Turning Right at Traffic Lights

[Crazy Dazz]

Why is this so flaming hard for so many?

Authorities have managed to make the process almost idiot-proof:
There's an arrow, it actually points in the direction you need to go, and when its time, it turns Green. Green means go.
Then, if you need to stop going, it turns red.
In fact, in recognition of the stupidity of the average driver, there is even a warning of the impending stopping, the arrow goes Orange.

So why is every green arrow greeted like the appearance of Aliens from Outer Space, something so completely unforeseen that it leaves drivers rooted to the spot in a state of paralysis?

Whilst I realise that the presence of another vehicle renders many drivers completely incapable of rational thought, its just not that flaming hard. If the car is in front of you, you FOLLOW it around the corner. You don't drive into it, but neither do you have to wait for the 2nd coming of Jesus to tell you to move. (See Green & Red instructions above.)

I suspect the problem is that those greedy traffic engineers have designed it such that opposing right-turners move at once, and apparently the stress of going forward without running into the opposing traffic causes many to spontaneously **** their pants.

I think I am finally starting to understand the push behind autonomous vehicles. I previously worried that there wouldn't be enough processing power to replace a Good Human Driver, but now realise that your average driver can be replaced with the inner workings of a 70's "digital" alarm clock.

I am also warming to the benefits of public transport. All this time I just thought these people were some kind of weird neo-communist hippies, who think that spending $20B on a train is better for the planet than spending $1B upgrading the roads. but now I understand, they are the smart ones. Freed from earthly shackles they have ascended to a higher plane of existence where they are nolonger plagued by the profligate human jelly-fish that infest our roads.

[JasonACT]

I agree with you 100%... Twice in 3 months, the green light signalling GO! and has had the 2nd vehicle in line just sit there - which makes the "system" think "no more traffic" and go amber very early before everyone has had a chance to proceed and get through.

And it's always a big/even-small truck that didn't bother to move in my case. Curse them.

[JC]

It will be drivers on phones. Give them a toot!

[JasonACT]

Yeah, that too. Drivers that stop at green lights. Been there wondering, with them talking to their girlfriends (I'm not kidding).

[Itsme]

I hate it when you have green arrows only, when they switch off the dumb asses don't like to move waiting for the lights change for the next green arrow.

[ford71V8]

I previously worried that there wouldn't be enough processing power to replace a Good Human Driver, but now realise that your average driver can be replaced with the inner workings of a 70's "digital" alarm clock.

Last night traffic was free flowing and just as I entered a large intersection, we came to a complete stop because the driver in front decided to give way to people on our left wanting to turn right. Nobody there expected to be let in, nobody in my lane expected it, so everything stopped awkwardly and randomly on a Green. Bloody dangerous!

[jpd80]

You have to allow time for drivers to finish their text and put the phone down?

[guzzis3]

"smartphones" have made it worse but this was coming before them. The problem across society is the attitude people need to be protected from themselves, but the more hazards and decisions you remove the higher they lift the idiot bar. They just get better at killing themselves. Unfortunately usually they don't succeed, but sometimes take someone else....

Traffic lights should be removed at every opportunity and replaced with roundabouts and fixed intersections. It would get people back in the habit of watching the road and working out what to do.

[Citroënbender]

Go watch a few episodes of Auto Strasti and come back to me on that idea actually flying. :p

[mick taylor]

In some spots the green arrow is crap as you could go easy when no bugger is coming for ages and then it goes when the cars coming onwards have to stop. their is one just up the road from me that is like that.

But another one near the city that arrow goes to let 3 cars at the most across and that's if the one in front is on the ball, it's like f ing go or only one car can make it through.

If you are clearly safe to go you should be able to go in some cases.

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

I am also warming to the benefits of public transport.

Dazz, if you're getting this worked up over people's approach to the use of turning arrows at traffic lights, I hate to see how worked up you'll get about your experience with the public transport system: trains not running to schedule, trains cancelled due to strike action, the inability/inconsistency in having trains and buses align their arrival/departure times, air conditioning either not working or working too well, not being able to get a seat and having to stand, packed in with your fellow public transporter like sardines, breathing in their bad BO after a hard day at the office, sweating profusely because the air con is on the fry....again..........

