Stoplights to Mete Out Punishment? 995
gilrain writes "The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that traffic engineers have created a stoplight that deals with speeding. According to the article, 'It senses when a speeder is approaching and metes out swift punishment. It doesn't write a ticket. It immediately turns from green to yellow to red.' This is not just a prototype: it is in use now at an intersection in the Bay Area. Does stopping speeders before others serve a purpose other than petty revenge? Is it even safe to change expected stoplight patterns, especially for drivers in a hurry?"
Timing it right could be tricky (Score:3, Interesting)
Still, one thing to be really clear about is (a) don't set it up so that if you really speed you make it through the yellow, but (b) don't make it so far away that you catch someone ahead of the speeder with the red light!
By the way, I've had lights change to red on me for no apparent reason, and wondered if this policy was already implemented. It was in the Bay Area, but not Pleasanton.
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:5, Funny)
Isn't this supposed to be covered by, I dunno, speeding tickets and cops? If speeding tickets aren't the proper deterrent, maybe we should stiffen the penalties if we wish to reduce speeding. Or maybe we should raise the speed limits.
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:5, Insightful)
if you always get a negative reinforcement for an action, operant conditioning will cause the drivers to slow down. tickets and cops are not regular enough to train people to stop.
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:5, Insightful)
Normally when you speed nothing bad happens. You don't generally get stopped, you don't generally get a ticket. With a single punishment for every 300 times you do something, there is a disconnect.
With the light trick it happens every time. By trying to go faster you are forced to wait out the light so you get where you are going later than you would have had you driven the speed limit. Every time. Which sucks. So you learn. Fast.
People slow down in town without those pesky (and expensive) tickets, cops are free to go do real police work catching bad guys, damn - I think this is brilliant. Sure beats getting a $100 photo-radar ticket in the mail.
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:5, Insightful)
While speed limits make sense in many situations, they don't always.
There are plenty of places that I can point to where speed limits are entirely too low. That is to say it is perfectly safe given normal driving conditions (no fog, dry or even slightly wet roads) to go 15-20 MPH over the posted speed limit.
This is both in town and out. In fact, I can say from my own experience, as someone who regularly "speeds" that about 95% of the time that I have had a close call with a pedestrian or another car it has not involved speed, but rather has involved crowded intersections where traffic is moving well below posted speed limits where it is needed for the driver to track moving objects in several places.
(Cars in 2 other lanes of trafic, and pedestrians walkin gou tinto the street with abandon etc)
The simple fact is that speed limits are usually sweeping "30 in the city" which are really only needed in certain places within the city. Most wide city roads are no more dangerous at 45 than they are at 30, except when traffic is too heavy to do 45 anyway, in which case it self limits to safe speeds anyway.
All in all I agree this is a fine solution to real speeding... but generally speaking I think that speed limits are set too low for normal conditions and I shudder to think what decreasing the speeds people drive in such a hevay handed and sweeping way will do to traffic around here during the time periods at the ends of rush hour where speeds are starting to naturally pick back up.
-Steve
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:5, Funny)
Obviously you've never gone driving with my girlfriend (or someone like her)...
Watch out for the yellow light!
She has other winning attributes, but sometimes I really wish I had the Homer-mobile. The funniest thing is that she gives me a hard time about my road rage, and I'm fine when she's not around!
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:5, Interesting)
I hit a deer at 75 on the interstate once, now I generally drive around 5mph slower than the speed limit.
See, life threatening situations can cause a drop in average speed a lot better than tickets ever will, so maybe they should setup a system that releases deer when it detects an oncomming speeding car.
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:4, Insightful)
but it is not "negative reinforement." Negative reinforcement is removing something from the environment (Negative) to increase a behavior (Reinforcement).
This would be considered "Positive Punishment." Introducing something in the environment (Positive; in this case a ticket for running the red light) to decrease a behavior (Punishment; in this case speeding).
The changing of the light is the discriminative stimulus letting the driver know they are about to be punished if they run the light.
