Traffic Lights & Big Trucks

lunachic

BITE ME !
Was reading NewYorkers post. and started to think about it.
How many of you have had to run a light?
For a car yellow to red is with in reason.
But not for a tractor trailer. Even if the truck is running below speed limit.
Yellow caution should be extened.........................
And red should hold alittle longer to give time befor turning green.
Sometime's for safety reasons as per car following to close merging in on you ect. And basic can't stop on a dime should be taken into consideration.
My 2 1/2 cents worth..........................
 
This is a pretty big problem in some places, particularly areas where you are on a downhill grade. I cross a light every night in Fordyce, Arkansas where I have learned to look for oncoming traffic and have learned the tendencies of that light. If I see a car approaching from either side, I immediately drop a gear and start braking down from 50 to 40, so I know I can stop on time. If I don't, and wait for the light, I won't be able to stop before I am in the intersection.

What makes it worse is that the police station sits on one side of the street and it is often a cop that is triggering the light to change, LOL.

Most places though, I don't have an issue with lights. I generally stay well below the speed limit when going through a series of multiple lights.

It is the highways, where you are running 55-65 mph and get surprised by a light that cause the problems for me. Many lights like this around Montgomery Alabama.
 
State of Mind...

Unless I actually see a light turn green, I assume it is about to go yellow. I know some of my fellow motorist think I'm an idiot for slowing down for a stale green light, but, it keeps me out of harms way.

Like Moose said, watch for vehicles approaching the intersection that will "trigger" the change. After enough time behind the wheel a driver develops an instinct about what light are gonna' do.

Sometimes, I'll run 301 through Maryland and Virginia to avoid the clogged interstates around Baltimore and DC. There are a slew of lights to deal with on that route. They also have red light cameras, and, I swear, the yellows are little more than a flash before the red appears. You don't suppose they set them up that way, say, as a method of revenue enhancement.
 
We have both lights on a timer and triggered lights. Some stay yellow longer others change quick, some have a delay before others get the green. NYC has the smartest set up. All n/b and s/b lights turn at the same time and east and west turn at the same time and a yellow long enough to clear to the next block. The ticket I got was in White Plains and BS, first this light was off for years because the side road was closed. And it's downhill at the end of exit ramp with all kinds of major construction crap everywhere. 20 feet before the light is a overpass that at the top of the ramp your even with that overpass but as you go down the hill that overpass is hiding the light. So you can't even see theres a light there till you exit on the other side of the overpass which you now have 20 feet to stop. But as I was @ that point I saw the cars sitting there and thought Huh when did open that back up? then thought light! looked up and it turn red as I was under the light. Then looked in my mirror as I always do when I break the law, a saw the cop jump the curb from behind that overpass and then watched those cars stop because he ran a full blown red to come get me. I told him my story and said I knew I never woulda stopped in time. He didn't care so he added 8 more tickets cause he didn't like my trailer tires either.
 
Ive had to run a few, thank god i didnt get pulled. and NC is a little bit more cool about this than other states when you explain its far more dangerous to stop than to run it.
 

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