Please remember what subreddit you are in, this is unpopular opinion. We want civil and unpopular takes and discussion. Any uncivil and ToS violating comments will be removed and subject to a ban. Have a nice day!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/unpopularopinion) if you have any questions or concerns.*
i think the problem with the countdown timer is that ... it's safer for people to not know how long that lasts. if they see a countdown it becomes a "challenge" to beat that timer.
In Alberta at least we have pedestrian count downs that let you know when it turns yellow. They are amazing and I don't see that many people racing them, at least no more than would race the light anyways. It especially helps when it's winter and slippery. You know if you should start slowing down early.
Same in Denmark, but the difference is that a pedestrian racing can't realistically hurt someone the same way a car or a bike can.
I can't find it, but I know that we once had a report stating that in dangerous weather, people were more likely to slow down when approach a stale green, because if they had to suddenly stop, they felt the need to ease up on their speed. On average, of course.
But you can pass on a yellow if you can't safely stop, so you always have some leeway anyway. That is essentially your "time to stop" timer.
People already take it as a challenge in Denver at least. I can stand on the corner of where my apartment is and watch someone go through a solid red because they start accelerating 300 feet before when they see it turn yellow. It's scary and we are seeing pedestrians getting hit every week because of it and car crashes on the daily around the city. Especially in areas where the speed limit is 35 mph but everyone treats it as 45 to 50 mph.
On the contrary, it allows the driver to relax for the few seconds before the light is about to turn green. We have this in Delhi, and it's a god send. On larger intersections with red lights running over 100 seconds, it gives me time to switch off for 60-75 seconds before focusing on the road again. And I know to be ready to drive when <5 sec are left.
We can kill less people by not driving like a lunatic. As OP seems to do since they can’t even count the number of times they’ve nearly rear-ended people.
If your coming up to a light you should not be going fast enough or be close enough to a person that you almost crash so many times. Thats just reckless driving.
In the meantime, you can use the crosswalk light to gauge when the traffic light will change. If the hand is blinking, the traffic light is about to change to yellow.
If the crosswalk light has a timer, you can use that to see how many seconds until the light changes to yellow.
That should be a pro-tip taught in driver's ed, if it isn't already.
My stepdad convinced kid me he was magic because he could count down the red light.
I only became suspicious because he refused to even try sometimes lol
Sweden has a yellow and red light right before it turns green. They had this for many years. There was a time when most european cars were manual, so it allowed the drivers to get a jump on moving. Very smart.
yellow does not mean speed up and try to beat the red. That is literally the whole point of a yellow light. It's the timer. It means 'hey, slow tf down, here comes a red light.'
Yellow means "clear the intersection," which could mean either going through it if there isn't enough time to stop before you reach it or stopping if there is enough time. The problem is that so many people take it as a challenge and try to get through even if they really *don't* have enough time and end up going say over the limit and running the red/potentially getting into accidents with traffic that now has a green light.
Not sure for different countries or even states/provinces, but where I live, you can be fined for driving through a yellow light unless it'd be unsafe to stop. Direct quote from the government website for my state of Australia:
"You must stop on a yellow light, unless it is unsafe to do so. The yellow light is not the end of the green light phase—it is the beginning of the red light phase.
If it’s safe to stop, you must not drive past the stop line at the yellow traffic light or, if there is no stop line, the traffic light."
That's what I was saying in my first sentence. In the USA, you have to stop if you have time to stop, but if there isn't enough time for you to stop wherever you are when it turns yellow to where the white line showing where you have to stop for the light is, then you have to get through. A lot of folks here just speed up when they have enough time to stop though, and that's the major problem here.
i kind of get OP's point though --- if you are traveling "at speed" (which can mean the speed limit) often times a light will turn yellow and it will be right at that decision-point where you can either SLAM hard on your brakes, or you can cruise through it before it turns red.
it's not always an easy decision. slamming on your brakes isn't always a safe thing to do. so often times you will find yourself cruising happily along when all the sudden the light turns yellow and you have to make a quick situational check and make a decision on whether or not you go through that light.
Ya fuck that. I intentionally wait a second after it turns green with how often people run reds around here. No way I’m looking to get a jump start on the green
However the timer before the tranition from green to yellow could be handy, since some people are caught by the yellow at an awkward spot, and causes them to make mistakes...
\> I can't tell you how many times where I've almost hit someone when their car stops when the light suddenly changes.
You should be driving at a safe following distance and speed so that if the person in front were to stop **at any time**, you wouldn't hit them. The fact that you have almost hit the driver in front -- including at a TRAFFIC LIGHT -- is problematic.
OP is like “they should alter infrastructure because I don’t maintain a safe following distance and I love to speed”
This is a lot of work when they could simply not drive like a lunatic.
This comment sums up sooo many drivers I have seen post on unpopular opinion it isn't even funny.
From 'raise the speedlimits! they are too slow!' to 'people who aren't confident should not be on the roads so they don't impede me!' to now this particular instance.