There ya go, 3 free Intro Psych credits
jeff
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:5, Insightful)
It doesn't matter. This will go over like a lead baloon. Cops don't want people to slow down. How would they raise revenue? If cops really wanted to stop speeders, all they have to do is drive one marked police car though the area at the posted speed limit. No one will pass them. Instead, they hide in alleys and behind bushes waiting to jump out and fine people. Isn't it obvious what their real motivation is?
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:5, Insightful)
I think this is poposterous. Not only will it not slow people down other than while approaching lights they've remembered do this, just to speed through even faster when they get close enough to get away with it. It's been proven by scientific studies that people are more likely to speed due to a stopsign or stoplight because the subconciously feel the need to make up for lost time.
There are far too many risks to just implement this willy-nilly. The parent brings up a good point with timing, how can you be sure you won't cause an accident by going red so quickly that they can't stop? People are not going to be prepared for this behavior, it's likely to cause mass confusion and accidents during it's implementation.
I'd rather see automated ticket-writing machines than this... as much as I'm against automated ticket-writing.
Jamon
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:5, Insightful)
Except that:
In other words, it's fixing a problem that doesn't exist and is only meant to make people feel better.
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:3, Interesting)
I saw a traffic light working exactly as described in Italy more than 8 years ago in a mountain locality.
It was tuned to become red if the speed of the car approaching was more than the 50 Km/h allowed in the town.
It has a strong psycologic effect
They had these in my area, they don't work (Score:5, Interesting)
Things like this are a Good Idea(tm) in theory, but when put into practice fall quite short of the mark.
Additionally, their triggers are often set to unreasonable levels, such as 5 miles over the speed limit, which can easily happen due to sensor differences and upward drift of speed in between glances.
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:3, Interesting)
If you think the average joe will slow down, a sadist will speed up and just run the red, especially since the consequences are only effective if the person cares enough to break one law, but to follow another without repricussions. I dunno about you, but when I'm driving
Re:Timing it right could be tricky (Score:5, Interesting)
Part of the problem with speeding (in fact, I'd go so far as to say most of the problem) is the ease at which motorists can obtain driving privilidges. It costs next to nothing, the DMV's are so overworked in metropolitian areas that the "barrier for entry", is VERY low. As a good anecdotal example, I had to take my driving test twice. I took one in the boondocks (no wait time) and one in the city (4 hour wait time for the test alone, 7 to actually complete the license). Here's the run down of my experiences:
Boondocks (where I failed):
I had to, in no particular order -
back around a corner,
park on both an uphill and a downhill grade,
drive along streets with varying speed limits of 20-45mph
park in a parking lot
there was more to the test, but I failed by rubbing on the curb during downhill parking (I guess that's a "dangerous action", and considered an instant failure. Oh well.)
total time elapsed: > 30 minutes not including what would come after the failure.
City: back around a corner
drive on one 20mph street
total time elapsed: < 5 minutes.
As you can see, the test where there were no people waiting was FAR more involved and probably a better test of my driving ability, although I still claim shenanigans on the curb thing, dangerous my ass... Any how, make it more difficult to get it, like in Germany, where license costs are almost two orders of magnitude more expensive than ours are. And they test to make sure you know your machine and your rules. (As an aside, I say the German idea of "road etiquette" should be adopted as soon as possible in the States. Pass on the right my ass. Once you hit your intended crusing speed, hit the right lane. Pass only on the left. Perfection if I've ever seen it.)
But regardless, I will concede that for the foreseeable future, there will be jackasses who absolutely have to get ahead, feel the need to swerve in and out of traffic because they just saw the "Fast and the Furious", etc. I say, make it easy for them to do it so they stay the hell away from motorists who are safe and conscientious, while still allowing Joe Average to get where he needs to go in a reasonable amount of time without the hassle of stop and go.
My Driving Test (Score:5, Interesting)
I thought that I would use the opportunity to get a learner's permit. I filled out the papers and took the eyetest. Then the written test with pictures of the correct answer in order to aid the large number of people in Louisana who can't read.
