Rules for traffic lights

Last updated • 8 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Traffic lights – devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations – control flows of traffic with social norms and laws created by the state. [1] Traffic signals have to convey messages to drivers in a short period of time about constantly-changing road rules. [2]

Contents

Blocking a traffic light junction

In some jurisdictions (such as New York City),[ citation needed ] there are ordinances or by-laws against "gridlocking". A motorist entering an intersection (even if on a green light) but unable to proceed and who gets stranded in the intersection (when traffic ahead fails to proceed), and who remains after the light turns red (thus blocking traffic from other directions) may be cited. The definition of the intersection area is a square where the two streets overlap marked by the inner lines of each crosswalk. (Occupying the space inside the crosswalk lines is itself a traffic infraction, but different from gridlocking.) This gives meaning to the anti-gridlock slogan "don't block the box". This is sometimes used as a justification for making a turn across the opposing travel lanes on a red light at a busy intersection, by pulling partway into the intersection at a green light waiting to perform the turn, and, if oncoming traffic is not abated before the light changes to red, proceeding to turn once the light has turned red and opposing traffic has stopped. This means that at busy junctions without a protected green arrow for turning traffic, one turns after the light turns red. This maneuver is commonly referred to as "occupying the intersection" or "being legally allowed to complete one's turn". In some jurisdictions, including most American states, a vehicle already in the intersection when the light turns red legally has the right of way, and vehicles who have green must yield to the vehicle in the intersection.

A driver comes to a stop on the crosswalk beyond the stop line as a result of attempting to avoid a red light violation. Farolvermelho.jpg
A driver comes to a stop on the crosswalk beyond the stop line as a result of attempting to avoid a red light violation.

In Sackville, New Brunswick, it is customary for through traffic to voluntarily yield to the first oncoming left-turning vehicle to allow it to perform a "Pittsburgh left" manoeuvre.[ citation needed ] This is similar to a hook turn performed in Melbourne, Australia, which is legal at signed intersections.

Enforcement of traffic lights is done in one of several ways:

Red lights

Red light running

Traffic light in Chelyabinsk, Russia showing a green light with a digital countdown (in the centre aspect) of the time left until the signal switches to amber Avtomobil'nyi svetofor (Cheliabinsk) f005.jpg
Traffic light in Chelyabinsk, Russia showing a green light with a digital countdown (in the centre aspect) of the time left until the signal switches to amber

Red light running occurs when a motorist enters a junction any time after the signal light turns red unless a legal turn on red manoeuvre is completed. [3] A US national survey in 2019 found that 86% of drivers thought it was very dangerous to run a red light at speed, but 31% reported that they had done so in the past 30 days. [4]

Reasons and impacts

Common reasons for red light running include inattentive driving, following an oversized vehicle, or during inclement weather. Drivers are more likely to run red lights during peak traffic hours or if the signal is on a downward slope. [5] Uber had to apologise in 2016 after a self-driving Uber vehicle ran a red light "due to human error" in San Francisco. [6] Red light runners involved in multiple-vehicle crashes are more likely male, younger, involved in prior crashes, or have alcohol-impaired driving convictions. [7] According to the IIHS Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, every year red light running causes hundreds of deaths, thousands of injuries, and hundreds of millions of dollars in related costs. [7]

In Spring 2015, Hunter College in New York City completed an observational study of red light running, the first of its kind. The conclusion, after monitoring 3,259 vehicles at 50 intersections over a period of days around the 5 boroughs, found that almost 10% of vehicles and 15% of taxis ran the red light, amounting to nearly 400,000 red lights run every single day. [8]

Source: IIHS [9]

Mitigations

Red light running can be deterred through enforcement or engineering strategies. It is normally illegal and may incur a fine, demerit points, or a stricter sentence. As of 2021, Norway has the highest fine in Europe for red light running at €756 equivalent. [10] The US Federal Highway Administration recommends that engineers: [11]

  • improve signal visibility (better signal placement, increased signal size or improved line of sight);
  • improve signal conspicuity (to better capture the motorist's attention);
  • increase the likelihood of stopping (with signal head signs, advance-warning flashers or rumble strips); and
  • address intentional violations (through signal optimisation, properly timed amber-change intervals, and all-red clearance intervals).