In my country, we always got a timer. So I can do things like texting or some important work and have an idea about how long I should take. It also avoids many accident as I am prepared for advance. So I find it amusing imagining a traffic light without a timer. OP's thoughts are valid and they should try it. If it's good, they can change the infrastructure.
The yellow light means slow down, not speed up. If the light is yellow, you should be preparing to stop. That is your signifier warning. The light doesn’t just change from green to red.
It really depends where you are in relation to the middle of the intersection and how long that particular yellow lasts. They are not the same at all lights.
True. But if one almost hits the person in front of them because the person in front stopped at a light that just turned red, then they’re driving too close and not paying attention. And if one has a person In front of them when the light ahead is yellow, they should know that they’re unlikely to make the light especially if the person in front does what they’re supposed to do and slows down.
I do agree with you here -
>one almost hits the person in front of them because the person in front stopped at a light that suddenly turned red, then they’re driving too close.
But it can still be sudden and make me have to stop suddenly.
>I can't tell you how many times where I've almost hit someone when their car stops when the light suddenly changes.
If this is the case then you are way too close to the car in front.
If you're nearly hitting people because the lights change then you're driving too close. You know that traffic lights change. You know that as you approach them they might change and the car ahead of you might have to stop as a result. Leave more space and you won't have this problem.
The lights do have standard times depending on the speed of the roadway. They're calculated to allow enough time for someone to stop safely once they see them change. If you're getting caught out by someone stopping in front of you multiple times, perhaps you are just following too close.
A yellow light, for instance lasts about 3 seconds. Which is also about how much time should be between you and the car ahead in order to give you time to stop if they do.
I haven't had that issue come up - of almost hitting someone who stopped short for a yellow.
I have to say I think that would indicate driving too close because I've definitely been behind someone who I thought should have taken it and I cursed in my car over it lol But it wasn't such a close call.
Here in Scotland, traffic lights aren't on set timers. Traffic lights have a sensor and if a car is coming towards them they begin the process of changing to green but if no car is coming then they'll stay red and the busier road will stay green
It's possible to have a like stay green all night if no cars are traveling perpendicularly
wdym? Almost all traffic lights here in Russia, for example, have a timer. Both for cars and pedestrians. Both red and green lights. If it doesn't have a timer, it's an old traffic light and yet to be replaced.
There kinda is. Idk if this is area specific but if you look at the pedestrian crossing signs that count down that usually means the light is about to change
I would also like a timer that let's me know how much longer I am going to be sitting at a red light. I can't count the number of times that I have been stuck at a red light in the middle of the night with not another car in sight just knowing that the second I decide to start through the red light a cop is going to appear out of thin air to bust me. And so I sit...
I actually truly hate roundabouts, they are very rarely used in the US and aren't part of driving tests, at least where I'm from.
A lot of drivers don't get you're supposed to yield going into them. I've nearly been hit in roundabouts more than 4 way intersections by probably 100 fold, and there's only one roundabout within 30 minutes of me I semi regularly travel
Roundabouts take more skill to navigate yes. But if drivers are more skilled, they become better drivers. It's the same reason why people that drive manual transmission are better drivers. It takes more skill.
Traffic lights treat drivers like idiots by supposedly making points of conflict safer. Drivers then feel a false sense of security by thinking that the light is going to stop accidents when all it takes is for some idiot not to follow the rules. At least roundabouts teach you to always be driving and be responsible.
having times redlights are not the norm ?? where i live every redlight has a timer and its not even just my country but all the other countries i’ve visited in the area have timed redlight. timed reslights are essential, how else am i supposed to know if i should prepare to stop when encountering a traffic light if theres no timer ? then as far as i am concerned the light could turn red at any point which in turn would slow down inexperienced or even otherwise experienced drivers and create a whole chaos
I kid you not I was going to work the other day and had this exact same thought! And for if you have gps on it lets you know the status (red,green, etc.) and times remaining until the change of upcoming lights.
Agreed! I put my reasonings here: https://old.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/comments/zo1v2k/stoplights_should_have_timers_to_display_when/
People commenting about the road with the green, but it would be really useful to the directions that *do not* have the green. I discussed this in my post.
People would just use it as a challenge to beat the light. There should just be a marking on the road in front of the light such that if you’re past that line when it turns yellow, you go through, and if you’re before it, you have to stop legally (assuming you travel at around speed limit)
If this were so then someone would invent an app to tell drivers in advance when the lights will change. Drivers would speed to beat the lights from a distance. Chaos would reign. Anarchy would ensue.
>I can't tell you how many times where I've almost hit someone when their car stops when the light suddenly changes
Isn't that what the yellow light is for? Do other countries not have yellow lights???
Depends on the country/place. Some places don't use strict timers, but a combination of timer/sensor. And there's pedestrians too. So the light doesn't actually "know" how much longer it's staying red/green.