As soon as I passed the written, the state trooper stood up and said 'Ready to drive?'. I borrowed the keys to my friend's car and very slowly and carefully drove around the block. Thank god it was an automatic transmission.
I thought that I was doing OK until the last stretch of the block which was an expressway. I actually got up to about 45 MPH and then pulled back into the Motor Vehicles lot and cut the engine.
The state trooper started to write something on the form and then just looked at me and said "Girlie, You don't drive worth a piece of shit! You'se lucky you didn't get somebody killed back there! Well, I'm gonna give you your license anyway, but I strongly suggest that you learn how to drive!"
I went in, completed the papers, paid the fees, took the photo, and became a fully registered driver in the great state of Louisana.
When I got home I started laughing and couldn't stop for ten minutes.
I had never driven a car before in my life!
(But I had read a book on it at the library.)
great! (Score:5, Insightful)
after reading the article more... (Score:2)
Re:great! (Score:3, Interesting)
California (Score:5, Funny)
Re:California (Score:4, Interesting)
They'd better. Denver's whack. Is there any other town in the WORLD where pedestrians can cross an intersection DIAGONALLY, right through the center of the intersection? So that pedestrians can pull off this amazing stunt, you'll be sitting at a four way stop light for a minute or so to allow granny to walk through THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION.
With weird ass customs such as this, Denven had BETTER allow left turns on red!
Re:California (Score:4, Informative)
And here's a general idea: Next time you feel yourself getting really INDIGNANT and ANGRY about something you don't UNDERSTAND, you might want to stop and think about it, or maybe look into it, before posting a BLITHERING SCREED that makes you look like an ignorant [slashdot.org] nitwit.
Re:great! (Score:4, Funny)
or you could speed up and go fast enough that the light looks green to you in your frame of reference
Re:great! (Score:3, Interesting)
IMHO this is the big problem with the system. Moving violations are no longer deterrents because people are willing to hire a lawyer and piss away court time to fight it, and it seems that most of the time they get off.
Break the law? No problem, just take it to court. Personal responsibility? No thanks, this is America where we have the right to break the law and not be punished, apparently.
The law was written with the understanding that the has a minimum amount of time that it stays yellow, allowing s
Danger (Score:2)
Re:Danger (Score:2)
Re:Danger (Score:2, Interesting)
I bet it's the all-powerful casketmakers' lobby behind this... Get your tinfoil hat.
Re:Danger (Score:4, Insightful)
if the traffic signals stop rewarding speeders by making them miss a light, then the speeders will slow down.
Great idea.... (Score:2, Redundant)
Old Tech (Score:5, Informative)
All over the place over here (Score:5, Interesting)
An effctive alternative is a traffic light that is red and turn green a fixed amount of time after an approaching car has come to a certain distance. Those who were going too fast have to stop, others can drive on smoothly.
Re:All over the place over here (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes, of course. Occasionally, we also have little extra signposts which dynamically advise you of the correct speed ( < speed limit, obviously) to get the next light in time.
The two systems aren't contradictory, though, they complement each other fairly well. Synchronized lights work extremely well in urban areas with a lot of traffic, on main roads. The system referred to in this story works very well in rural areas, where there aren't that many traffic lights to
Re:Old Tech (Score:3, Interesting)
While I was visiting Portugal during the winter, I ran into many traffic lights setup in a similar fashion. They were a necessity: often times parts of a major road would run right through the center of a town. If speeding cars were allowed to pass through (mostly empty roads in the country, so speeding was not uncommon), they would put the townsfolk walking around in a lot danger.
It's really a security move. (Score:3, Funny)
what about other drivers? (Score:5, Insightful)
This is the Problem Here (Score:2, Insightful)
It's intrinsically wrong to punish other people for one person's crime. One idiot blazes through a bunch of traffic but everyone has to stop for his speed-induced red light? Aren't there enough causes of road rage already?
Re:what about other drivers? (Score:5, Insightful)
But isn't peer pressure a good motivator? Now, speeding will not only get you more redlights (making it, in fact, take longer to get anywhere the faster you go), but you also run the risk of being the jackass that stopped all traffic.