After the Hunter College study, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio launched a Vision Zero plan to reduce vehicular and pedestrian fatalities. The New York City Police Department's 2014 TrafficStat report showed 33,577 red light tickets for 2013, which is a 126% increase in the number of failure-to-yield summonses and red-light running violations. [12]

Turn on red

Some jurisdictions, particularly in North America, permit drivers to make a kerb-to-kerb turn (i.e. not crossing other traffic streams) at a red light, provided they first come to a complete stop and give way to other traffic and pedestrians. The rule has been criticised for endangering pedestrians, and some highway authorities have banned turning on red at specific junctions. [13]

Amber lights

In some jurisdictions, amber light running may also be illegal, unless a driver cannot stop before the stop line safely. For example, this rule is in place in states within Australia, [14] Russia (which also has a flashing green phase and possibly countdown timers to warn drivers of an amber phase), [15] and the UK. [16]

The Amber Gambler Twins is one of many public interest films trying to change the public's behaviour regarding the running of amber lights. [17] [18]

Hook turn

A hook turn, or two-stage turn, is generally used to allow lighter vehicles such as cycles or motorcycles to turn across oncoming traffic. Such vehicles when permitted can move to the nearside of the junction and position themselves in front of side road traffic, waiting for the side road traffic to gain a green signal before completing the turn. In Australia, such turns were the standard right turn until the 1950s. [19] Hook turns remaining in Australia are generally in the Melbourne central city area to ensure cars do not wait on centre-lane tram tracks and delay trams.

Inactive lights

Traffic light failure in most jurisdictions in Australia and countries in Europe must be handled by drivers as a priority-to-the-right intersection, or an all-way stop elsewhere, pending the arrival of a police officer to direct traffic. In Armenia, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland (and Liechtenstein), Turkey, and Ukraine, traffic lights may have additional right-of-way signs mounted above, below or next to the traffic lights; these take effect when the lights are no longer active or are flashing amber. A flashing amber traffic light usually indicates you have a yield or stop sign as a redundant sign, while a turned-off traffic light usually indicates you have the right-of-way. In the UK and parts of North America, drivers simply treat the junction as being uncontrolled when traffic lights fail, giving way as appropriate, unless a police officer is present. In much of the United States failed traffic signals must be treated as all-way stop intersections.

In the US, traffic lights inactive at night time emit an amber-coloured flashing signal in directions owing priority while the intersecting street emits a flashing red light, requiring drivers to stop before proceeding.[ citation needed ]

Enforcement

Red light cameras

In some countries, red light cameras are used for either the driver or the vehicle's owner. An automated camera is connected to the triggering mechanism for the corresponding traffic light, which is programmed to photograph a vehicle and driver crossing against the light. Either the driver or the vehicle's owner (depending on the locale) are fined for the violation. In some jurisdictions, including the United States and Italy, private companies have been contracted to operate traffic-related cameras and receive a portion of the resulting revenues. In some cases, red light cameras have been abused by local governments, where vehicle operators have been fined as a result of traffic systems that have been improperly modified. [20] [21] Despite the fact that cameras can reduce the number of crashes, it has been proven that at these intersections drivers tended to react quicker to an amber light change when stopping. [22] [23] The consequence of this change could be a slight decline in the intersection capacity.

Red light cameras in New South Wales, Australia, are activated only if a motorist enters an intersection 0.3 seconds after the light has turned red. [24]

Confirmation lights

An intersection with blue confirmation lights in Newport News, Virginia Intersection-ConfirmationLights2.jpg
An intersection with blue confirmation lights in Newport News, Virginia

Another way police officers have begun to combat red light runners is with blue or white Confirmation Lights. [25] These lights can be seen from any angle in an intersection and are typically utilised by emergency responders who actuate traffic signal preemption devices to verify that other motorists are facing a red signal. However, confirmation lights also assist officers – who do not have to have a line of sight with a red light – to catch vehicles illegally entering an intersection. They are only lit when the red light on the same signal head is on. Some intersections will also have multiple confirmation lights for a single direction of travel if there are different signals for different directions. These lights are separate from the main ones, often protruding above or below the main traffic light, and are much smaller than a standard light to help avoid confusion.

In the Netherlands, many red traffic signals can be seen from the side via a small bulbous window, indicating to drivers (and police officers) whether the signal in the crossing direction is actually red or not, by simply leaking out some of the red light through the side of the traffic signal. This has gradually become less common as traditional incandescent signals are replaced by LED signals, while increasingly red light cameras are used to detect driving-through-red violations.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traffic</span> Phenomenon of movement by humans on foot or using vehicles

Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads/sidewalks) for travel and transportation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intersection (road)</span> Road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade

An intersection or an at-grade junction is a junction where two or more roads converge, diverge, meet or cross at the same height, as opposed to an interchange, which uses bridges or tunnels to separate different roads. Major intersections are often delineated by gores and may be classified by road segments, traffic controls and lane design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traffic light</span> Signaling device to control competing flows of traffic

Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – also known as robots in South Africa and Namibia – are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order to control the flow of traffic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red light camera</span> Type of traffic enforcement camera

A red light camera is a type of traffic enforcement camera that photographs a vehicle that has entered an intersection after the traffic signal controlling the intersection has turned red. By automatically photographing vehicles that run red lights, the photo is evidence that assists authorities in their enforcement of traffic laws. Generally the camera is triggered when a vehicle enters the intersection after the traffic signal has turned red.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1995 Fox River Grove bus–train collision</span> Grade crossing collision in Fox River Grove, Illinois

The 1995 Fox River Grove bus–train collision was a grade crossing collision that killed seven students riding aboard a school bus in Fox River Grove, Illinois, on the morning of October 25, 1995. The school bus, driven by a substitute driver, was stopped at a traffic light with the rearmost portion extending onto a portion of the railroad tracks when it was struck by a Metra Union Pacific Northwest Line train en route to Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automotive lighting</span> Lighting system of a motor vehicle

A motor vehicle has lighting and signaling devices mounted to or integrated into its front, rear, sides, and, in some cases, top. Various devices have the dual function of illuminating the road ahead for the driver, and making the vehicle visible to others, with indications to them of turning, slowing or stopping, etc., with lights also indicating the size of some large vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Advanced stop line</span> Road junction markings giving some vehicles a head start

An advanced stop line (ASL), also called advanced stop box or bike box, is a type of road marking at signalised road junctions allowing certain types of vehicle a head start when the traffic signal changes from red to green. Advanced stop lines are implemented widely in Denmark, the United Kingdom, and other European countries but the idea was first conceptualized by transportation planner Michael Lynch for the city of Portland, Oregon, in response to numerous bike crashes at intersections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emergency vehicle lighting</span> Visual warning lights fitted to a vehicle

Emergency vehicle lighting, also known as simply emergency lighting or emergency lights, is a type of vehicle lighting used to visually announce a vehicle's presence to other road users. A sub-type of emergency vehicle equipment, emergency vehicle lighting is generally used by emergency vehicles and other authorized vehicles in a variety of colors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">School bus traffic stop laws</span>

School bus stop laws are laws dictating what a motorist must do in the vicinity of a bus stop being used by a school bus or other bus, coach or minibus providing school transport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turn on red</span> Traffic principle

Turn on red is a principle of law permitting vehicles at a traffic light showing a red signal to turn into the direction of traffic nearer to them when the way is clear, without having to wait for a green signal.

The yellow trap is a potentially dangerous scenario relating to turns at a traffic light-controlled intersection across oncoming traffic without a protective turn signal; for right-hand traffic, this refers to a vehicle attempting to make a left turn without a permissive/protective left-turn signal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Variations in traffic light operation</span>

In traffic engineering, there are regional and national variations in traffic light operation. This may be in the standard traffic light sequence or by the use of special signals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All-way stop</span> Road intersection with stop signs on all approaches

An all-way stop – also known as a four-way stop – is a traffic management system which requires vehicles on all the approaches to a road intersection to stop at the intersection before proceeding through it. Designed for use at low traffic-volume locations, the arrangement is common in the United States, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, and Liberia, as well as in a number of, usually rural, locations in Australia where visibility on the junction approaches is particularly poor. The stop signs at such intersections may be supplemented with additional plates stating the number of approaches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HAWK beacon</span> Traffic control device

A HAWK beacon is a traffic control device used to stop road traffic and allow pedestrians to cross safely. It is officially known as a pedestrian hybrid beacon. The purpose of a HAWK beacon is to allow protected pedestrian crossings, stopping vehicular traffic only as needed. The HAWK beacon is a type of traffic control alternative to traffic control signals and/or where an intersection does not meet traffic signal warrants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traffic light control and coordination</span>

The normal function of traffic lights requires more than sight control and coordination to ensure that traffic and pedestrians move as smoothly, and safely as possible. A variety of different control systems are used to accomplish this, ranging from simple clockwork mechanisms to sophisticated computerized control and coordination systems that self-adjust to minimize delay to people using the junction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Highways traffic officer</span> Road transport occupation in England

National Highways traffic officers, previously Highways Agency traffic officer (HATO), are employed by the National Highways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Headlight flashing</span> Act of flashing a motor vehicles headlights

Headlight flashing is the act of either briefly switching on the headlights of a car, or of momentarily switching between a headlight's high beams and low beams, in an effort to communicate with another driver or drivers. The signal is sometimes referred to in car manufacturers' manuals as an optical horn, since it draws the attention of other drivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speed limit enforcement</span> Effort made by appropriately empowered authorities to improve driver compliance with speed limits

