Do you jump?

Question

Red traffic lights
This is becoming an epidemic where I live,taxis are the worst, How long before we do not trust a green light

Copper -That is exactly what I am worried about-the person who is at fault gets away
Thanks all- It is not just me being paranoid

Answer 1

Defensive driving teaches you to sit a moment when your light goes green, simply because of the idiots that think their yellow means "step on it!" and that red means "go even faster!"
Driving defensively sometimes annoys Mr Hornblower in the car behind, but I don't really give a crap when it is my life on the line.
There is a reason so many places have been putting red light cameras in place. In Winnipeg they issue tickets by the bucket-full, and some drivers have had multiple tickets from the same intersection because they just can't be bothered. Their time is just more important to them than the lives and property of others.

Answer 2

Green merely means you technically now have the right of way, but you still can't go if the way is not clear. Sometimes the intersection is still blocked from cars trying to turn left, even though the law is clear that you should not even enter the intersections unless you have room enough, other times the other guy thinks the yellow light means 'speed up.'

In either case, even though you do have right of way, it's a good idea to wait. I use the 3 second rule. Look, and give it 3 seconds to be sure. It's saved me more than once.

Answer 3

No.

My Dad had an accident where he was behind a van going through a green light (the lights had only just changed to green). A car went through on a red light (I imagine he thought he had a few more seconds before the other light went green?), pulling out in front of the van. the van slammed on his breaks, and my Dad went into the back of him. Technically it was my Dad's fault. His car was damaged, the van was damaged, Dad lost his no claims discount and the car that jumped the lights drove away without a scratch!

Answer 4

I personally dont jump red lights , but i think i was close the other day as the road was quite icy and slippery and when i braked to stop the abs kicked in ,it did take me by surprise, and i felt it was safer to keep going than to end up in the middle of the road with oncoming traffic

Answer 5

This will steadily get worse, because nowadays there are so many pointless sets of lights, with too little priority given to the major road, designed to slow traffic down, rather than speed it up.

Whatever the law says, traffic lights are beginning to fall into disrepute, and people (being what they are) are beginning to treat them with more and more disdain as time goes on.

Answer 6

No. I ride a motorbike and instruct others. Bikers are taught to stop when the light changes to amber, if it's safe to do so, in accordance with the Highway Code. Also, green means move off IF IT'S SAFE, not just go, so we look before moving off.

Answer 7

I always obey the rules of the road slow down when approaching traffic lights

Answer 8

That probably depends on how many points you want on your license. I myself have nine. So jumping traffic lights is both stupid and dangerous.

Although there was one time when the traffic lights had broken and every else was jumping.

Answer 9

i don't but see so many idiots who do. i always look to make sure that everyone has stopped while i'm going through a green light. between people who do it deliberately and people who aren't paying attention it makes for scary roads!

Answer 10

If it's dark orange, it's O.K. Australia is not as bad as other countries, although Sydney is shocking and dangerous.