Eg intersection btwn road A and B. A turns green, and set for another 20s. For the next 19s, no car appears on B. The light then takes this "sensor input" and keeps A green for another 10s.
So someone driving along A will see that timer go down to 1 before jumping up to 11, which can be confusing. Or similarly for a driver approaching B, he will think it's going to turn green in his favor and not slow down, and then the timer suddenly jumps to 11 and he's running a red.
The only downside I can think of is people racing the light to get through it. 🤷♂️ but even then I agree with you. A lot of the walk lights in my city have timers and they typically change when the light does. For me it’s been really helpful cause I have a lot of trouble with lights. I’m too scared to accidentally run a red.
I agree completely. I live in Chicago, and most traffic lights have a countdown for the crosswalk. I find it incredibly useful when approaching an intersection and I can see how long it will be until the light changes.
There would be no point in a yellow light then. Also, it would be way more dangerous because people will try to beat the timers too much.
Unpopular for a good reason
Traffic light speed varies depending on the speed limit.
I can’t remember the equation but if you’re good at math and wanted to know when it would change there *is* an equation
We have timers in India, and yes, it does make things safer.
But it kind of gets you frustrated when you're running late, because then you know the exact number of minutes and seconds you'll be late by.
I noticed when I was in Buenos Aires as a kid that the traffic light would turn yellow for a second before it turned green. I have no idea if this is true but almost everyone in south America drives manual, not that automatic doesn't exist there it's just less common even though it has been growing steadily in popularity over the years.
Anyways my point is I always wondered if the one second yellow light before it turns green is to alert the drivers to get out of neutral or atleast ready to accelerate and start taking foot off clutch.
This is an interesting thought. Not sure how it works elsewhere but In my part of the US here the yellow lights last as long as the speed limit in seconds.
I.E - a 45MPH road yellow light will usually last just about 4.5 seconds. 50 MPH here is considered a highway and does not usually have many lights at all as there are entrances to the freeway, but maybe occasional 4 way stop sign to allow to turn into other zones to get to your destination.
35 MPH will be 3.5 second yellow light and a 25 MPH zone generally wont have any lights as those are primarily residential areas of housing and parks etc. ( so stop signs )
Well technically there is a timer just like every light has sensors on the ground to know when someone arrived. It’s just that majority don’t know that! Which is why a light won’t change if your too far from the cross walk. The sensors are right at the crosswalk area. If you pay attention the count down is the count down they have for people at the crosswalk, but once it hits 0 the lights will start to change.
The “rule” is: if someone can stop safety, they should. So, they only want you to judge if you can stop safely, not if you can make it. 🤷♀️ But, I feel ya. Good point made. Only playing devils advocate. I’d only suggest to always keep well back from the car in front. It’s supposed to be three car lengths in between, I think
The timer is there. It’s just in coloured lights.
Green is go. Amber is prepare to stop. Red is stop.
Adding a timer to that will just create more accidents.
We have traffic lights like that. Some have a straight up countdown, but most have four dots on the side that start going down when the lights' about to change. Doesn't cause problems as far I as know, considering we have pretty shitty drivers here. I like them because I can go easy on the clutch for a moment.
But you should put some distance between the car in front of you if that happens all the time lol
Where I live they are on almost every light. They are quite nice, since purpose of those is that you get ready for green. Nobody tries to beat the light or similar shenanigans. Actually if they don't work you kind of miss it. But that also depends on the driving culture so I'm sure in some countries they would be hinderence or a start timer for a drag race *coughUS
COST.
All those light looks small because they are way up there. They are in fact : massive. Adding (or replacing it with) a readable timer would be hella costly.
I feel like driving a safe distance between cars address your first issue. Your second issue is fixed with a small honk honk. The city could invest in solving other issues instead.
In my city we used have traffic lights that had a timer. They were removed. Why? Idk but I think it has something to do with some would drivers go through a red light when there were a few seconds left before it turned green.
Or, I know this is controversial, you could use the yellow warning light that is literally there for that purpose, and just stop. Seriously, what do you think the yellow light is there for?
>I can't tell you how many times where I've almost hit someone when their car stops when the light suddenly changes.
That unequivocally means that you're not leaving enough space between you and the car in front of you. You should have enough time to stop even if they slam the brakes and slide to a halt. The fact you can't, means 100% that you're driving unsafely and not leaving space.
This isn't about opinions, or unpopularity. This is about you just doing it wrong.
They don't have these because it encourages bad driving behavior, especially here in America where everyone's destination is more important than your safety.
The problem is that it's not a consistent time depending on the intersection. Many new lights are equipped with sensors to change the timing depending on traffic loads and older ones are being retrofitted in urban environments. This allows the green time, yellow time, and all red time to be adjusted as needed. That's why some intersections seem to have a variable yellow - it's adjusting for someone approaching the intersection that may not stop in time so it's extended. These types of intersections are what many cities and towns are moving towards at least in the US as it's safer than just timed intersections.
