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Re: traffic lights



In <Pine.SOL.3.91.951021045444.13069F-100000@osiris> Lord Kittenslayer
<nbassett@osiris> writes: 
>
>On 20 Oct 1995, Pete Babic wrote:
>
>> I like the way the traffic lights are set up in Germany. If you're
waiting for
>> a red light the yellow light comes on before the light changes to
green. This
>> tells you to shift into first and get ready to go. I wish they would
do this
>> in the U.S. It's a simple thing, but very useful.
>
>Other European countries have even better traffic light systems than
Germany:
>For example, in Austria a light will flash green before turning yellow

>and then red.  This way you are never faced with the immediate
decision 
>of either slamming on the brakes or running a light.
>


I don't think there's any hope of the U.S.A., or at least California,
installing traffic signals that will help the driver at all.

You can no longer "hit all the greens" in California by driving at or
near the speed limit because fixed-interval traffic signals are a thing
of the past.  All of the traffic signals in California are
traffic-activated, that is, sensors in the pavement send traffic flow
information to the signals' control unit, supposedly so that the
approaching vehicle can get a green light sooner and traffic flow would
be much smoother, with fewer unnecessary stops.

Unfortunately, this would result in less fuel consumption and longer
lasting vehicles overall, since drivers wouldn't have to come to a stop
and go through the gears all over again.  So, traffic signals in
California are programmed to keep as many cars at a standstill as
possible, forcing them to accelerate from a standing stop much more
frequently than in the past, resulting in greater fuel consumption and
more wear and tear on individual vehicles.  Even at intersections where
a 6-lane boulevard crosses a 2-lane side street, the signals will halt
traffic on the heavily-travelled boulevard when the greatest number of
vehicles can be trapped behind a red light, rather than waiting for a
break in the traffic to activate the side street's green light.

I hate to resort to the "C" word, but I wouldn't be surprised if the
signals were programmed with the help of the oil and auto industry.

 /\/\
/(..)\


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