- This topic has 74 replies, 38 voices, and was last updated 6 years ago by molgrips.
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I applaud 'amber gamblers'
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v8ninetyFull Member
No really, I do. With the caveats that a) they follow the car in front (not too) closely, and b) they don’t use excessive speed. Seriously; the are actually increasing the efficiency of the (usually poorly designed and implemented) traffic controlled junction and I bet that they are actually driving more alertly than billy facebooker that we’ve all sat behind who doesn’t even notice that the light has gone green.
I know it’s rule breaking, but as far as rule breaking goes, breaking rules to make the world move a tiny bit more smoothly for everyone is okay by me. (Note; I’m specially talking about AMBER gambling; following through on red and thus potentially delaying others who have a green is not cricket)
Also; if a car sneaks through a red light at two in the morning on a deserted road, having looked really carefully all ways, is there really any harm? Bet it happens loads.
yourguitarheroFree MemberI was amused yesterday. Guy a few cars back in a land rover defender beeping his horn and gesticulating at someone who was blocking their way in a hatched yellow box – fair enough.
However, the blocker didn’t have anywhere to go and the land rover had pulled right across the yellow box and ended up blocking all the traffic coming towards him from my direction.A spiral of stupidity.
FuzzyWuzzyFull MemberI hope there’s a special place in hell reserved for yellow box squatters, trying to get out of the business park where I work is a nightmare as you’re lucky if one car can get out sometimes due to idiots on the main road stopping on the yellow box. I sometimes wish I had a box of eggs with me or something to throw…
Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition
Latest Singletrack VideosFresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...kayla1Free MemberYes. Red lights at 2 in the morning on a ridiculous Traffic Light Controlled Roundabaout For The Stupid (just off the A19 at Caterpillar) might happen around here as well.
squirrelkingFree MemberI’m more for ignoring reds on timed sequences where you can see there is no oncoming traffic (especially short roadworks). Outside certain hours all lights should just be set to flashing amber (proceed with caution), one of the few things they do right in the states.
CougarFull MemberEight pages.
Outside certain hours all lights should just be set to flashing amber (proceed with caution)
I’ve thought this for years.
13thfloormonkFull MemberI know it’s rule breaking
Interested in this comment, I’ve had a run recently of lights turning amber when I reckon I’m close enough to justify going through (i.e. would have to brake sharply otherwise).
Highway code *seems* to agree with this, although I guess with no-one behind me there is no reason NOT to brake sharply as there is no risk of a collision…
“175
You must stop behind the white ‘Stop’ line across your side of the road unless the light is green. If the amber light appears you may go on only if you have already crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to stop might cause a collision.
Laws RTO 1995 Art 50 & TSR regs 8 & 33″
NicoFree MemberI’m all in favour of small non-motorised vehicles that take up minimal space going through a red light if it is safe to do so. Bit controversial?
scuttlerFull MemberAmber gambler – the term previously used for those of a selfish or risk tolerant nature, now the new normal and even (as per OP) inadvertently pushing efficiency.
Which means those of a selfish or risk tolerant nature go steaming through on red. Now where are all those red light cameras? No wonder I don’t take green lights for granted any more.
P-JayFree MemberAmber? I’ve been known to say “reds don’t count until the bulb is warm”.
GrahamSFull MemberI know it’s rule breaking, but as far as rule breaking goes, breaking rules to make the world move a tiny bit more smoothly for everyone is okay by me.
By “rule breaking” you mean “illegal”? Amber Gambling is exactly the same offence as going through a red light.
Not that it seems to stop most people (who then also whine on about cyclists going through red).
molgripsFree MemberJesus.
You think the traffic signals should have a bit of a longer green cycle, then? But that means the red cycle on the other roads would have to be longer. So let’s make their green cycle longer to compensate? Or do you only want longer green in the direction you’re going?
This has to be a troll, doens’t it?
rocketmanFree MemberDrive through Wolverhampton – all lights/signs are purely advisory
Amber means sweet fa
RockhopperFree MemberWhen I first started driving there was always a pause of a few seconds before the other lights went green. This appears to have gone now so as soon as one set goes to red the other goes green making amber gambling much more dangerous.