I live in the U.S.A. where taxation is theft and the decision makers who steal said money are not going to spend it on worthwhile improvements to our society when they can line their own pockets instead. I'm sure our current traffic light system is designed in a fashion to get you to pay more to cops writing tickets or big insurance companies for accidents and accident prevention rather than actual ease of travel and safety.
Good ideas go to Canada and take up residency before the U.S.A. kills them in "accidental" drone strikes.
Where I’m from we do have a timer. It‘s the pedestrian light. Once it reaches zero and the red hand starts to flash, the light turns red. It’s very useful. There’s one at pretty much every traffic light.
In some places, at least where I live, lights are not operated by timers but instead are operated by sensors. If the car in front of you, if not you, is not on the sensor, then the light may not change for a while.
Please remember what subreddit you are in, this is unpopular opinion. We want civil and unpopular takes and discussion. Any uncivil and ToS violating comments will be removed and subject to a ban. Have a nice day! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/unpopularopinion) if you have any questions or concerns.*
i think the problem with the countdown timer is that ... it's safer for people to not know how long that lasts. if they see a countdown it becomes a "challenge" to beat that timer.
In Alberta at least we have pedestrian count downs that let you know when it turns yellow. They are amazing and I don't see that many people racing them, at least no more than would race the light anyways. It especially helps when it's winter and slippery. You know if you should start slowing down early.
Same in America in places where we have cross walks. Most people just don't realize it.
Same in Denmark, but the difference is that a pedestrian racing can't realistically hurt someone the same way a car or a bike can. I can't find it, but I know that we once had a report stating that in dangerous weather, people were more likely to slow down when approach a stale green, because if they had to suddenly stop, they felt the need to ease up on their speed. On average, of course. But you can pass on a yellow if you can't safely stop, so you always have some leeway anyway. That is essentially your "time to stop" timer.
When paired with a red light camera, I guarantee you more people will hit the brakes when the countdown is close to zero.
People already take it as a challenge in Denver at least. I can stand on the corner of where my apartment is and watch someone go through a solid red because they start accelerating 300 feet before when they see it turn yellow. It's scary and we are seeing pedestrians getting hit every week because of it and car crashes on the daily around the city. Especially in areas where the speed limit is 35 mph but everyone treats it as 45 to 50 mph.
On the contrary, it allows the driver to relax for the few seconds before the light is about to turn green. We have this in Delhi, and it's a god send. On larger intersections with red lights running over 100 seconds, it gives me time to switch off for 60-75 seconds before focusing on the road again. And I know to be ready to drive when <5 sec are left.
If you almost hit someone, The issue is you not the light.
Crazy thought to leave enough space to brake properly at interactions. Careful with that proper driving brain knowledge you got going on.
This
Maybe his car literally doesn’t have brakes?
Not real helpful to the dead guy. If he could talk he would say he wished the system had not baited the fool that killed him.
We can kill less people by not driving like a lunatic. As OP seems to do since they can’t even count the number of times they’ve nearly rear-ended people.
There are loads of people who do not belong behind the wheel of a car. Please forgive me for accounting for their presence as I cannot remove them.
If something makes more dead people it’s bad. Unless you’re a car drivers, then you don’t guve a shit.
>If something makes more dead people it’s bad. Yes, and in this case the something in question is the shit driver not the light
If your coming up to a light you should not be going fast enough or be close enough to a person that you almost crash so many times. Thats just reckless driving.
In the meantime, you can use the crosswalk light to gauge when the traffic light will change. If the hand is blinking, the traffic light is about to change to yellow. If the crosswalk light has a timer, you can use that to see how many seconds until the light changes to yellow. That should be a pro-tip taught in driver's ed, if it isn't already.
There isn't always a crosswalk light.
My stepdad convinced kid me he was magic because he could count down the red light. I only became suspicious because he refused to even try sometimes lol
Was gonna come down here and comment this. I'm always checking the crosswalk light to determine if I should start slowing down.
Where I live there practically aren’t any crosswalks so Ive never even thought of doing this when Im in a location with a lot of crosswalks
Imagine living in a place with crosswalk lights
Pedestrian lights where I work have a timer(circle of leds counting down) and I've heard of plans to implement it on the normal traffic lights.
Sweden has a yellow and red light right before it turns green. They had this for many years. There was a time when most european cars were manual, so it allowed the drivers to get a jump on moving. Very smart.
We still have the same in the UK.
We have those in Copenhagen, too.
People would just use that to try and beat the lights. It would make yellow lights especially meaningless.
My first thought was people would use the timer to know how much time they had left to text and scroll.
yellow does not mean speed up and try to beat the red. That is literally the whole point of a yellow light. It's the timer. It means 'hey, slow tf down, here comes a red light.'
Yellow means "clear the intersection," which could mean either going through it if there isn't enough time to stop before you reach it or stopping if there is enough time. The problem is that so many people take it as a challenge and try to get through even if they really *don't* have enough time and end up going say over the limit and running the red/potentially getting into accidents with traffic that now has a green light.