Speed limits are enforced on most public roadways by authorities, with the purpose to improve driver compliance with speed limits. Methods used include roadside speed traps set up and operated by the police and automated roadside 'speed camera' systems, which may incorporate the use of an automatic number plate recognition system. Traditionally, police officers used stopwatches to measure the time taken for a vehicle to cover a known distance. More recently, radar guns and automated in-vehicle systems have come into use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glossary of road transport terms</span>

Terminology related to road transport—the transport of passengers or goods on paved routes between places—is diverse, with variation between dialects of English. There may also be regional differences within a single country, and some terms differ based on the side of the road traffic drives on. This glossary is an alphabetical listing of road transport terms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crosswalks in North America</span>

Crosswalks in the United States and Canada are normally found at intersections, though sometimes may be found mid-block. Crosswalk installations must follow the regulations specified in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). At signalized intersections, crosswalks may have pedestrian signals which display symbols to mandate when pedestrians may cross the street.

References

  1. ↑ "Everyday Sociology Blog: Driving, Social Norms, and Social Structure". www.everydaysociologyblog.com. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  2. ↑ COMINELLI, LUIGI (2019). ""ROAD RULES": ANALYZING TRAFFIC SIGNS THROUGH A SOCIOCOGNITIVE APPROACH". Phenomenology and Mind. 17: 122–134. doi:10.13128/pam-8031. S2CID   216363848.
  3. ↑ "Red light running". IIHS-HLDI crash testing and highway safety. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
  4. ↑ "2019 Traffic Safety Culture Index". AAA Foundation. 2020-06-11. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
  5. ↑ "How to Prevent Red Light Runners". Western Systems. 2021-03-25. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
  6. ↑ "Uber says self-driving car ran red light due to "human error"". TechCrunch. 14 December 2016. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
  7. 1 2 "Red light running". IIHS-HLDI crash testing and highway safety.
  8. ↑ "Hunter Study: Nearly One in Ten New York City Motorists Runs a Red Light – Hunter College". www.hunter.cuny.edu.
  9. ↑ "New guidelines for automated enforcement programs emphasize safety amid rise in red-light-running crash deaths". IIHS-HLDI crash testing and highway safety.
  10. ↑ "Which European country has the strictest driving penalties?". Zutobi Drivers Ed. 2021-04-08. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
  11. ↑ Making Intersections Safer: A Toolbox of Engineering Countermeasures to Reduce Red-Light Running. Federal Highway Administration and the Institute of Transportation Engineers. 2003. IR-115. Link accessed: 19 December 2021.
  12. ↑ "One Year Report" (PDF). nyc.gov. Vision Zero. April 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  13. ↑ "Right Turn on Red Restrictions". safety.fhwa.dot.gov. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
  14. ↑ "Can I get fined for driving through a yellow traffic light?". www.mynrma.com.au. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
  15. ↑ "ПДД РФ 2020 - 6. Сигналы светофора и регулировщика". Авто Mail.ru. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  16. ↑ "Light signals controlling traffic". THE HIGHWAY CODE. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
  17. ↑ Kerekes, David (16 November 2015). Journal of Sex, Religion, Death. Level Two: Food for Thought: Headpress. p. 64.
  18. ↑ "Public Information Films". TV Ark. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  19. ↑ "Road Turns Change". The Mercury. 23 August 1954. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
  20. ↑ Peterson, Haley. "Congress questions red light cameras". Washington Examiner. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
  21. ↑ "Italy: Prosecution Advances in Red Light Camera Fraud Scandal". theNewspaper.com. 3 May 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2011. Mayor Adriano Alessandrini is now accused of shortening the duration of amber lights to boost the profits of the red light camera program. The move paid off, with 2,425,801.60 euros (US$3,206,078.01) in revenue generated from motorists who did not have adequate time to stop, according to prosecution documents.
  22. ↑ Fatemeh Baratian-Ghorghi; Huaguo Zhou; Isaac Wasilefsky (2015). "Impacts of Red Light Photo Enforcement Cameras on Clearance Lost Time at Signalized Intersections". Transportation Research Board. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  23. ↑ Fatemeh Baratian-Ghorghi; Huaguo Zhou; Isaac Wasilefsky (2015). "Effect of Red-Light Cameras on Capacity of Signalized Intersections". Journal of Transportation Engineering. 142: 04015035. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)TE.1943-5436.0000804.
  24. ↑ NSW RTA Road users' handbook. (PDF).
  25. ↑ "Traffic Signal Confirmation Light". City of Oviedo, Florida. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
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