How often do you leave black on the road?

[Ivylog]

Originally Posted by ScoobyDoo

Not to pick on one person, but this attitude is what I see as a major problem. The "I'm close enough" bullsnot. Every time I have read up on it the law says IF YOU CAN SAFELY STOP, THEN STOP!
If you are saying "He's going thru, so can I" you are setting yourself up for disaster. Everybody talks about the other guy's All about me attitude, and some get upset when pointed out, but it's not all about you ether.
That thing hang up there is a stop light, assume you are going to stop at the intersection.

In my example that you take exception to, whether or not there was a vehicle in front of me had nothing to do with being able to safely and legally go through the intersection without stopping. What made it interesting was after several seconds of no brake lights the car decided to make a sudden and unnecessary stop. If I’d been following too close or going to fast I would have passed the car on the left. In my many years of driving this was one of a very few where I had to take evasive action. Turned out I did not have to, but it was close.

A yellow light means “Caution” not stop. It is perfectly legal to be in a intersection on red provided you entered the intersection on the yellow. That thing up there is not only a stop light, it’s a go light (I suggest you look both ways before going) and in-between a period of time to make the transition IF necessary.

In SE Fla where it can take 5 minutes for a light to cycle you better look in your mirror before stopping on a yellow light as many will enter on the red with no intention of stopping for the yellow. With your interpretation of the “law”, I suggest you should not drive there while proving your reading of the law.

[Scarab0088]

To the naysayers, "YET" is the operative word. You cannot control the "other guy."

Originally Posted by twinboat

Has anybody actually had a trooper look at your dash or rear cam and then blame the other driver ?

Has anyone had one used in court to there benefit ?

We haven't obtained the cam...yet.
But after seeing this over zealous trooper, a cam is on the ToDo list.
There are hundreds like this as well as videos involving collisions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RBfAuiimw4?

[ScoobyDoo]

Originally Posted by Ivylog

In my example that you take exception to, whether or not there was a vehicle in front of me had nothing to do with being able to safely and legally go through the intersection without stopping.

You are right, the vehicle in front of you does not matter. But OTOH,

What made it interesting was after several seconds of no brake light the car decided to make a sudden and unnecessary stop. If I’d been following too close or going to fast I would have passed the car on the left.

The only way I can read this is you looked at a yellow for several seconds before you decided you needed to stop, and still had room to stop But it is the other guy's fault you had to take evasive action?

A yellow light means “Caution” not stop. It is perfectly legal to be in a intersection on red provided you entered the intersection on the yellow. That thing up there is not only a stop light, it’s a go light (I suggest you look both ways before going) and in-between a period of time to make the transition IF necessary.

Well, if most people are to important to wait for a light to change, where are we?

In SE Fla where it can take 5 minutes for a light to cycle you better look in your mirror before stopping on a yellow light as many will enter on the red with no intention of stopping for the yellow. With your interpretation of the “law”, I suggest you should not drive there while proving your reading of the law.

I have made a few trips to that area, and never had a issue stopping for a yellow. But if the MH driver behind me looks at a yellow for "several seconds" I would loose no sleep behind a face planted on the tailgate.
BTW, both you and OP posted something about "I had time to get in on yellow" He at least is wanting to know how others reduce the hard stops. Earlier I suggested that when following a vehicle that can stop shorter than you approach that light as if it is red, until the vehicle in front of you is in the intersection. At that point, if the light is green decide to go thru. Of course, the Dr says I should get my heart rate up more often. 30,000 lbs closing fast on a car full of kids would do it.

[Ivylog]

SbD, I bow to your superior intellect and abilities.

[WyoFree]

ScoobyDoo and Ivylog are right and you have no idea how it pains me to say that! You drive a motorhome that's 24' feet and 20,000 pounds or 40 to 45 footer and 50,000+ pounds and your responsibility increases substantially as does your ability to stop! My bus is over 50,000 pounds, 8 wheels, 8 air breaks and stops without a problem. But to panic stop is as close to insanity as you can get and the thought of guessing a yellow light is just not using ones head for what the Good Lord intended.