Might be time to take up a relaxation class. Learn how to count to ten, regulate your breathing and allow the stress to leave your body. Would be a better investment/alternative to public transport, IMHO.

[Franco Cozzo]

Intersection of Boundary Road and Racecourse Road in Kensington - green arrow is on for 10 seconds then yellow then red.

Every god damn time some flog at the front, the green arrow is up, they take 5 seconds to move, yellow, red.

Then the next cycle it's no arrow just green light, because of the heavy traffic you get one or two cars who can turn in a cycle with no arrow.

It banks up so far back that it can block the Flemington Road intersections if people are careless and end up stuck across the road or tram lines.

It banks so far back that the offramp onto the Tullamarine Freeway can completely fill up and you can take 15-20 mins to get through 2 intersections.

[Jastel]

In other countries the yellow comes on again before the green to wake people up to get ready to go...probably would be too complicated to work here...

[CyberWasp]

It are the ones that don't notice the Light has turned Green and only move off just as it turns Amber that need a public flogging.
Everyone behind is punished by their stupidity whilst they drive off on their merry way as if nothing happened.

[Ben73]

Not just turning right, people really struggle with traffic lights in general. If traffic lights confuse someone, they shouldn't be allowed to drive.

[.:4:.]

Hmmmm, nothing is worse then a red light and a green arrow, but the uber driver up front just got a job so indicates left now wanting to go straight in the turning lane which has a green arrow but the light is red. For all efficiency purposes, just do a lap around the block fool, dont annoy others then annoy even more pushing back into to traffic going straight. I drive in cbd traffic all the time, attempting to attend breakdowns, and its a daily occurance and it wastes so much of my time. I know where i want to go, i know the way to get there. Its a time waster and a half.

[Vesper Martini]

I share your views Daz, I often see a delayed reactions to the green arrow.
also people doing a U-turn on the green arrow seem unable to to this quickly..

but what bugs me more is the left turn arrow. why do we need this?

answer: Sadly our drivers are incapable of doing a left turn give way without hitting someone of something..

[mick taylor]

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

It are the ones that don't notice the Light has turned Green and only move off just as it turns Amber that need a public flogging.
Everyone behind is punished by their stupidity whilst they drive off on their merry way as if nothing happened.

It's just like the ones who plod along the highway way under the speed limit and then speed up to even exceeding the speed limit on the overtaking lanes, not to mention they do it every time, so I believe it's intentional playing games or they are just so stupid.

[EBSXR6]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

I share your views Daz, I often see a delayed reactions to the green arrow.
also people doing a U-turn on the green arrow seem unable to to this quickly..

but what bugs me more is the left turn arrow. why do we need this?

answer: Sadly our drivers are incapable of doing a left turn give way without hitting someone of something..

I am in Vic, I want U turns banned at lights. A fair percentage drivers doing this have memory lapses, they do not give way to other vehicles.

Left turn arrows are good to keep traffic flowing where a right turn arrows are operating on intersecting roads.

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

Hmmmm, nothing is worse then a red light and a green arrow, but the uber driver up front just got a job so indicates left now wanting to go straight in the turning lane which has a green arrow but the light is red. For all efficiency purposes, just do a lap around the block fool, dont annoy others then annoy even more pushing back into to traffic going straight. I drive in cbd traffic all the time, attempting to attend breakdowns, and its a daily occurance and it wastes so much of my time. I know where i want to go, i know the way to get there. Its a time waster and a half.

That's almost the most Sydney thing you can do.
The only thing more Sydney is coming to a complete stop in the right lane of a 4 lane motorway so you can exit left because you've been too busy doing 74km/h in the right lane of a 100km/h zone for the last 10km.

Well anywhere between Wollongong and Newcastle is full of absolute horrible drivers.

[Citroënbender]

Who else had a chuckle at the silver Mazda 3 in a DCOA clip the other day? It just bulldozed the car in front after patiently waiting forever to turn.

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by Ben73

That's almost the most Sydney thing you can do.
The only thing more Sydney is coming to a complete stop in the right lane of a 4 lane motorway so you can exit left because you've been too busy doing 74km/h in the right lane of a 100km/h zone for the last 10km.

Well anywhere between Wollongong and Newcastle is full of absolute horrible drivers.

