About Speeding Through A Green Light

[Inconnu]

Just don't speed, or do your best not to. I know the QE11 is a pain because you have to deal with traffic going 3 to 5km/h below the speed limit as well as the BULK of the travellers doing 20+km/h over the speed limit. I find myself always fighting to maintain the speed limit and staying in the right lane.

Speed is a proven killer, speed and texting? Speed and crosswords? Speed and reading books? Speed and filing papers (yep on the Yellowhead no less.)

How about the "Caution Baby On Board" signs in the windows of the cars blasting past me??? If you are speeding you are in danger and you become dangerous to others.

[rehsifylf]

I see this as another tax.

 

I've never seen nor have I heard of an accident at an intersection caused by a car speeding through a yellow turning to red. I've heard of people running reds (In the middle of the red) because they were distracted, but the only time I've seen an accident is when someone slams on their breaks when the light turns yellow and the guy behind them ran into them (of course the guy behind is at fault - but isn't the goal to reduce accidents, not ensure that proper blame can be assigned?). My expectation is that this will cause more rear enders in the first few months than it will ever prevent. This will be especially true for drivers from other cities, who won't be expecting the guy in front to stop.

 

Until I see evidence to the contrary, as far as I'm concerned, this ranks right up there with the speed traps at the "Construction Zones" at new bridges like the one that used to be on McKinght at 36th. No construction had been done for about 9 months and the road was three lanes wide on each side and fully open, yet the speed limit was still 50. I used to sit in my office and watch the cops nail one car after another, day in and day out. Were they making this streets safe? I don't think so. I bet they helped pay for the bridge, though.

 

Next time you're out and you go through a yellow (at normal speed) have a look in your rear view mirror and see how far you get before traffic starts going through the intersection on the green.

 

One other thing - someone brought up the "Baby on Board" signs. I always wondered what the purpose of those was. Is that so that when I am about to crash into their car, I see the sign and decide not to?

[Guest rickleblanc]

Do any of you guys remember when speed limit signs had a separate night-time limit, usually ten less?

rehsifylf, a few years ago I saw exactly the accident you never have. An SUV was in the intersection, waiting to turn left, light turned yellow, oncoming car started to slow down, changed her mind and hit the gas. But she slowed just enough to convince the turning SUV that she was clear to go. It was pretty bad. There were children in both vehicles, lots of blood and injuries, and the end result of trying to beat a yellow? A four foot casket. I've been trained as an EMR, so I helped out.

I think what bothers me the most, here in Edmonton, four times this year, I've been at an intersection with a cop beside me when someone either sped through the yellow or fully blew the red.

The cops just sat there. Must've been donut time.

 

Rick

[rehsifylf]

Do any of you guys remember when speed limit signs had a separate night-time limit, usually ten less?

rehsifylf, a few years ago I saw exactly the accident you never have. An SUV was in the intersection, waiting to turn left, light turned yellow, oncoming car started to slow down, changed her mind and hit the gas. But she slowed just enough to convince the turning SUV that she was clear to go. It was pretty bad. There were children in both vehicles, lots of blood and injuries, and the end result of trying to beat a yellow? A four foot casket. I've been trained as an EMR, so I helped out.

I think what bothers me the most, here in Edmonton, four times this year, I've been at an intersection with a cop beside me when someone either sped through the yellow or fully blew the red.

The cops just sat there. Must've been donut time.

 

Rick

 

With respect -I would argue that accident was not about beating a yellow light. Cars turning left in front of oncoming traffic is a common accident - mkost often when the light is green. In this case the person turning would be found at fault for failing to yield to oncoming traffic. If a drunk person is driving through a green light and someone comes through the red and crashes into them - did the drunk driver cause the accident? Accidents happen and if I thought this would prevent more than it causes, I'd be for it. The best way to protect drivers is to have them drive defensively. Never assume the other driver won't make a mistake or do somehitng stupid.

 

Let's say that the cameras do work (and I suspect they'll work about as well as Photo radar has reduced speeding on the Deerfoot). Time goes by and people start to notice that when the light goes yellow almost all cars stop, so they proceed to turn left before they are sure the car has stopped. After awhile, instead of ensuring that the oncoming traffic has stopped, people just assume they will stop. Works great until one day you're turning left and the driver coming the other way is from another province and decides to beat the yellow.

[headscan]

Red-light cameras significantly increase crashes