GrahamSFull MemberHighway code *seems* to agree with this
Always good to check the legislation for a bit more clarity:
TSRGD 2002 Sect 36(e):
“the amber signal shall, when shown alone, convey the same prohibition as the red signal, except that, as respects any vehicle which is so close to the stop line that it cannot safely be stopped without proceeding beyond the stop line, it shall convey the same indication as the green signal or green arrow signal which was shown immediately before it”Though it might as well say “the amber signal means put your foot down so it’s not too red by the time you get to it” 😕
km79Free MemberI remember going through an amber light on my driving test. I’m sure I was going to get a fail for it but I successfully argued that the guy behind me was so close I thought stopping would result in him crashing into the back of me.
CougarFull MemberWhen I first started driving there was always a pause of a few seconds before the other lights went green. This appears to have gone now so as soon as one set goes to red the other goes green making amber gambling much more dangerous.
It varies IME. The zero-delay ones seem to be particularly common / unique to motorway roundabouts.
v8ninetyFull MemberLOTS of junctions still have a big ol’ delay when EVERYONE is on red/red-amber, IME.
v8ninetyFull MemberThis has to be a troll, doens’t it?
😆 Nope just (maybe a little too) honest. I’m aware it may provoke strong reactions; but, THIS IS
SPAAARTTAAASINGLETRACKWORLD!!!GrahamSFull MemberThe problem, besides being illegal, is that they are not “actually increasing the efficiency of the (usually poorly designed and implemented) traffic controlled junction” because the cars waiting at the other lights are delayed on green while waiting for the amber gamblers to get through or while making sure the approaching traffic is actually going to obey the lights.
richmtbFull MemberDon’t really have any objections to cyclist moving off ahead of the red to give themselves a bit more time and space either, especially if they are turning right.
My pet hate is people ignoring a road layout designed to improve traffic flow because they don’t understand what this means
Everyone queues in a single lane instead and blocks the junction behind the slip road. If you use the other lane you get flashed / beeped for “cheating”
scuttlerFull MemberThey even put a picture in for those needing additional guidance. About time the minimum standards were reviewed with an emphasis on stubbornness, selfishness and stupidity.
teaselFree MemberNo wonder I don’t take green lights for granted any more
I’m sure it’s a quote of someone/something but what runs through my head is
“Red lights don’t physically stop a vehicle.”
‘s too
easydangerous to assume it’s safe…aracerFree MemberOn a very similar theme to that, my current pet hate is the refusal of drivers to use the right hand lane at this junction:
https://goo.gl/maps/hP6DhEhqVuwThe majority of times I drive that bit of road the traffic is queuing well back down that road (quite often you sit in slow moving traffic for over a mile from the previous junction), yet hardly anybody uses the right lane there. It is a 2 lane exit from the roundabout onto a DC straight ahead, so using both lanes is the expected behaviour and would make traffic flow much better – I’m not sure if people think they’re queue jumping by doing so when everybody in front is queuing to use the left lane (I always use the right lane).
I reckon a sign saying “use both lanes for M5” (which is where most traffic is going, and those not going there would understand the meaning) would help a lot.
jointhedotzFree MemberDon’t really have any objections to cyclist moving off ahead of the red to give themselves a bit more time and space either, especially if they are turning right.
My pet hate is people ignoring a road layout designed to improve traffic flow because they don’t understand what this means
Everyone queues in a single lane instead and blocks the junction behind the slip road. If you use the other lane you get flashed / beeped for “cheating”
POSTED 17 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST
Merge in turn is a personal hate of mine. Yes, people in the right hand lane can merge…..but at the correct point and after space has been created for them. My crappy zafira will cost far less to fix than your shiny audi if you try and force your way in…..
northernmattFull MemberIrrelevant to the traffic light thing but along with aracer I have current pet peeve.
This little bit of the A1 is 3 lanes for half a mile. The left lane starts with traffic joining from the A1231 and ends when it goes onto the roundabout for the A167. The thing that really annoys me is the people that insist on moving into the middle lane in the first 20cm rather than just driving down the left lane and finding a gap to slot into. They inevitably slow down then the traffic backs up to the roundabout and even further.