Seems to me that this solves the speeding problem in a way that doesn't involve fines, which have had almost no effect.
Re:what about other drivers? (Score:5, Interesting)
I heard a related funny story a few weeks ago. The police have these trailer units that detect speed and usually just show the number to make people aware of how fast they're going. The new ones check if you're speeding and take a picture of the back of the car as it passes and the owner of that license plate is issued a ticket (they do the same thing with stoplight mounted systems, but these are mobile for smaller towns). Someone with huge brass ones stole the license plate off of the back of the trailer. They put the plate on their own car and drove in front of the trailer a dozen times at 100 MPH. The next week a dozen reckless driving tickets were delivered to the police department. I hope it's true.
All this stuff is just another step towards our 24 hour survailance. "If you're not a criminal, then you won't have anything to hide."
-B
Re:what about other drivers? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:what about other drivers? (Score:4, Insightful)
Hehehe. Iduno about where you're from, but here in San Francisco (and much of California), traffic laws aren't about solving "the speeding problem." They're about solving the budget problem. Fines are designed to not solve the speeding problem, as that would reduce their ability to fine...
Re:what about other drivers? (Score:3, Informative)
Laws against speeding are stupid. See this report by the US Department of Transportation [ibiblio.org].
In a nutshell: people ignore speed limits and drive the speed they feel is safe, regardless of what the speed limit is.
As a result of this, it can be inferred that speed limits (for the most part--though there are exceptions) are set unreasonably low and as such serve no true purpose other than to generate revenue. It seems to me that laws that exist for no other reason than to fund th
It all balances out.. (Score:3, Insightful)
I can also see this system training people to apply a burst of speed once they get to a certain point before the intersection, after the timing of the light has subconciously set in to the brain.
This reminds me... (Score:3, Interesting)
It was deemed crooked by the show, and it's crooked now.
from the crash-your-car-and-get-a-new-one-dept. (Score:2, Insightful)
Bad Idea... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Bad Idea... (Score:3, Informative)
The Result: (Score:3, Insightful)
What a bad idea (Score:4, Interesting)
Meting out punishment? (Score:2)
This is no different than metering lights on freeway onramps that control traffic flow. This one just happens to pay attention to speeders.
Aww, unfair to speeders! (Score:5, Insightful)
Well, y'know, there's that whole enforcement of the law thing. Unless that falls under 'petty revenge' in your book. One might also imagine that it'd be effective in encouraging the typical driver to actually obey posted speed limits (though I can't speak for the asshats who'll take it upon themselves to try and 'beat the system' by speeding faster or running the light.)
Is it even safe to change expected stoplight patterns, especially for drivers in a hurry?
Oh, heaven forfend that drivers be expected to pay attention to the road and traffic signals, especially so when they're in a hurry and thus simply have no choice but to violate traffic laws! Gee, officer, I just wasn't expecting that kid to cross the road--and I was in a hurry, so you can hardly blame me for it!
Just because it's easy to get away with speeding doesn't mean it's legal. Just because you're busy, late, or otherwise incapable of managing your life and time in a reasonable fashion doesn't mean that it's somehow more okay for you to speed than somebody who speeds for the hell of it. The fact that you can manufacture any number of scenarios detailing How This Can Go Wrong doesn't change the fact that the person triggering the system is violating traffic laws in the first place. Try following traffic laws. Seriously. You'd be amazed at how well the universe keeps from collapsing on itself when one follows the speed limit, signals lane changes, and maintains adequate braking distance.
On a side note, these aren't all that new--they have 'em in Alexandria, VA, and Bethesda has something similar (warning lights flash at you if you're going too fast.)
Re:Aww, unfair to speeders! (Score:3, Insightful)
Don't get me wrong - I agree with you... it's hard to come up with any good reason why this isn't a good idea. Follow the damn law.