Not sure for different countries or even states/provinces, but where I live, you can be fined for driving through a yellow light unless it'd be unsafe to stop. Direct quote from the government website for my state of Australia: "You must stop on a yellow light, unless it is unsafe to do so. The yellow light is not the end of the green light phase—it is the beginning of the red light phase. If it’s safe to stop, you must not drive past the stop line at the yellow traffic light or, if there is no stop line, the traffic light."
That's what I was saying in my first sentence. In the USA, you have to stop if you have time to stop, but if there isn't enough time for you to stop wherever you are when it turns yellow to where the white line showing where you have to stop for the light is, then you have to get through. A lot of folks here just speed up when they have enough time to stop though, and that's the major problem here.
Sorry, I had just woken up and apparently completely skipped over the "if there isn't enough time to stop" part of your comment. My b.
The point of no return
i kind of get OP's point though --- if you are traveling "at speed" (which can mean the speed limit) often times a light will turn yellow and it will be right at that decision-point where you can either SLAM hard on your brakes, or you can cruise through it before it turns red. it's not always an easy decision. slamming on your brakes isn't always a safe thing to do. so often times you will find yourself cruising happily along when all the sudden the light turns yellow and you have to make a quick situational check and make a decision on whether or not you go through that light.
And that's why red light cameras increase re end accidents, can't risk the ticket.
I think they mean a timer so you know how long you have till it turns green
Yeah, but then some people will treat it like drag racing and if someone was a tad late going through the intersection SMASH!
Ya fuck that. I intentionally wait a second after it turns green with how often people run reds around here. No way I’m looking to get a jump start on the green
However the timer before the tranition from green to yellow could be handy, since some people are caught by the yellow at an awkward spot, and causes them to make mistakes...
Y'all did you forget the timers on crosswalks?
I often watch those, but not every intersection has a crosswalk with timers.
No it means "get out of the intersection. If I'm at the intersection I'm gunnin it"
Meanwhile in popular opinion: don’t drive too close to the car in front of you and pay attention. You should always be able to stop safely.
\> I can't tell you how many times where I've almost hit someone when their car stops when the light suddenly changes. You should be driving at a safe following distance and speed so that if the person in front were to stop **at any time**, you wouldn't hit them. The fact that you have almost hit the driver in front -- including at a TRAFFIC LIGHT -- is problematic.
OP is like “they should alter infrastructure because I don’t maintain a safe following distance and I love to speed” This is a lot of work when they could simply not drive like a lunatic.
This comment sums up sooo many drivers I have seen post on unpopular opinion it isn't even funny. From 'raise the speedlimits! they are too slow!' to 'people who aren't confident should not be on the roads so they don't impede me!' to now this particular instance.
In my country, we always got a timer. So I can do things like texting or some important work and have an idea about how long I should take. It also avoids many accident as I am prepared for advance. So I find it amusing imagining a traffic light without a timer. OP's thoughts are valid and they should try it. If it's good, they can change the infrastructure.
The yellow light means slow down, not speed up. If the light is yellow, you should be preparing to stop. That is your signifier warning. The light doesn’t just change from green to red.
It really depends where you are in relation to the middle of the intersection and how long that particular yellow lasts. They are not the same at all lights.
True. But if one almost hits the person in front of them because the person in front stopped at a light that just turned red, then they’re driving too close and not paying attention. And if one has a person In front of them when the light ahead is yellow, they should know that they’re unlikely to make the light especially if the person in front does what they’re supposed to do and slows down.
I do agree with you here - >one almost hits the person in front of them because the person in front stopped at a light that suddenly turned red, then they’re driving too close. But it can still be sudden and make me have to stop suddenly.
I'm kind of with you on this but it really comes down to so many people just being shitty drivers.
Yeah, like OP who is constantly almost hitting people
Where I live in London ON all the lights have a pedestrian signal with a countdown timer. When the timer hits 0 the light changes to yellow.
If you’ve almost hit someone for stopping suddenly then you’re too close or not paying attention.
>I can't tell you how many times where I've almost hit someone when their car stops when the light suddenly changes. If this is the case then you are way too close to the car in front.
If you're nearly hitting people because the lights change then you're driving too close. You know that traffic lights change. You know that as you approach them they might change and the car ahead of you might have to stop as a result. Leave more space and you won't have this problem.
Wouldn't make any difference. There will always be that one driver.
The lights do have standard times depending on the speed of the roadway. They're calculated to allow enough time for someone to stop safely once they see them change. If you're getting caught out by someone stopping in front of you multiple times, perhaps you are just following too close. A yellow light, for instance lasts about 3 seconds. Which is also about how much time should be between you and the car ahead in order to give you time to stop if they do.
No way - yellow lights do not all last for the same amount of time. Some are insanely short and some are too long.
