I remember when I was a kid growing up in Virginia that we were in Columbia. Md and I saw a sideways traffic light for the first.time. Juvenile mind blown. Anyway, I was up in Wisconsin and noticed that a lot io intersections had flashing yellow arrows for left turn lanes -- I guess they went from solid red to flashing yellow and back to solid red. No such thing in Florida. Our latest here is separate lights off to the side where lights are hidden around curves, rather than "traffic ligjt ahead" signs. Started popping up a couple years ago. I know some European countries have lights that go green, yellow, red, yellow-and-red, and back to green. Love that -- rev up and get ready! What other regional oddities are out there?
We have the yellow yield turn signal light before the green left turn arrow. I have seen the countdown to green in the straight lane with audio in several countries. I have also seen the countdown in the pedestrian crosswalks.
In Barberton Ohio in the town they had traffic lights that were just green then red. The light would go from green to both being red and green then would just turn red. That was back in the day when your 61 Chevy went 25 mph instead of todays 40+ mph on our city streets. Do you think you are safer today then back 50 years ago when cars would not go as fast and no seat belts.
In NY, they shorten up the yellows when there are traffic cameras at those intersections. That the only variation here
This is the way the traffic lights were in Moscow, Russia when I was over there in 2001. One thing you didn't do over there was run a red light, you would get hit! As soon as a light turns green, the people go! You better not be in the intersection!
I've lived in Merryland most of my life. I had never given the sideways light thing a single thought until a buddy and I went golfing. Come to find out this guy is colorblind and the sideways lights were posing a real challenge to his driving. He was used to seeing the lights go from Green at the bottom, to yellow in the middle, and red at the top. Sideways really messed him up! I don't see too many of the sideways lights much anymore. They were probably in a county with a sign ordinance with a limit on how high a lighted sign could be. Common sense may have finally and singularly prevailed.....
On Pine Ridge Rd in Naples FL their are several intersections with the flashing yellow left turn arrows. I think that it's a good idea. There is no reason to sit looking at a red left turn arrow when their is nobody coming the opposite way. In Medway MA there is a light on Rt 126 at a point where 126 turns sharp left to head to Holliston; if you go straight you are no longer on 126. They tried all sorts of signs but people would still go straight and get totally lost when they finally found that they were on Rt 109 in Millis. The state finally installed a light that has only yellow over yellow that are on a "flip flop" circuit. 24/7/365 those lights just alternate from top to bottom to top. This gets the attention of all but the stupidest drivers who then see the 126 sign with an arrow pointing left. Incidentally, this is one of few traffic signals that has not been converted to LEDs. The incandescents that they use last literally forever.
You'll be pleased to know that some intersections in Virginia have the flashing yellow for left turn arrows too. The latest thing they spend money on are the "limited sight" lights - you can't see them from the side so your 60' times suck. But really, the side street with the red can't see the change to yellow to red for the cross street so they can't get a jump on their green. And, many intersections have a delay for the green to make sure the yellow (and red) light runners get through the intersection before you get your green. No traffic light cameras in Virginia either.
We have the flashing yellow arrows here too. We can also make right turns on red at most intersections. Maybe semaphores will become obsolete as they continue to change intersections to roundabouts.
Yeah, love them almost as much as I love the aforementioned roundabouts, which we could use more of most everywhere. Just no stupid "traffic circles" like they have in D.C., which I remeber being a total mess.
The whole roundabout thing up here confuses people more than anything, especially perps' that are on the run from the LEO's. MANY are on cameras going airborne. The yield signs may just as well be in Latin or Polish. I think a few governors ago appointed a traffic and roadway commissioner who in turn hired his nephew who studied traffic control in college, and HIS uncle who has a roadway construction firm to build roundabouts. The traffic up here does not warrant more than a 4 way stop. Whats with a million dollar (each!!) R-A-Bs when 4 signs would do it? I smell a bad case of mendacity... and graft! These also cause strategic problems with one of the few manufacturers left up here which is wind towers. These guys are 100 feet long with a driver steering rear tandems on the trailers (like an old hook and ladder) and still cant begin to negotiate the turns. Then in the city on/off ramps there may be a series of 3 R-A-B's on each side of the E-way. A well cloistered "F" up for sure! Its a real CIRCUS... ws
Actually, the flashing left turn arrows which are showing up for left turns are largely being pushed to help reduce traffic congestion and pollution when/where possible by allowing traffic to keep moving and not have to wait exclusively for a green arrwo (waiting the entire cycle) and have a visual warning (blinking light) to try to repeately warn of the necessity to yield and proceed with caution.
We have stop lights to get on freeways here in CA. They go red green. But if you drive in the diamond lane no light. I always ignore these if possible. I take the open lane and ignore light. In the Philippines there arecno traffic lights. And the shoulder gets used for a short cut for in the oposite direction.
I don't think it is used anywhere, it is a concept as far as i know. I like the idea, knowing exactly how much green (or red) is left before changing colors. Probably never happen, as some people would be too confused at first.