Me, I keep left and drive past everyone then slot into a gap much further down.
jointhedotzFree MemberIt’s a tricky one that as the left lane then peels off for gateshead etc, leave it too late and cars are moving into the left lane to pull off.
amediasFree MemberThe delay between changes is really necessary on some junctions due to the length of time it takes slower moving vehicles (bikes mostly) to clear the junction.
There’s one particularly aggressively timed one near me that I can cruise through on green on my bike doing a perfectly reasonable speed, and sometimes I only just get across the junction before it’s changing for the other directions (side roads) and the revving starts from cars about to launch like it’s an F1 start and t-bone me. Slower riders could well still be half way across the junction when it’s gone green for the other directions.
northernmattFull MemberIt’s a tricky one that as the left lane then peels off for gateshead etc, leave it too late and cars are moving into the left lane to pull off.
Yeah but even if you get hung out to dry in the left lane you can always go across the roundabout at the bottom and back up the next slip road. You get extra **** points if you do this in a white BMW/Audi and arrive at the end of the slip road at warp speed.
v8ninetyFull MemberThe problem, besides being illegal, is that they are not “actually increasing the efficiency of the (usually poorly designed and implemented) traffic controlled junction” because the cars waiting at the other lights are delayed on green while waiting for the amber gamblers to get through or while making sure the approaching traffic is actually going to obey the lights.
GrahamS, if this were true in my experience, I would completely agree (and I should add another caveat to my OP that it would be unacceptable at the mythical ‘zero wait’ traffic controlled junction), however, my experience is almost always of a large delay between every change of phase, which is greater than can be accounted for by lackadaisical red light waiters.
jointhedotzFree MemberYeah but even if you get hung out to dry in the left lane you can always go across the roundabout at the bottom and back up the next slip road. You get extra **** points if you do this in a white BMW/Audi and arrive at the end of the slip road at warp speed.
That’s probably quicker than joining the A1 at that point half the time lol. I’m usually hitting that junction after joining the A1 at ch-le-st so stay in the right lane usually, avoid the chaos.
GrahamSFull MemberWell I can only speak from experience, but I can certainly think of a big light-controlled roundabout on my commute where I regularly see amber/red jumping and I hesitate to pull away on green until I see the other traffic at least slow down.
Funnily enough I used to cycle that route and regularly saw cars barrelling through the adjacent toucan crossing while the green man/bike was showing. So maybe it’s just the locals round there.
sirromjFull MemberWhy do some traffic lights make you wait for pedestrians to cross even when there are no pedestrians to press the buttons?
At the same lights the right turners go with the straight-overers in both directions, which means when turning right having to wait until 3 seconds before the lights turn red before making the turn. If there’s a queue of cars then expect this to last at least 2 light sequences. No risk taking ever occurs here of course.
Quite annoying. It’s that or mowing down sun worshippers along the sea front.
nickewenFree MemberRe. that junction in Gateshead – I seen the police sit on the Birtley roundabout once pulling people for blatantly leaving the carriageway at that exit to avoid traffic and then joining again.
I leave at that point anyway and get home over the back roads but do see loads of people trying to save 60s with this little cheeky trick.
northernmattFull MemberRe. that junction in Gateshead – I seen the police sit on the Birtley roundabout once pulling people for blatantly leaving the carriageway at that exit to avoid traffic and then joining again.
I don’t get it. Using what justification can they do that. It’s not like it’s breaking the law, unless of course you are aforementioned white warp speed Audi/BMW.
I’ve done it a few times going the other way as well, usually if the traffic is at a standstill up the hill at 5pm.
nickewenFree MemberI’m not sure Matt – My brother was telling me lad from his place used to do it (at warp speed) at more than 1 junction on the going home from work in and got pulled by the plod for it one night.
I think the danger on the Birtley roundabout is that if someone tries it in the right lane they could take someone out legitimately going off at Durham Road (after A1 exit) in left lane?
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