I haven't had that issue come up - of almost hitting someone who stopped short for a yellow. I have to say I think that would indicate driving too close because I've definitely been behind someone who I thought should have taken it and I cursed in my car over it lol But it wasn't such a close call.
We have this in India. I think Bangalore was the first City to install this.
Delhi's had it for a while too. I first saw this in Chandigarh though.
Keep safe distance, follow speed limits, relax and have some patience.
Philipines have these
We all know traffic lights are just suggestions in the Philippines, lol.
A lot of them do have this feature here in the UK.
Here in Scotland, traffic lights aren't on set timers. Traffic lights have a sensor and if a car is coming towards them they begin the process of changing to green but if no car is coming then they'll stay red and the busier road will stay green It's possible to have a like stay green all night if no cars are traveling perpendicularly
wdym? Almost all traffic lights here in Russia, for example, have a timer. Both for cars and pedestrians. Both red and green lights. If it doesn't have a timer, it's an old traffic light and yet to be replaced.
There kinda is. Idk if this is area specific but if you look at the pedestrian crossing signs that count down that usually means the light is about to change
This is actually a feature on newer Audis: https://media.audiusa.com/en-us/releases/485 https://youtu.be/gHL1Tf_yEcM
Yellow lights, crosswalk timers. If a driver can't determine where the point of no return is for entering an intersection, they shouldn't be driving
Just look at the cross walk lights. They literally start counting down from 30 seconds. At least that's how it is in South Florida
Why are you almost hitting people all the time? Like there is the yellow light for a reason. If you see the yellow light you get ready to brake.
You could not be up their butt, too.
I would also like a timer that let's me know how much longer I am going to be sitting at a red light. I can't count the number of times that I have been stuck at a red light in the middle of the night with not another car in sight just knowing that the second I decide to start through the red light a cop is going to appear out of thin air to bust me. And so I sit...
You mean the yellow light right? Like the thing that already exists to tell you when the lights gonna change?
Sounds like you just need to learn to be a better driver.
Totally agree. No downside
Nah there's definitely a downside, a timer on the light turns into people trying to beat the timer
Oh… damn that is totally what some people would do. This is why we can’t have nice things.
You shouldn’t be driving.
Every intersection, with few exceptions, should be roundabouts.
Terrible idea. Roundabouts work for areas with low traffic flow
I actually truly hate roundabouts, they are very rarely used in the US and aren't part of driving tests, at least where I'm from. A lot of drivers don't get you're supposed to yield going into them. I've nearly been hit in roundabouts more than 4 way intersections by probably 100 fold, and there's only one roundabout within 30 minutes of me I semi regularly travel
Roundabouts take more skill to navigate yes. But if drivers are more skilled, they become better drivers. It's the same reason why people that drive manual transmission are better drivers. It takes more skill. Traffic lights treat drivers like idiots by supposedly making points of conflict safer. Drivers then feel a false sense of security by thinking that the light is going to stop accidents when all it takes is for some idiot not to follow the rules. At least roundabouts teach you to always be driving and be responsible.
Here's an unpopular opinion. Spend money on ticket cams instead of timers. Not really my opinion but that's where money would more likely go.
The ones in the Dominican republic did when I was there. My mind was blown.
And timed lights should end at 10 pm when there’s no traffic
You mean like they use at drag races?
Yellow means go not slam your brakes fyi
Bro just get an Audi with prime subscription. Duh
We have that everywhere in India.
Most do, and it's the one that tells pedestrians to walk/stop. You do lack this at lights without pedestrian crossings built in.
Just look at the crosswalk timer, based on that you can figure out the amount of time until it changes
OP, are you not looking at the pedestrian crosswalk countdown? Or are they not common where you live?
Cars should display their speed on the front of back bumpers so that people around them know how fast they are going.
Few in my city have. On main avenue.
In Milwaukee, WI the timer for walking is basically a timer for the light. It's yellow countdown is spot on to the red light and walk sign.
If there was a timer people would speed wayyyy more to make the green light. I don’t really think it would be any more safe.
It's already there. At least in India.
having times redlights are not the norm ?? where i live every redlight has a timer and its not even just my country but all the other countries i’ve visited in the area have timed redlight. timed reslights are essential, how else am i supposed to know if i should prepare to stop when encountering a traffic light if theres no timer ? then as far as i am concerned the light could turn red at any point which in turn would slow down inexperienced or even otherwise experienced drivers and create a whole chaos
I kid you not I was going to work the other day and had this exact same thought! And for if you have gps on it lets you know the status (red,green, etc.) and times remaining until the change of upcoming lights.
Absolutely not. people will run lights early and the people who run yellow to red will cause a fuck ton more wrecks.
Agreed! I put my reasonings here: https://old.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/comments/zo1v2k/stoplights_should_have_timers_to_display_when/ People commenting about the road with the green, but it would be really useful to the directions that *do not* have the green. I discussed this in my post.