The thought of my rear ending a car with a family of five inside expecting to see tomorrow puts chills through me!

Just my thoughts,

Harry

[P38]

Gsgriffin. I think I have it figured out. Those heavy Trojan batteries have increased your stopping distance!

[WyCamper]

Originally Posted by Ivylog

A yellow light means “Caution” not stop.

No, it doesn't. It means STOP. If you can see yellow and safely stop, it means STOP. If you are too close to safely stop then you should proceed through the intersection. But it doesn't mean "hurry and go while it's still yellow". Eventually that will catch up with you.


You always have to assume the car in front of you will stop, not that it will go and allow you to "make it" too.

[Jake21]

To add to this. I watch the walk/don’t walk signals when present. Many times they give you an indication of the countdown from yellow turning to red. Also, I look at the oncoming traffic. All bunched up they probably came from a green light. I try to judge the likelihood of my green turning to yellow/red based on their distance from the oncoming light.

[docj]

Originally Posted by Jake21

To add to this. I watch the walk/don’t walk signals when present. Many times they give you an indication of the countdown from yellow turning to red. Also, I look at the oncoming traffic. All bunched up they probably came from a green light. I try to judge the likelihood of my green turning to yellow/red based on their distance from the oncoming light.

My CDL instructor harped on these sorts of indicators of stale lights, etc. In addition to the ones you note, don't forget about cars approaching a red light on a cross street that has no other traffic. They often will trigger the light to start changing.

[Jake21]

^^. Good point Docj.

[SlaterDoc]

One major flaw in a few of the assumptions made here is the timing on the green/yellow/red light changes. The length of changing cycles and delay are not a single standard! They are programmed in by the DOT or whoever maintains the signals. That is why you see those black hoses across the lanes sometimes. They are accumalting data to establish traffic patterns.
So when you see that light turn yellow, you may not have the time you think you have to "make it through"! Plus, you have to take into account that other impatient driver sitting at the red, reving his engine to get the jump on the green!
It never ceases to amaze me still how many don't think the yellow light means "STOP"(safely)!
There are more and more incompetent drivers on the road these days and that is the "real" leading cause of accidents!

[Bigd9]

Doc is correct in that signal timing is not standard. In fact it can be ever changing. Some traffic signals are "dumb signals" That is they are a timed signal that never changes. They will go from green to red even if no vehicles are around.

Another signal type will change only if a vehicle is detected the intersection. These are one step up from the dumb signal.

The more advanced signals have cameras mounted on the signal arms and computer controlled signal timers. The cameras can detect all vehicles approaching a signal for any direction and for long distances and make decisions on how to best change the signal to make the traffic flow better. These controllers have amazing abilities you can't even imagine. For instance, if they see a runaway truck approaching a signal, they can hold the green or place the signal on all way stop to allow the truck to go through reducing the chances of hitting anyone.

They can see when a factory or a school is letting out and a gazillion vehicles are approaching. The signal can adjust to make the best decisions on timing. The possibilities are endless. They can detect emergency vehicles and make instant decisions on the best way to change.

This is an amazing world and our children and grandchildren are going to have very interesting lives.

[viking41]

I’ve had to lock them up once with two fawns blasting across the road, another with a moose and a guy probably texting on my side of the road. No damage inside. I used to ride a motorcycle so I am a very defensive driver.

[ScoobyDoo]

And the time of day can change the order of light cycles. One day, I made 7 round trips thru a intersection. Every time, when my light turned green, the left turn arrow turned at the same time. Late evening, tired from driving all day wanting to get home, stopped at that light to make a left turn. When I saw green, I made my left. When I realized both oncoming lanes where starting towards me, I kicked that 460, and made a illegal turn in front of them. Next few days of watching I learned about 8 P it switched to the oncoming greens and arrows where at the same time.