Traffic lights with four colors and a new white light are coming, and they will change the way we drive forever

TonyR

TonyR

IPCT Contributor
IPCT+ Member
Jul 15, 2014
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I spent over 31 years designing, installing and maintaining traffic signals in 2 states and can honestly say too many people could not understand or obey the colors, shapes and types then so I don't know why these brain surgeon traffic engineers think people will do any better by adding another color and aspect to the mix....I dun thin so, Lucy! :facepalm: :screwy:

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It's official—traffic lights with four colors and a new white light are coming, and they will change the way we drive forever

What are the colors of a traffic light? Red, yellow, and green, right? We all know that red means stop, with yellow we slow down, and when it’s green we can
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TonyR said:
I spent over 31 years designing, installing and maintaining traffic signals in 2 states and can honestly say too many people could not understand or obey the colors, shapes and types then so I don't know why these brain surgeon traffic engineers think people will do any better by adding another color and aspect to the mix....I dun thin so, Lucy! :facepalm: :screwy:

View attachment 230320

unionrayo.com

It's official—traffic lights with four colors and a new white light are coming, and they will change the way we drive forever

What are the colors of a traffic light? Red, yellow, and green, right? We all know that red means stop, with yellow we slow down, and when it’s green we can
unionrayo.com unionrayo.com
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This will be a huge cluster fork. :)
Heck, I mean, the autonomous cars are doing such a good job as it is, right?
Engineers are such bastions of common sense......not.
 
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The lights are already confusing as heck. Some intersections have left turn green arrows, others have "protected" left turns on green with no arrow. A driver who doesn't know the green is protected sits there when he should go. After being taught he should make the left turn on green he comes up to an uprotected green and causes either an almost or real accident. Some protected green intersections have a "protected left turn" sign, others don't. Then they introduced the flashing yellow left arrow, which means the same thing as an unprotected green. So there are at least 4 systems for controlling left turns and you have to figure out which one is in use at every intersection. Is it the same everywhere, or is it another blue state feature?

As soon as the article said "yellow we slow down", I quit taking it seriously.
 
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tigerwillow1 said:
The lights are already confusing as heck. Some intersections have left turn green arrows, others have "protected" left turns on green with no arrow. A driver who doesn't know the green is protected sits there when he should go. After being taught he should make the left turn on green he comes up to an uprotected green and causes either an almost or real accident. Some protected green intersections have a "protected left turn" sign, others don't. Then they introduced the flashing yellow left arrow, which means the same thing as an unprotected green. So there are at least 4 systems for controlling left turns and you have to figure out which one is in use at every intersection. Is it the same everywhere, or is it another blue state feature?

As soon as the article said "yellow we slow down", I quit taking it seriously.
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That is what happens when traffic engineers don't read and comply with the MUTCD (Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices). It clearly states how protected and permissive turns are to be signalized. The intent of the publication is so, as the name implies, the signals will be applied "uniformly" and be the same in CA as they are in NJ and the other 48 so that a motorist familiar with one state will be compliant as they drive across the U.S. But there are as many uncaring and incompetent engineers as there are technicians, garbage collectors, police and school teachers......ALL professions have people that need a slap on the back of the head like the kind NCIS' Leroy Jethro Gibbs would give when they would do stupid stuff....or NOT do their job. :cool:
 
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bp2008 said:
Well @TonyR are you going to change your profile pic to add a white light on bottom?
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No sir, not me. Matter of fact, when there are so many human driverless cars out there that they need new signals I'll be walking....but most likely at pushing 77 now I'll also be pushing up daisies by then. :lol:
 
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I can't see this making any difference for me. I only use two of the colors now, the green and the yellow, the latter being nothing more than a faster shade of the green. :cool:

edit: Come to think of it, I hope the autonomous cars controlling traffic will only be those that have had all of their driving bugs fixed.
 
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TonyR said:
(Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices)
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Wow, 1,161 pages, and I couldn't find any standard for the rainbow crosswalk. :idk:

Another rant of mine is roundabouts, especially the 2-lane type. Oregon has roundabout fever, and being such a progressive state it seems to me they don't consider the "green" aspect of every single car having to slow down and speed back up, throwing more brake dust and carbon into the atmosphere and lowering fuel economy. In a 4 mile stretch near my house there are four 2-lane roundabouts. The entry to each one has signs showing what lane you need to be in to go straight or turn a certain direction, and no two of them have identical rules.
 
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