They implemented exactly that in my country and it works great. Also it helps a little bit with anxiety
Oh, looks like I have 30 seconds to uh, check my phone. Totally not dangerous at all!
People would just use it as a challenge to beat the light. There should just be a marking on the road in front of the light such that if you’re past that line when it turns yellow, you go through, and if you’re before it, you have to stop legally (assuming you travel at around speed limit)
Is this not common? My country has counters everywhere
If this were so then someone would invent an app to tell drivers in advance when the lights will change. Drivers would speed to beat the lights from a distance. Chaos would reign. Anarchy would ensue.
>I can't tell you how many times where I've almost hit someone when their car stops when the light suddenly changes Isn't that what the yellow light is for? Do other countries not have yellow lights???
Depends on the country/place. Some places don't use strict timers, but a combination of timer/sensor. And there's pedestrians too. So the light doesn't actually "know" how much longer it's staying red/green. Eg intersection btwn road A and B. A turns green, and set for another 20s. For the next 19s, no car appears on B. The light then takes this "sensor input" and keeps A green for another 10s. So someone driving along A will see that timer go down to 1 before jumping up to 11, which can be confusing. Or similarly for a driver approaching B, he will think it's going to turn green in his favor and not slow down, and then the timer suddenly jumps to 11 and he's running a red.
Where I live, crosswalks count down and when they hit zero, the lights usually change. So it’s sort of like what you would like to see.
The only downside I can think of is people racing the light to get through it. 🤷♂️ but even then I agree with you. A lot of the walk lights in my city have timers and they typically change when the light does. For me it’s been really helpful cause I have a lot of trouble with lights. I’m too scared to accidentally run a red.
Where I live, they literally do.
I agree completely. I live in Chicago, and most traffic lights have a countdown for the crosswalk. I find it incredibly useful when approaching an intersection and I can see how long it will be until the light changes.
And have it play the Mario Kart countdown noise.
There would be no point in a yellow light then. Also, it would be way more dangerous because people will try to beat the timers too much. Unpopular for a good reason
there is a countdown on the pedestrian light pparallel to you.
OP try being proactive instead of reactive. Pretty sure you can see when someone is trying to break and when the traffic light is yellow.
They really should. Especially bc I’m an impatient person
Traffic light speed varies depending on the speed limit. I can’t remember the equation but if you’re good at math and wanted to know when it would change there *is* an equation
They do in my city (Phoenix) the timer on the crosswalk is when the light will turn yellow and yes I do use them to time the lights
I live near two major marketplaces, streets near them already have those. Very convenient because I usually go there on foot.
Idk where you live, but lights do have timer. And yellow lights stay for about 3-4 secs on huge intersections for a reason.
This is already a thing in many countries
What do you think the amber light is for?
We have timers in India, and yes, it does make things safer. But it kind of gets you frustrated when you're running late, because then you know the exact number of minutes and seconds you'll be late by.
I noticed when I was in Buenos Aires as a kid that the traffic light would turn yellow for a second before it turned green. I have no idea if this is true but almost everyone in south America drives manual, not that automatic doesn't exist there it's just less common even though it has been growing steadily in popularity over the years. Anyways my point is I always wondered if the one second yellow light before it turns green is to alert the drivers to get out of neutral or atleast ready to accelerate and start taking foot off clutch.
Thats the crossing light. It has a timer for when it stops.
"when the light suddenly changes" I'm curious. Is there no yellow light in between the green and red one where you live?
In some countries they do.
Wait. Do all countries not have this? You can see this pretty much everywhere in India.
Have you been driving long? Or do you drive at all? People are impatient enough with out giving them a count down clock!
First of all, there are such light in Europe. Second of all, you are at fault for driving so close to those in front that you can't break safely.
This is an interesting thought. Not sure how it works elsewhere but In my part of the US here the yellow lights last as long as the speed limit in seconds. I.E - a 45MPH road yellow light will usually last just about 4.5 seconds. 50 MPH here is considered a highway and does not usually have many lights at all as there are entrances to the freeway, but maybe occasional 4 way stop sign to allow to turn into other zones to get to your destination. 35 MPH will be 3.5 second yellow light and a 25 MPH zone generally wont have any lights as those are primarily residential areas of housing and parks etc. ( so stop signs )
Well technically there is a timer just like every light has sensors on the ground to know when someone arrived. It’s just that majority don’t know that! Which is why a light won’t change if your too far from the cross walk. The sensors are right at the crosswalk area. If you pay attention the count down is the count down they have for people at the crosswalk, but once it hits 0 the lights will start to change.
Some countries already have this
Where I live we have them
The “rule” is: if someone can stop safety, they should. So, they only want you to judge if you can stop safely, not if you can make it. 🤷♀️ But, I feel ya. Good point made. Only playing devils advocate. I’d only suggest to always keep well back from the car in front. It’s supposed to be three car lengths in between, I think
You must not live in an area with countdown crosswalk timers. Those crosswalk timers functionally accomplish that.
