flashing red light at intersection

[sixto]

What's the point of flashing red lights? If there's electricity for flashing the red lights, why not run on a 20-second cycle or something?

Usually it's just annoying but today there was flashing red at a 4 lanes from each of 4 directions intersection. I almost became the hood ornament on a 210... to the extent that you can hang an SDL on a 210 grille. Idiot sailed right through the flashing red. Then glared at me.

Sixto
95 S420
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

[anthonyb]

I believe the signal lights themselves have battery backups in case of a power grid failure, the flashing feature lets the lights run longer than if they were continuously on.

[bobbyv]

i believe that it is the centralized computer control that is disabled, and these lights are operating in "disconnected" mode.

if you run this on its own cycle, it would not be in sync with the other working lights.

having these lights flashing red is all directions is equivalent to a 4-way stop sign.

my $0.02 ...

Where I come from, the traffic lights are ON full-time.

They only flash red when there is a cable fault/breakdown.

When the fault is cleared, the traffic lights reset back to normal operating cycles.

In the US, for example, I believe the signals are flashed to reduce the waiting time at night, hence it acts like a 4-way stop sign.

In a bid to avoid idiots who sail thru' flashing intersections, the signals are left ON full-time.

My 2 cents...

[CJ]

Where I live there are cameras at most intersections. If you break a traffic law, you will be caught on camera and mailed a ticket.

[yal]

Here the lights flash red only in one direction. In the other direction it flashes orange. The cars facing the red have to treat it as a full stop and the cars facing the orange have to treat it as a caution.

Oh yeah, it's the same here.

For this reason, it flashes amber on the main road and red on the minor/small road at an intersection.

[sixto]

Originally posted by yal
Here the lights flash red only in one direction. In the other direction it flashes orange. The cars facing the red have to treat it as a full stop and the cars facing the orange have to treat it as a caution.

That's another stupidity. The folks with a flashing red don't necessarily know that cross traffic doesn't have a flashing red and worse might think that they do. Someone might proceed after a full stop expecting cross traffic to stop for a nonexistent flashing red.

I happen to know that there are intersections like that in San Francisco and drive accordingly. The first time my sister ventured into the city she figured the other direction had a flashing red as well and ended up getting her bumper clipped. The other guy sped off so she charged it to a hit and run.

I haven't read a driver handbook in many years. What does 'treat it as a caution' mean? No passing and keep your positions? Can you weave in your lane to keep your tires warm? Seriously, should I slow to under the limit but sail through the intersection anyway? Won't that just upset traffic in the other directions?

Sixto
95 S420
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

[yal]

Originally posted by sixto
That's another stupidity. The folks with a flashing red don't necessarily know that cross traffic doesn't have a flashing red and worse might think that they do. Someone might proceed after a full stop expecting cross traffic to stop for a nonexistent flashing red.

I happen to know that there are intersections like that in San Francisco and drive accordingly. The first time my sister ventured into the city she figured the other direction had a flashing red as well and ended up getting her bumper clipped. The other guy sped off so she charged it to a hit and run.

I haven't read a driver handbook in many years. What does 'treat it as a caution' mean? No passing and keep your positions? Can you weave in your lane to keep your tires warm? Seriously, should I slow to under the limit but sail through the intersection anyway? Won't that just upset traffic in the other directions?

Sixto
95 S420
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

I just take extra care when I approach this type of intersection, just like most people don't know the left lane is the passing lane only, likewise not many people know about this light rule. The people with the red flashing light have to come to a full stop, if they don't they are breaking the law! The orange flashing light is a caution that there is a cross street ahead and to slow down. Orange flashing light is not a license to go charging through the intersection like it isn't there.


I found the following description on my states transportation website:-

Flashing lights

Flashing red (stop signal)
When a red light is flashing, vehicles must stop before proceeding. A flashing red signal acts in much the same way as a stop sign.

Flashing yellow (caution signal)
When a yellow light is flashing, vehicles may proceed through the intersection cautiously.