Obviously all this is hypothetical as speeding on public roads is an offence and offenders should be locked up and the key thrown away.

There are a set of traffic lights, which are in a 40 limit. They remain green unless there is a vehicle waiting to pull out...it's a T junction. That vehicle is detected by a sensor and it is a quiet road so very rarely are the lights red.

Now if a vehicle was travelling towards the green lights at say, around 50, do some traffic lights have sensors to detect speeding and as such turn the lights to red to slow down the traffic. The lights sequence to red, and in less than 3 seconds go back to green. It can be seen that the lights at the connecting road remain red.

Is this a known speed reduction technique or pure fluke that it happens a lot?

Thanks!

I know of a few sets of rural traffic lights that detect headlights and switch to green if there's nothing else coming in the early hours, but I've not come across ones that detect speed.

Its done to create congestion in cities. It is there to make people feel as if there are too many cars on the road. Big cities are terrible for it - London the best example. I get this all the time driving home at 3am from work, lights change as you approach, then once you stop they change to green again...

Some crack pot MP's think its a great idea...

This was shown lately to be a way of making motorists wasting fuel, and hence the treasury raking in more fuel duty. Some lights are triggered by induction loops buried in the road, and yes these can detect speed.

I,ve noticed this too.You approach the lights then they suddenly change to red and the side roads go green but nobody was waiting in the side roads :confused:

Traffic lights certainly can detect speed, if they are the correct type. Its quiet common in some parts of spain, and its a great speeding detterant. If you drive at the limit then the lights stay green, speed and they stop you on a red, so you make slower progress than driving at the limit.

At least I live in a town where we have one roundabout with traffic signals and 2 other junctions with lights on, apart from that we have no traffic lights at all.

Traffic lights certainly can detect speed, if they are the correct type. Its quiet common in some parts of spain, and its a great speeding detterant. If you drive at the limit then the lights stay green, speed and they stop you on a red, so you make slower progress than driving at the limit.

At least I live in a town where we have one roundabout with traffic signals and 2 other junctions with lights on, apart from that we have no traffic lights at all.

Plus if you do speed and cause the lights to turn to red , you get some pretty evil looks from the other spanish drivers. I saw this happen a few times in the Basque region - not an area noted for being shy.

I complained to Cheshire CC about a particular set of lights that controls a very busy junction of a garden center (during open hours 9-6).

At night they ALWAYS turn red if you approach them if the road os quiet and the garden center is closed,, bearing in mind this road is a national speed limit dual carriageway.

They actually did reply much to my astonishment :eek: and openly admitted that it was to slow traffic down.

On an empty road at midnight? Completely and utterly beggars belief.

I've tried approaching them at 20 mph thinking it was speed related, but it makes no difference, and as soon as you've virtually stopped, they revert back to green. :rotz:

Makes my bladder bubble and froth it does.

As already stated, imo it's just a ploy to get us all to use more fuel to swell the rancid governments slush fund. Prescott needs more pies you know.

BBC NEWS | UK | Drivers catch green lights 'wave'

I complained to Cheshire CC about a particular set of lights that controls a very busy junction of a garden center (during open hours 9-6).

At night they ALWAYS turn red if you approach them if the road os quiet and the garden center is closed,, bearing in mind this road is a national speed limit dual carriageway.

They actually did reply much to my astonishment :eek: and openly admitted that it was to slow traffic down.

On an empty road at midnight? Completely and utterly beggars belief.

I've tried approaching them at 20 mph thinking it was speed related, but it makes no difference, and as soon as you've virtually stopped, they revert back to green. :rotz:

Makes my bladder bubble and froth it does.

As already stated, imo it's just a ploy to get us all to use more fuel to swell the rancid governments slush fund. Prescott needs more pies you know.

Thats what P's me off is no matter if you crawl to a red light sometimes, it'll wait til you stop before going green

BBC NEWS | UK | Drivers catch green lights 'wave'

Previously the Department for Transport (DfT) had discouraged the systems which reduce fuel use, resulting in less tax being paid to the Treasury.

Well there we have it then ey? Confirmation of what we'd already assumed. Absolutely diddly squat to do with slowing traffic down for safety, just yet another money making scam by HMrancidthievingG.

If you don't mind, I'm going to forward that news item onto CCC for their reaction following their lily livered excuse and lies to me.

When I was on holiday in Bulgaria a couple of months back I noticed that a lot of traffic lights have timers which show how long till they next change, seemed like a really good idea.

When I was on holiday in Bulgaria a couple of months back I noticed that a lot of traffic lights have timers which show how long till they next change, seemed like a really good idea.

Most countries have good ideas to HELP the motorist....except this one. :rotz:

This has been on the A40 around Marylebone for years

When I was on holiday in Bulgaria a couple of months back I noticed that a lot of traffic lights have timers which show how long till they next change, seemed like a really good idea.

Perfect for a drag race?

ive found some in swindon if you approch them i think its 2 mph under the limit you can make it through the whole series on green.