Re:Aww, unfair to speeders! (Score:5, Insightful)
Want a real safety precaution? Scare people straight. Make all the roads' speed limits something like the "safe and prudent" stuff they use in remote rural areas. Then, impose a severe penalty for unsafe driving. If you cause an accident, you lose your license for a year. Cause another one, make it 5 years. Drive without a license? No license ever again, and 1 year in prison. Drunk driving? Go for it, but stay in your lane and don't wreck. Kill someone, and you get a minimum of 3rd-degree murder. I'd guess that'd be about 30-50 years in prison.
Basically, drive at your own risk, 'cause the government is done babysitting your cellphone-talking, makeup-applying, shaving, radio-retuning, newspaper-reading, kid-slapping, drowsy, drunk, high, and/or just-plain-stupid ass. You are responsible for your own actions, whether you like it or not.
Of course, this is America, land of the free, home of the brave, abode of the irresponsible. It'll never happen.
Re:Aww, unfair to speeders! (Score:3, Insightful)
Want proof? Look at how many times local law enforcement gets caught with their hand in the cookie jar, changing speed limits, moving stop signs, and in general, making traffic laws become a big fat cash cow instead of a safety precaution.
Err, not to be rude, but how is this proof of anything? It's just a blanket statement with nothing to back it up. No logic, no links to studies, etc.
Re:Aww, unfair to speeders! (Score:5, Funny)
Then be a renegade! Buck the system! Fight The Man! Follow every single traffic law. That'll really stick it to em!
Won't their faces be red when they see an army of cars observing posted speed limits and following traffic laws! I can just see them now, huddled in their secret subterrainean command center, cursing and waving their fists as car after car proceeds down the street in an orderly, safe, courteous manner!
Take that, federal, state and local government! Muah-ha-hah!
Re:Aww, unfair to speeders! (Score:3, Insightful)
Take for instance highway driving. On the highway I drive regularly people *always* speed. And it's not just a few, no, the majority of people go 20 km/h over the limit (120 km/h), a smaller group go 130-140 km/h regularly (third lane, or even second lane depending on the day), and very very very few people go the limit, 100 km/h.
So you have all these weeny do gooders who had the limit
Re:Aww, unfair to speeders! (Score:3, Informative)
What kind of idiotic statement is this? Simple math proves that faster speeds equate to less time spent in travel.
Suppose you're driving to a city 400 miles away. At 60 mph, it'll take you 6.67 hours to get there. If you go 15 mph faster, you'll get there in 5.33 hours, which amounts to a 1.34-hour savings. Do you really want to sit in your car that much longer on a long trip?
The using more gas par
Re:Aww, unfair to speeders! (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes it does. You said so.
over a 40 mile stretch of road between cities, the speeder going 15 mph faster than the other driver will only arrive ~7.5 minutes earlier
Backing in your numbers, you are comparing are 65 mph to 80 mph, so the 15mph difference is a 25% increase in speed, which results in a 25% decrease in time. The implication you are apparently making is that a 25% reduction in time is ins
Stoplights say a lot about the people (Score:5, Interesting)
In the states, this doesn't happen. It's almost as if we can't do that to people in the US - they'd run the yellow at the red. More evidence that Europeans are a more civilized in their driving?
Re:Stoplights say a lot about the people (Score:5, Informative)
Are you insane? You ever been to Rome?
Re:Stoplights say a lot about the people (Score:4, Informative)
One possible reason for the red-yellow-green sequence is that in many European jurisdictions, drivers are required to take their manual transmission completely out of gear, rather than simply keeping the clutch in. The yellow light warns them to get the car in gear so they'll be ready to go when it's green. Not as relevant in these days of cheap automatic transmissions, but it's the sort of thing that's tough to just get rid of.
Re:automatic transmissions (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Stoplights say a lot about the people (Score:3, Interesting)
Speeding is just a Gateway Crime anyway... (Score:2)
This new stop light just gets you through the gateway just a little quicker.
m
Another solution looking for a problem (Score:5, Informative)
As far as speeding tickets goes, it is a doucmented fact that traffic laws are not for safety but revenue generation. This bad boy will probably pay for itself in no time and continue to reap dividends for years to come.