What also is kind of dangerous is, i tend to run heavy in the ute so merging into traffic on the freeway i like to be at road speed. When the person in front stops for whatever dumb reason, leaving me now stuck waiting for the space to get back to speed as not to cause a pile up..... its mainly the merge into the right lane leaving the city off the bridge, or also into the right lane off reserve road in artarmon. A. Dont stop, merge. B. Some loaded vehicles dont stop as well and also dont go as well. C. Merge properly. Its not that hard. Indicate and match the speed of the traffic you intent to join. Its not rocket surgery.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by Jastel

In other countries the yellow comes on again before the green to wake people up to get ready to go...probably would be too complicated to work here...

I can imagine accidents with the jump starters

[94_ef]

Originally Posted by mick taylor

It's just like the ones who plod along the highway way under the speed limit and then speed up to even exceeding the speed limit on the overtaking lanes, not to mention they do it every time, so I believe it's intentional playing games or they are just so stupid.

Boooo for reminding me. I was in my happy place.

I drive with cruise control, so I know my speed is consistent. These sheep overtake me on the overtaking zones. I then spend the next 10 mins on the brakes because they can't take a corner. I hate having to slow down for people who speed.

[jpd80]

Or those who just gotta pass you to then pull in front and take the next exit

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by EBSXR6

I am in Vic, I want U turns banned at lights. A fair percentage drivers doing this have memory lapses, they do not give way to other vehicles.

Left turn arrows are good to keep traffic flowing where a right turn arrows are operating on intersecting roads.

Unfortunately we have many divided carriage ways, in some cases the only way to get to a location on the other side of the road is to perform a U-turn. there are many lights that have no U-turn signs.
People just need to know how to use them properly.

A red left arrow stops traffic flow doesn't it?

[irpacaus]

Well here in QLD it is illegal to do Uturns at lights unless there is a sign that says that you CAN. So many times I have nearly been taken out by people doing Uturns illegally and also not giving way. Obviously it's all the Victorians that move to QLD that don't no the rules are different.

Dave

Sent from my SM-N9500 using Tapatalk

[guzzis3]

Couple of things.

I lived in sydney for 30 years. I feel safer on the roads in sydney on a motorcycle than I do in brisbane in my AU ute with steel tray. I laugh out loud when in the passenger seat in sydney when my friends are getting worked up over what would be considered pristine driving up here. You have not experienced true terror until you have driven in Brisbane.

U turns at traffic lights are illegal unless signed in queensland and NSW. The million odd melbournites who moved up here in the 90's still have not figured this out.

I decided to sort those slow drivers who speed up in overtaking lanes decades ago. I hammer it past them then slow to 40 so everyone else can get past. Wakes them up some.

At traffic lights use the horn early and often.

Uber should be illegal for so many reasons.

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

What also is kind of dangerous is, i tend to run heavy in the ute so merging into traffic on the freeway i like to be at road speed. When the person in front stops for whatever dumb reason, leaving me now stuck waiting for the space to get back to speed as not to cause a pile up..... its mainly the merge into the right lane leaving the city off the bridge, or also into the right lane off reserve road in artarmon. A. Dont stop, merge. B. Some loaded vehicles dont stop as well and also dont go as well. C. Merge properly. Its not that hard. Indicate and match the speed of the traffic you intent to join. Its not rocket surgery.

Yep it's a stupid thing to do.
Had it one time old mate stopped at the end of a merge in a 60km/h zone. Like how could you not match traffic speed at 60?
Anyway as I come around the corner both lanes are now free, so I merge straight across into the far right lane to leave space for this stopped idiot to merge into the left lane.
All good I think, then a minute later at the next lights this guy slows down next to me and yells "F%$ing, C#%* at me.
I took note of the company name on his car and called them up.
Only time I've done that and regret nothing.

If you're a **** driver, fair enough. But if you're a **** driver and want to run your mouth then **** ya.

[.:4:.]

In my case with the load varying, sometimes more in the back, or towing, whilst my brakes are good (done last week) stopping distances vary and loaded, yes, that also means it takes longer to get going. I dont get all road ragey, for me it is what it is. But i look at it this way. My barge is alot heavier then the spastic in the car in front. If it is a dumb move to get in my way, and its short notice, im probably going to win in an accident. I may only have 2 doors. But 6 airbags. Dunno how more then 1 helps, but 6 is more then 1. Never used an airbag. I try to keep away.