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Why do motorists hang about at green?
Soundbox
Posts: 6,247 Forum Member
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Following on from the thread about not heeding traffic lights at red, here's another thing I have noticed.
When the lights go green some motorists are really slow to get away making for an oversized gap in the traffic that means that three or four cars have to wait for the next sequence due to the unnecessary delay. I have even seen people very slow to get away from rest then go through amber or red. Sometimes people even sit there when green arrives and not move and red comes on again (usually they are given a horn blast from behind which moves them reluctantly on).
I asked around and everyone says that they are quick away at green but someone must at least have had a lift from a 'green lingerer'. What are they doing? Are they dreaming or looking out the side window? Its almost as if they are not expecting to have to move in the near future!
When the lights go green some motorists are really slow to get away making for an oversized gap in the traffic that means that three or four cars have to wait for the next sequence due to the unnecessary delay. I have even seen people very slow to get away from rest then go through amber or red. Sometimes people even sit there when green arrives and not move and red comes on again (usually they are given a horn blast from behind which moves them reluctantly on).
I asked around and everyone says that they are quick away at green but someone must at least have had a lift from a 'green lingerer'. What are they doing? Are they dreaming or looking out the side window? Its almost as if they are not expecting to have to move in the near future!
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The time between the light turning green and the guy behind sounding his horn.
Are you sure they're texting:o:D?
Yes, that'll be it! Always 4 cars going through red.
A sensible motorist knows that 'green means consider going' and therefore at least some of these motorists are probably assessing the junction before actually moving.
As I mentioned in that other thread I was once on the outside of someone who thought that 'green meant go'. He got T-boned from the right by an arsehole who ran the red lights. As he shot off he probably laughed at the Nissan Sunny alongside who hadn't even started to move. I'm not sure but he'd probably stopped laughing by the time the ambulance arrived to carry him to hospital.
For the morbidly curious it happened here, shortly after the junction opened.
Quite - at one of the junctions on my commute you can guarantee there will be right turners coming onto the ring road long after they have got the red light. If I shot forward the instant I got the green light I would smack into them.
Also my car has a bit of a sticky clutch so it can take a little while to get in gear
a green light does indeed mean proceed if it safe to do so, but ultimately it does mean, its time to move off.
I thought that was the definition of a split second.
not according to the urban dictionary
Me? I select first gear when I see the lights for the cross-traffic go Amber then ready to release the handbrake as my lights go Red and Amber. Of course if it is a set of lights that I know is on a quick change cycle then I go straight into first gear as I pull up. Or if in the works van with its damn slow semi-automatic gearbox.
Yes, and even if you're in an unfamiliar area and don't know it's going to be your turn next, that's what the amber light is for. It's telling you to get ready because it's your turn next, so time to get the handbrake off and gear in.
I do realise there's times when you just miss it, very occasionally you might be looking for somewhere and trying to get your bearings in an unfamiliar place and get distracted from the lights for a moment.
Have you ever thought of starting your journeys five minutes earlier?
I would also suggest that in the vast majority of cases it is not because the driver at the front is waiting for any red-light-jumpers to clear the junction. It happens even when there's no approaching traffic, and it's clear that most "lingerers" simply aren't ready to move when it's safe and legal to do so. A green light seems to come as a bit of a surprise ... in just the same way as so many people at the supermarket checkout seem surprised when they're told the total price of their shopping, so the thought process is along the lines of ... "Oh, do I now have to pay? Where did I put my purse/wallet?"
Exactly that - those who are part of a queue but when they are supposed to move along (at least as far as the lights) they don't.
I am rarely late as I set off in good time however I would rather be driving along as opposed to waiting for no good reason just because someone wants to 'do their own thing' in the rush hour traffic.
I mean, if you're ever sat at a set of lights by yourself, try counting slowly to 5 after the lights turn green before you move forward.
It seems like an eternity but it's just 5 seconds.
I guess some people don't pay attention to the flow of other traffic in order to pre-empt the lights by selecting a gear and placing their hand on the handbrake, ready to move away, and those people will always be slower away from the lights but, geez, it'll only be by a few seconds.
And, so what if you don't get through that set of lights because the person in front was tardy in pulling away?
You'll get through next time the lights go green, 2 minutes later.
Don't sweat the small stuff.
If you go through that many lights every day and you're still finding yourself late arriving at your destination then it's probably time to question your own planning abilities.
I am always ready when the lights change to green, car in gear, handbrake off no messing about with gears etc, as I appreciate other drivers behind me maybe in a hurry.
oh i see, an anti cycle thread by the back door.