Combine the "smart" light with the auto ticket-giving camera (don't need to pay for the copy to write tickets!) and city budget problems will be cured overnight. Oh, and when people get smart and start slowing down, just decrease the yellow-light time and watch your profits rise!
America: Best profit-making government money can buy.
Re:Another solution looking for a problem (Score:5, Insightful)
And the documentation you mention would be...
Re:Another solution looking for a problem (Score:4, Informative)
Pick a city, any city. Check out NTSB stats on that city's traffic accident rates. Now check out that city's municipal revenue from the traffic courts. For bonus points, do a time series.
Correlate, interpret, conclude.
Re:Another solution looking for a problem (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Another solution looking for a problem (Score:3, Informative)
www.hwysafety.com [hwysafety.com]
Re:Another solution looking for a problem (Score:3, Insightful)
So this new gadget becomes a stop sign for speeders, and actually smooths out traffic flow for the residents.
Seems like the local community wins with this new stop light/traffic signal.
If this is new it ain't very new (Score:2, Informative)
It seems to me (Score:2)
I saw this (Score:2, Interesting)
Vehicular safety ONLY FUNCTIONS when the behavior of all of the drivers is as PREDICTABLE as possible. That's why we have stoplights in the first place, if yo
Re:I saw this (Score:5, Insightful)
You're coming up to the intersection, the light changes, either because the cycle changes, or because a speeder has triggered it. br>
In neither case does the speeder (or anyone else) know where the signal is in its cycle.
So it changes as he approaches. Big deal.
without-warning red light
if you RTFA, it specifically says there is a yellow pahse before the red.
Re:I saw this (Score:3, Insightful)
Mr. officer of course got an earful about how I "stopped suddenly" and there was no way she could stop that quickly.
Excellent plan! (Score:4, Informative)
As for running red lights, cameras can mete out punishment for that, too.
Two observations: (Score:2)
Second, a new way to have fun at other's expense!
1. Drive speed limit or below, wait until traffic is backed up behind you.
2. As you approach a green light, speed up unexpectedly, so the lights begins to cycle.
3. Speed through yellow, leaving all those morons behind you with their middle fi
These are already in use all over NoVA (Score:3, Insightful)
These lights are in heavy use in Northern Virginia. They are mostly in place around residential neighborhoods to keep speeds and road noise down. They also double as extra safety, as kids are around.
It's a lot easier to time crossing an intersection if you know that all the cars are going one speed or slower. This is true wether you are walking across it or making a turn in a car at said intersection.
The biggest concern are Kids. They are careless. They may look left then right, but if they see a car FAR off to the left, they won't pay any attention to it...even if it is going 90mph and will overtake them before they can cross the road.
More social engineering (Score:5, Insightful)
The reason that they do this is that they're addicted to traffic ticket revenue, which is essentially a randomly-enforced "tax lottery" - especially in my area where average highway traffic moves at 80 MPH+ (I've been "going with the flow" along with two dozen other drivers at 95+ in the city). I'm just waiting for them to pair this up with red-light cameras and 2-second yellow lights for the ultimate in revenue generation...
Yes, this sounds cynical (and it is), but if these jackasses were really interested in little things like public safety then they'd probably put some actual effort into designing safe intersections, traffic interchanges, force land developers to plan traffic flow, setting speed limits that are reasonable, etc.
Re:More social engineering (Score:3, Insightful)
In my city (Score:5, Informative)
While the timming is off in this case, I find it an excelent system to keep me within the speed zone that they approve of.
Holding hearings on repealing the laws of physics? (Score:3)
Usually, dilema zone situations are created by there being too short of a yellow light sequence to allow the car in the zone to go through, or the speed limit being too high to corrispond to the yellow light time they wanted to use. Fixing one or the other elimiates the zone.
Therefore, I fear this stop light project is headed for failure. A true speeder is either going to run the yellow or red light. The only people its going punish are the legal speed cars behind the speeders...
