JTN]

I'm shocked that you agree with the shorter yellow lights.

Why are you shocked? I posted the article so it's pretty much automatic, isn't it?

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

Your attitude is actually a reason to lengthen the lights again; to prevent innocent drivers from being labelled as you've labelled them.

Since you flagged me, AJ, I'll give my opinion. Actually, two opinions.

In the first place, I tend to think that complaining about Traffic Lights is about the last battle that Libertarians should get around to fighting. Talk about "choosing your battles" -- sheesh. I think I'm nore interested in privatizing Social Security, Welfare, and Education before I concern myself over-much about the Public Streets and Sidewalks. Those are somewhere near the bottom of my "to be Privatized" list, and I'm prepared to suck it up in the meanwhile.

That being said... Every Yellow Light should allow sufficient time for a Driver to come to a safe, controlled Stop given the Speed Limits and Traffic Flow of the Intersection in question. If a Driver has to slam on his brakes to come to a complete stop because the Yellow lasts for only 2 seconds or so, then it's not really his "fault" if he runs the Red... it's the City Planner's fault for creating a "rear-end collision" hazard if he tries to Stop.

As always, JMHO.

[zoyd]

Aside from the other problems with the red-light camera systems, the ones I have seen are, in a word, ugly.

It takes more hardware to catch the signal runners than it does to install the signals themselves. And more expensive (but they recoup that cost pretty quickly).

Wanna see the future? Go check out some red-light camera systems. The future is ugly.

[Roscoe]

I'm shocked that you agree with the shorter yellow lights.

You're startled by your own strawmen?

[Squantos]

http://www.specterguard.com/originalsg.htm

A guy got a photo radar 40 dollar ticket in the mail with a picture of his car running the light so he sent back a picture of 40 dollars.

Few days later he gets a letter from the court with a picture of some handcuffs.......:o)......he then went in and paid the fine in person .

Stay Safe and get one of the plate covers. they work very well.

[jmc813]

Exactly.

[nravoter]

To expect every light to change on you, means you are slowing to prevent ticketing. This creates a slowdown in traffic and another problem.

Another problem is the people who are so afraid of getting nailed by the camera that they slam on their brakes the instant the light goes to yellow, when they're already close to the white line and doing 30 or 40 mph, almost causing a pile-up.

Those cameras are a nuissance; I'm surprised some disgruntled citizen hasn't started plinking at them late at night.

[Lazamataz]

Personally, I won't be satisfied until they assign a police officer to ride in each and every car with you, issuing you citations as you ride along.

[Hatteras]

Hee, hee, heeeeee..... in time, my good man, in time. Of course, a human officer in every car would be too costly and a bit of an annoyance. But a machine... kinda like a black box?.....

Ooops, gotta run, I hear helicopters...

[m18436572]

Some in TN have a strobe moniter to detect fire engines and other emergency vehicles with a strobe light aimed in the general direction of the light. A particular freq. bumps the light into the next cycle. Not sure if the high beams will cut it though.

[Redwood71]

"The Yellow or amber phase is an indication that serves as a warning to the driver that the signal is about to change (change interval), and it should be long enough to allow cars that are GREATER than the stopping distance away from the intersection to come brake easily to a complete stop."


And the "given" to this is that it should be considered at the maximum allowable speed under slick conditions, but it isn't. I haven't seen a light up here yet that changes at this tempo. Creates only totally defensive actions at a location and that always creates a panic action in all the drivers that approach a light simultaneously. So, if one person slows and then stops quickly, the whole pack of autos is effected. One person in the group doesn't catch the quick stop, and there is a rear ender for numerous. All because the drivers were pre-acting to a situation that possible was never there.

[jimt]

Thats 51.33/(2.2)^2 = 10.6 feet/sec^2

The equation is not s=1/2at^2, it's v=at.

[Redwood71]

"Those cameras are a nuissance; I'm surprised some disgruntled citizen hasn't started plinking at them late at night."

One of the most "profitable" of these lights has been placed right outside the military base here. I have talked to, and received numerous nasty comments, about this one from the folks assigned to the base. Many have been ticketed and fined at this light. There are two major streets on each side of the base, east and west, that run large amounts of traffic and covers probably 10 miles of road on each one. There are schools, shopping centers, and housing on one of these streets, with businesses to include everything from bars and restaurants to massage parlors and hotels on the other. The traffic on either of these streets if safely five to one in comparison of the street that enters the base. There is not one light cameraed on the whole of each of these street for the entire distance. The traffic is representative of every type you could ask for and the only light cameraed in the area is right in front of the main gate of the base catching little more than out of state folks assigned there. You do the math: locals that pay a majority of the taxes and own the land versus transcient folks living on the base and the immediate area that most likely won't stay more than a couple of years. You tell me what the purpose of this light is. I think it is to generate funds while not pissing off the local voters and not to stop accidents. The locale is even more liberal than California. They don't plink it because it doesn't effect them except to cut their taxes. Even liberals understand a good "racket" when they see one.

[3Lean]

I don't think I should have to drive slower than the posted limit because some government employee put in a poorly designed stoplight (purposely or accidentally). The lights should allow sufficient yellow time for traffic travelling at the speed limit to safetly either stop or clear the intersection.

Maybe we should all drive lighter cars in case some engineer miscalculated and made the next bridge a little too weak to hold up our car?

[GregoryFul]

Yes, you are right - I realized shortly after I posted that I was mistaken, my F=mA got mixed up with d=1/2 at^2.

It seems unbelievable that the dept. of transportation would set up such a dangerous situation! I once stopped promptly as a green light had just turned yellow, then behind me heard a screech of brakes and a crash. It happened a few cars behind me.

I've since been checking the rear view mirror for tailgaters when approaching a changing light, and sail on through if the traffic behind could be in trouble if I stopped. I don't think that would deter my receipt of a camera shot violation - even though I think it is the prudent and safest thing to do.

[jimt]

It seems unbelievable that the dept. of transportation would set up such a dangerous situation! I once stopped promptly as a green light had just turned yellow, then behind me heard a screech of brakes and a crash. It happened a few cars behind me.

Red light running is common in Houston, and to my mind is largely caused by excessively short yellows. My unofficial timing of them says they run around 2 seconds, which is clearly inadequate.

I don't think it's being done for revenue (although Mayor Fudd has a special ticketing squad for that purpose), I think it's because the city bureacracy is ignorant.