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Re: traffic lights



jekaitis@ix.netcom.com (Joe Ekaitis ) wrote:

>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.


Have you driven through Santa Monica, California lately? I don't know
if the lights are sensor controlled, but from my experience it's
almost impossible to drive more than one block at a time without
hitting a red light. 

> /\/\
>/(..)\




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