Better Way (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm not a civil engineer or city planner or anything, but I've seen well planned traffic light systems and I know what they look like. People move through stopping AS LITTLE as possible. It is easier on vehicles, safer for drivers, and much less stressful to drivers if they can just get up to speed and maintain it. This light is all for show as it will probably be more detrimental than helpful. It is just a way for local government to wave its dick without accomplishing... well, dick.
Speeding in perpindicular directions? (Score:5, Interesting)
| | me, 85 mph |
| V |
--------- -------------
you, 85 mph O
-----> O light, changes quickly
O from red to green to red...
--------- -------------
| |
| |
| |
here is some text to prevent the postercommenter filter from not letting me post my message. this is really dumb, i think i should be able to post it, it's not like it's totally off topic, and who doesn't like some good ascii art once in a while, not that i'm saying that mine is good, but that it's technically art, and it's, well, ascii.
Re:Speeding in perpindicular directions? (Score:3, Informative)
Speed is boring, but acceleration is fun (Score:5, Funny)
So, a light like this is a dream come true for me. If I approach the light just a bit over the speed limit, I'm gauranteed to get an opportunity to race away when the light goes green. Yay!
Severe Tire damage (Score:4, Funny)
You want to stop people from running red lights (and with these lights by extension speeding)?
Put retractable "Severe tire damage" spikes on the entrances to the intersection. Raise them on the directions for which the light is red. Couple the system to a SECURE RF system for emergency vehicles to lower them. Thus the only way a scofflaw can enter the intersection in these cases would be to veer to the other side of the road where the spikes are not facing the correct direction.
Extra points for putting spikes in the media to prevent that.
Teach people that YELLOW means "Stop if at all possible DAMNIT!" and RED means "STOP. No option. STOP. NOW!"
The great thing about this is that you need issue no fine to punish the bad drivers - the cost of replacing their tires will do that nicely.
Of course, I want to mount a land-mine dropper to drop mines with a two second delay behind me - that should teach people what "safe following distance" is (Fire the mine out at rest relative to the road surface, "One Mississippi, Two Mississipp-BANG!").
Seriously - stop people from needlessly tailgating, running yellow and red lights, and I think you could actually RAISE the speed limits in many areas without a reduction in safety.
Wouldn't he/she just run the light? (Score:3, Insightful)
Safety-wise -- the only way this would be safe is if no other light change until the speeder either stops fully or exits the intersection (having run the light). If drivers in the other direction are given an early green, that would be a recipe for disaster.
Swell (Score:3, Insightful)
Now technology proposes to eliminate this source of revenue too? What the hell is wrong with these people, are they a bunch of communists?!
What happens when... (Score:3, Funny)
Do you get a blue light of death!?
hrmm (Score:3, Insightful)
ever wondered ... (Score:3, Interesting)
1- "hmm ... maybe i'm being unsafe to my fellow citizen and this radared red light is only warning me that i am a potential danger! I should slow down so as to no longer endanger the lives of my fellow, taxpaying citizen! i'll just be late to my meeting and the boss will have to wait"
2- "GODAM@#$*(@# STOOPID @#$*()@*@# LIGHT GONNA GET ME LATE TO THE MEETING !!!!! COMON YOU STOO@()#*$(*@ B*TCH GO GREEN ALLREADY COMON!!!!!!"
Like it not not, rightfull or not, this isn't gonna help anything.
The cops will love this ... (Score:3, Insightful)
The city will love this because they collect more money from fines.
The laywers will love this because they will have more clients who will pay more to try and get out of two moving violations instead of just one.
Great idea!
Re:Something better here in Brazil (Score:3, Interesting)
In major cities in India we have 2 digit LED displays on traffic lights that actually count down... it helps in many ways-
1. Reduces driver axiety - So people are less tempted to "gunning" their engines
2. Reduces road rage - People are less tempted to jump lights
3. You can see the signals from a distance and read the timer counting down... so you slow down well in advanced if you find you can't make it in time.
4. Less (well almost) fuel wastage since if the time reads