What a ****ing scourge of our roads these things are.

Maybe because I spend a lot of time in the desert, the effect of coming home is worsened...?

But from my place in Bournemouth, to me Doris' house 7 miles away in Poole, I went through 18 sets of lights! ****ing madness.

Combination of traffic and pedestrain lights.

I was stopped by about 60% of them.

Is the thinking behind these stupid things that it makes the roads safer? Are we not trusted to pull out at junctions?!

Granted, some are essential, but it feels like they are just being put up every hundred yards

I can tell you, I was sooooo tempted to just jump a few after being stopped by that many. Makes you bloody furious! Not safe in my book.

The few roundabouts which are left without lights, flow so smoothly! Surely there is a lesson to be learned there?

Today, I am angry

PS - I have noted from driving around at all times of the day, that Bournemouth and Poole must be the most overpopulated hell hole on earth. It used to be nice here. Now it's just full of property devlopers driving Navaras and other such trucks and vans....

 

And this is why i think the majority of traffic light are dangerous. They cause nothing more than frustration, especially when the roads are clear at night, and there is little or no traffic about.

I've never jumped a red light and never will, but I understand why people do it at times as it's just become a total joke. Bournemouth sounds just as bad as Reading mate The latest trick is to take a normal roundabout, widen it and put a ton of traffic lights on it. No need for it IMO.

The only hope there is, is that eco-mentalists will say that all these cars sitting at traffic lights are only adding to this nations “carbon footprint”, and traffic planners should do everything they can to improve traffic flow and reduce journey times.

 

Checked my trip into the office (fortunately only once a week) but i got through 24 sets in 4.5 miles.. what a piss take! Down near Sheffield station they have recently added more sets of lights and you get stopped at them all! Driving most days for my job i tend to know now which lights are ok to nip through on amiberish! If i stopped at them all i'd never get anywhere.. ridiculous!

 

I have from my house to office - no traffic lights and it's a 25min journey

However I do have a train crossing and it can be closed for 15 minutes some days if you don't time it right - 4 trains come through and they don't open the barrier in between them.

 

i think it's america (florida state) that put the lights on amber or something after xx time. makes complete sense - proceed with caution allowing small-hour driving alot more free flowing and eliminate pointless stopping for red-lights.

i've been sooo tempted to jump lights in the small hours, but sods law a cop has seen me, or a camera would get me.

 

I've always been of the opinion that you need a very bl**dy good reason to have traffic lights.

Roundabouts (of all sizes) are a far better idea and encourage progressive driving where the drivers have to think and make good progress.

Traffic lights don't encourage you to drive better, they just tell you to stop or go as you're stupid innit.

Granted there are some places where traffic lights are needed but as I say, you need a very good reason not to choose the alternatives.

 

One of the questions on my driving test was the purpose of roundabouts.

Although if you were stuck behind my friend Tonnie the other day at a roundabout you would have pipped us like the other drivers. She sits and watches them on the right hand side turning left (not hindering her at all) and she waits for them to go and then she goes

It was painful to be a passenger. Now Traffic Lights telling her to stop and go she understands!

 

As much as I hate traffic lights, they are they aren't there to say we are stupid and have no raod sense, they are there to stop the selfishness within us.

They are a pain, but they are also fair

 

I'm glad others agree

Hyper, I don't agree on that one, although I see your point.

In many places, lights are on roundabouts or even replacing them. In this example, you can't be selfish as you can't flash somone out on a roundabout as chaos ensues!

The natural flows in traffic mean that gaps will appear. There are a couple of major roundabouts left round here with no lights and they flow really well...

 

I think they're more often being phased to hold you up, slow you down, increase congestion, and force you out of your car into public transport aren't they?

Around here we now have those lights which turn red temporarily as you approach them just to slow down, they've also put additional roundabouts in just to slow you down. All of which are un-environmentally friendly as now instead of cruising at a steady 40mph in 3rd or 4th, I'm having to slow down, put additional gear changes in, accelerate again, and probably never get to 4th using a lower gear for more of my journey !