A traffic light-less system?

[Shay HTFC]

I just watched some Newsnight and there was a bloke looking at actual effect of traffic lights on our streets.

The claim was made that the removal of traffic lights would actually make junctions work more efficiently.

https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/7187165.stm

That's the link to the article.
The video report was actually really interesting and looked at what happens when traffic lights break down. The traffic continued, but in a more courteous manner with road users letting others out etc.
They also looked at a junction in Sweden where there was no real road even to speak of and traffic seemed to get on fine.

Do you guys reckon a traffic light free system would work?


I'm sure tomorrow there will be a link on the BBC website to the video report... Its a good watch

[Walloper]

No.

In Africa (Blatant generalisation) the lights fail on a regular basis which invariably leads to utter fcuking KAYOSS and accidents.

It would work for some junctions, in the civilized world, which have equal traffic from all directions but I'd be one of the those jammed in the side street that no bastart lets any other bastart out of....
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[Paivi]

It does seem to work in Central London, the traffic does flow more smoothly and courteously when the lights are out. Sadly, too often the pretend coppers are sent out and they're obviously told to let all the buses through, no matter where they come from, so they all clog up the junctions...
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[hellkat]

The US four-way junction thing works quite well, but then, I've only ever seen them out in the wilds of Nebraska and Texas, where there's not a heck of a lot of traffic, anyway.



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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[craigie b]

In Penang, and for the most part Malaysia, the traffic is far more 'organic'. They use the UK highway code, but really they use it more like a book of suggestions.

Like a give way is merely suggesting you give way. Right of way is giving to traffic wishing to cut in front of you. In fact, oncomng traffic often consider it rude if you do not cut them up.

Undertaking is common and indicators merely point to the fact that the drivers indicators actually work. Motor bike drivers are seemingly invincible and most speeding incidents can be easily resolved at road side with a 50 Ringgitt note wedged firmly in your passport when you hand it to the considerate officer.

Given this seemingly chaotic system I must admit that it does make you a far more alert driver. It also makes you less prone to road rage, since after a while you begin to think "fair play, I would have done the same if I were in your shoes".

In the UK the roads are so well regulated that I think they may actually make drivers worse, as the tendency is to switch off mentally and simply follow the signs and rules. Remove some of this and you would probably find drivers were forced to be more alert.

Of course I am basing this on nothing more than my own speculation.

[Walloper]

[Pie-Roe]

Blind junctions

Nuff said

Pyro
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[stinkwheel]

The lights went down on the big roundabout in the centre of Carlisle after the floods a few years ago.

It quickly became apparent that traffic had never flowed as smoothly. Someone must have been paying attention because they now only use them for a couple of hours a day when it gets really busy.

Of course, you are forgetting one reason why the powers that be like traffic lights. I thought it was a fairly open secret that the traffic lights in london were deliberately off-synched to cause maximum traffic chaos before the congestion charging came in and were returned to optimal settings after so people thought "Oh, what a great idea this was.".

In fact, I often get the impression that there is a degree of malignancy in the synchronisation of traffric lights in town centres. Especially Edinburgh as it happens. It has long been known that Edinburgh council would rather nobody took cars into the town at all. Instead of making public transport highly efficient and convenient, they have tried to achieve this by making it as difficult as possible to drive your car. Road rage (and stinkwheel riding his motorbike between bollards or West along princes street) ensues.
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[trevoriv]

No traffic lights in the small towns in southern spain, its all roundabouts. Sorted.
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[m0l0t0v]

In High Wycombe they have removed several mini roundabouts and changed them to traffic lights and junctions.

Now there's a lot more congestion, more accidents (including mine) a lot of starting and stopping and hugely unnecessary queues that never occurred before. They are adding traffic lights everywhere and it's making things worse tbh. People seem to jump more red lights, never saw anything like that until these traffic lights were added. People seem to rush a lot more now and race to the next set of traffic lights.

Where I had my accident it used to be a mini roundabout with 3 exits in total (including the way you are coming). Now, when I commute to college I almost always never ever had to stop to actually get across. Now I stop every time (I seriously haven't gone through ONCE since the addition of this abomination) and I find myself waiting there for a couple of minute, until the next set of lights literally 20 yards along, then another set of lights 30 yards a long. The addition of the lights have actually caused a lot more accidents and that was from one of the police officers. I told them it's ridiculous how they've changed it and my accident jut proofs what they have caused! He told me that Since the addition of these traffic lights and removing a perfectly safe and working fine mini roundabout there's been a lot more accidents!

I've seen people "skip" red lights but only because it's all so confusing and there's so many traffic light in front of one another that you're looking at the traffic lights ahead and they turn amber to Green and you go, but that's actually for the traffic lights ahead which are only 1--20 yards away. Seen a few people do this a few times and I end up waiting a couple of minutes until the traffic lights we are at finally turn green.

It's a gimmick.

There's also another set of traffic lights that usually work ok but if you're going from High Wycombe to Princes Risborough/West Wycombe then there will usually be a red lights, while there is a green light for cars turning right into a junction. The red light actually stops vehicles for no reason whatsoever. It is random and doesn't always do this. There are no cars going that way so I don't see the point at all?

I'm fed up of the road planners adding traffic lights everywhere. It makes commuting so much slower and more dangerous.


It just really depends where the traffic lights are. Some areas need them but I find that most, don't need them at all and just create a big fuzz, congestion, accidents, confusion and a lot of stop-starting.
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[kitty kat]

try watching this video, Babyyam's OH, John, showed me this on New Year's eve

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WU8hilbN9Y
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[D O G]

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[Shay HTFC]

What they said on the programme was that people don't like it when they are told to do something that doesn't make sense.

So waiting at traffic lights doesn't make sense when there is no-one else there or if you've been there for ages.

With the traffic light less system, it turns into a turn based order. Each car goes in turn almost as they slot into the gap. You'll see that on the India video. After a while the pressure builds and then a gap in the flow is made for a bit.
That India video actually looks awesome!

What they should do is trial it in a random town for a full week and see what the effect is.

[ncrn]

[killa]

The talk of my town is the horrendous roundabout that been built just outside of the centre of Cheltenham.

Seriously, try and find a picture of it.

The roundabout before I swear had no lights, no accidents, maybe just a couple when you approach. They have resurfaced and redesigned the roundabout due to expansion of businesses around it.

The roundabout now has lights before the lights, then the lights at the exits, then lights in the middle of the roundabout as you go around it. This roundabout isn’t large, which is what I thought traffic signals were used for in this instance.
One cyclist has died, possibly due to people not knowing which of the three lanes to filter into, as when you approach it there are two lanes, then three (unmarked) which then are marked half the way round. Meaning people shoot into lanes last minute.

There is a letter about this almost every week. Nothing done.
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[JonB]

I absolutely HATE roundabouts which have traffic lights installed. Completely negates the logic of having a roundabout in the first place.
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[truslack]

The lights that only work when they sense a vehicle through the things in the floor need replacing. I don't know what it's like on a bigger bike, but neither the RS or the Senda are "sensed" as being there, so you have to either run the light, or wait for a car to pull up behind you. The second option isn't much fun at 5am in the morning on an empty road.
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[Dalemac]

[SpicyBlimp]

Skelmersdale, Lancashire

No traffic lights here at all, never any traffic problems, and rarely any accidents

home to the largest roundabout in europe

shame it's an 80's prefab shit hole

[Itchy]

[JonB]

[Shay HTFC]

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[m0l0t0v]