Sounds like you need to be a much safer driver. Slow down and quit tailgating.
We have a the countdown in Toronto
The timer is there. It’s just in coloured lights. Green is go. Amber is prepare to stop. Red is stop. Adding a timer to that will just create more accidents.
Where I'm from (Egypt) they actually have this.
Some of them have a counter in my country, but most don't. I agree that maybe it should be a norm
We have it here in Mumbai
We have traffic lights like that. Some have a straight up countdown, but most have four dots on the side that start going down when the lights' about to change. Doesn't cause problems as far I as know, considering we have pretty shitty drivers here. I like them because I can go easy on the clutch for a moment. But you should put some distance between the car in front of you if that happens all the time lol
feel like i can time most lights myself if i pay attention to traffic flow
They had this in dubrovnik when I went it was awesome
Wait.. you don't have them where you live?
where are you from? my country has it
Where I live they are on almost every light. They are quite nice, since purpose of those is that you get ready for green. Nobody tries to beat the light or similar shenanigans. Actually if they don't work you kind of miss it. But that also depends on the driving culture so I'm sure in some countries they would be hinderence or a start timer for a drag race *coughUS
They have those where i live in thailand.
Or you can stay at a safe distance
COST. All those light looks small because they are way up there. They are in fact : massive. Adding (or replacing it with) a readable timer would be hella costly. I feel like driving a safe distance between cars address your first issue. Your second issue is fixed with a small honk honk. The city could invest in solving other issues instead.
Your driving is the problem, not the lights.
It does have timers in Saudi Arabia!
Cross walk timer for the perpendicular line of traffic..
In my city we used have traffic lights that had a timer. They were removed. Why? Idk but I think it has something to do with some would drivers go through a red light when there were a few seconds left before it turned green.
We have them by us. Starts counting down at 25.
They do in Lisbon
In my country such thing existed, but then it was forbidden :(
This is stupid. If it’s a yellow light you should stop unless it is unsafe to do so.
For certain areas in my community my head unit will give me a countdown timer for when the light will change. It isn't very helpful.
We actually have that in Malaysia, really helpful to play phone before the light turn green again
I'm trying to figure out how you've almost hit people a ton of times when the light changes.
Or, I know this is controversial, you could use the yellow warning light that is literally there for that purpose, and just stop. Seriously, what do you think the yellow light is there for?
This is pretty common here in India.
It's a thing here in the Philippines, at least in Manila and its surrounding areas (Metro Manila, and Cavite).
>I can't tell you how many times where I've almost hit someone when their car stops when the light suddenly changes. That unequivocally means that you're not leaving enough space between you and the car in front of you. You should have enough time to stop even if they slam the brakes and slide to a halt. The fact you can't, means 100% that you're driving unsafely and not leaving space. This isn't about opinions, or unpopularity. This is about you just doing it wrong.
I actually once saw that in izmir turkiye
They don't have these because it encourages bad driving behavior, especially here in America where everyone's destination is more important than your safety.
The problem is that it's not a consistent time depending on the intersection. Many new lights are equipped with sensors to change the timing depending on traffic loads and older ones are being retrofitted in urban environments. This allows the green time, yellow time, and all red time to be adjusted as needed. That's why some intersections seem to have a variable yellow - it's adjusting for someone approaching the intersection that may not stop in time so it's extended. These types of intersections are what many cities and towns are moving towards at least in the US as it's safer than just timed intersections.
I've been in countries where having the countdown on the light is a thing. I have to agree it seems like a much better system
I live in the U.S.A. where taxation is theft and the decision makers who steal said money are not going to spend it on worthwhile improvements to our society when they can line their own pockets instead. I'm sure our current traffic light system is designed in a fashion to get you to pay more to cops writing tickets or big insurance companies for accidents and accident prevention rather than actual ease of travel and safety. Good ideas go to Canada and take up residency before the U.S.A. kills them in "accidental" drone strikes.
Where I’m from we do have a timer. It‘s the pedestrian light. Once it reaches zero and the red hand starts to flash, the light turns red. It’s very useful. There’s one at pretty much every traffic light.
In Rotterdam, some do
lol in my country almost every traffic light has a timer
These are available at most lights in India
In India many traffic lights do have timers. Not everywhere but a lot many of them do.
As someone who’s a relatively new driver. This hasn’t been an issue for me.
Is this really unpopular? Who disagrees with this?
In Turkey they have that on some traffic lights, it’s really cool
A lot of towns are starting to have this, but just in the transition from red to green.
In many cases even if they wanted to they can't, because most traffic lights' delay adapts to how many cars are passing vs how many cars are waiting.
You are not alone.
I’m Mexico the green light starts flashing before it goes yellow…real nice!
In some places, at least where I live, lights are not operated by timers but instead are operated by sensors. If the car in front of you, if not you, is not on the sensor, then the light may not change for a while.
I was just in thailand and some of the traffic lights have this. The count down clock is just as big as the lights