Do you "trip" the Traffic Light?

[Sombeech]

Are you one of those people that "outsmart" the traffic signals? Do you pull up to an intersection at a red light, and slowly creep forward, triggering the light to turn green?

Let me teach you how Traffic Signals work, and it's one of 2 ways:
1. They are on a timer. No sensors. So no matter how far you creep into the intersection, it will not obey your commands.

2. They do have a sensor, but this is BEFORE the white lines. By the time you pull up to a stop, you have ALREADY run over the sensor. Creeping forward after this point is useless. If the light did change according to sensors, you have already started the process.
Here's a quick article I found:
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question234.htm

The problem is, when somebody slowly creeps 10 feet into the intersection, and the light eventually turns green, the driver thinks THEY are responsible. This encourages the ridiculous behavior.

[moabfool]

Traffic signals, especially the ones with sensors, are just computors. They get stuck on a command sometimes. Creeping forward just helps them remember what they're supposed to be doing.

[DiscGo]

I usually flash my lights because it works in Alaska, but it never works here for me. If I am all alone during the middle of the night and it doesn't go, I usually do that right turn, u-turn thing.

[moabfool]

I usually flash my lights because it works in Alaska, but it never works here for me. If I am all alone during the middle of the night and it doesn't go, I usually do that right turn, u-turn thing.

There hasta be a sensor for the flash the lights thing to work. They have them in the UC, but I haven't seen to many in Salt Lake and Davis Counties. What I hate is when a light is on a timer. 4:00 in the morning and I'm the only car in sight. The stupid light turns red on me. :frustrated: . I blew through two or three doing 60 until UDOT put up those traffic cams.

[Udink]

I've noticed that a lot of people who creep forward just have their heads up their rear-ends anyway. They're not really trying to trip the sensor, they're just a mix of impatient and not too bright. If I'm behind somebody like that, I usually simply refuse to close the gap, leaving them all alone with their front-end sticking out in the intersection. Often times they'll happen to glance in their rear-view mirror and realize that maybe they oughta not have pulled so far forward. Other times, when somebody is really egregiously creeping forward (like, instead of a foot or two at a time, they just keep going forward really slowly like it's somehow going to help them get a jump on the light), I'll pull my truck up right on their rear bumper and rev the engine, as if to say, "Well, you gonna run that red light or not?"

What really bugs me is when people are turning left and cut the corner really badly. It often trips the sensor in the left turn lane going in the opposite direction that they just turned. :roll:

[derstuka]

Are you one of those people that "outsmart" the traffic signals? Do you pull up to an intersection at a red light, and slowly creep forward, triggering the light to turn green?

Let me teach you how Traffic Signals work, and it's one of 2 ways:
1. They are on a timer. No sensors. So no matter how far you creep into the intersection, it will not obey your commands.

2. They do have a sensor, but this is BEFORE the white lines. By the time you pull up to a stop, you have ALREADY run over the sensor. Creeping forward after this point is useless. If the light did change according to sensors, you have already started the process.
Here's a quick article I found:
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question234.htm

The problem is, when somebody slowly creeps 10 feet into the intersection, and the light eventually turns green, the driver thinks THEY are responsible. This encourages the ridiculous behavior.


The sensors that you refer to, are normally magnetic sensors (or so-called an inductive loop) and once a ferrous metal-laden vehicle comes up, it completes the loop and triggers the light. Problem is, my motorcycle rarely trips them, so I was burning the lights forever (when traffic was clear) or now I have the "traffic socerer" magnet for the bottom of my bike. Seems to be working good so far.

People are just generally "no-talent assclowns" and anything encourages ridiculous behavior! Hey, do they have red-light cameras in Utah?? I used to be against them, but I am for them now (as long as they are set up correctly, not to maximize profits only). So many people used to run this light near me, now it is like "FLASH, FLASH, FLASH" you're on candid camera!

[moabfool]

The sensors that you refer to, are normally magnetic sensors (or so-called an inductive loop) and once a ferrous metal-laden vehicle comes up, it completes the loop and triggers the light.

Inductive loop eh? That makes a lot of sense. And all this time I thought they were load cells (measured weight). No more creaping up for me :roll: (I am not a white line crosser; okay I never ended up in the crosswalk).

[Sombeech]

\If I'm behind somebody like that, I usually simply refuse to close the gap, leaving them all alone with their front-end sticking out in the intersection. Often times they'll happen to glance in their rear-view mirror and realize that maybe they oughta not have pulled so far forward.

I won't close the gap either. I'm not going to encourage the idiocy.

[psl53]

A better question is : What do you do when you are at a Red light and there is no traffic in any direction. Do you just sit there like a good Lemming or do you do run it? (Like a real American). LOL :naughty:

[rockgremlin]

I live in Monticello (pop. 2000).....what's a traffic light? :roflol:

[R]

I live in Monticello (pop. 2000).....what's a traffic light? :roflol:
Nuh uh! Abby and stopped at your traffic light several times on the way to MD Ranch Cookhouse!

PS: We like staying in Moniticello better than Moab by a factor of about 60.

[rockgremlin]

:lol8: Ya, you're right. We are a one-traffic-light town. But one traffic light is a heckuva lot better than one at every corner. I hate traffic lights. In SLC, if driving late at night I would treat traffic lights like 4way stop signs. Stop, look, go. Sure beats sitting there like a dumb sheep, waiting for nothing and nobody for blocks. :frustrated:

[moabfool]

Just got back from lunch. I wanted to inch forward soooo bad. I just kept thinking "inductive loop, not load cell...."

[derstuka]

Just got back from lunch. I wanted to inch forward soooo bad. I just kept thinking "inductive loop, not load cell...."

As you probably know, it is a bitch if you have a bike, because it is smaller for one, less steel, and many times mostly made of non-ferrous alloy metals. My magnet that I attached seems to be helping some, but, I might have to relocate it.

Can anybody answer my question if Utah has redlight cameras?

[moabfool]

Can anybody answer my question if Utah has redlight cameras?

I can't answer for sure, but I've never seen any. I doubt we ever will either. We used to have photocop until a state legislator's son got busted. There was a quick end to that. Now they're only allowed in school zones.

[Rev. Coyote]

PS: We like staying in Moniticello better than Moab by a factor of about 60.


Have you guys stayed at Mt. Peale Lodge? I think you'd love it. It's in Old La Sal, very peaceful, GOOD people.

www.mtpeale.com

Rev. Coyote