At 30 MPH you will travel about 35 ft per second.
The trick is; when you are about 150 feet from a traffic signal -(when it is green) cover the brake with your foot (not applying the brake - just cover) - if the light turns yellow you can safely stop. If it stays green, go back to the gas pedal - don't gun it, just a normal acceleration.
Any more info and under union rules, I must start charging! :smilewinkgrin:
DI Salty
Several other tricks include....
When approaching a signaled intersection on a US hwy in rural or sparsely populated or pop-up commercial zones... don't assume all lights are tripped by entering traffic..... Observing the light from afar... consider if the green is a 'stale' green, then it is likely to turn yellow to red on approach. ....Follow Salty's advice (see above).
If you are approaching a light controlled intersection and traffic is following too close behind you.... and may be watching you instead of the signals... hence they are following you.... don't assume that they will have time to stop if you wait to the last minute.
If they are too close, you can't run fast enough to keep them off your tail...... but you can slow down early to give them time to respond earlier if you find you have to stop ....instead of encouraging a meeting greeting into your back seat. The only margin you have control of is the margin of safety infront: If a driver properly times his stops.... provided the yellow light gives the right amount of caution for a safe and proper stop.... one can slow to time their stop short of the stop line.... which is for the Bumper of the vehicle.... not the front wheels.... in which case, the driver of the first car stopping has some lee way to roll forward to give up his own safety marging to a late stopper behind him, preventing or reducing a rear end collision.... without having to enter the cross walk or the busy intersection.
However.... In some studies.... done by consumer safety studies independent of the industry camera sponsors and marketing..... have shown significant results disputing .... the cameras MAY reduce the number of collisions within intersections.... which typically are high casualty/death type collisions, when they do occur, BUT if adjustments aren't made to the yellow lights to give proper warning for traffic and speed to make safe stops without emergency type braking or sudden stops.... then the increase in rear end accidents DO INCREASE.... and many result in serious casualties and fatalities... even to persons wearing proper restraints.
A person who gets a ticket for a camera spotted red light run.... does not get immediate notification so that he can challenge it: The automatic assumption is that it is a totally objective citation.... and that there are no mechanical or technological malfunctions or unjust settings of timing.... and guilt is automatically assumed. When he gets notification weeks or even months later... it is far too long for him to know or recreate the situation or present a reasonable defense.
Yes, I wholeheartedly agree that the persons who habitually run yellow/red lights are playing a very dangerous game of chicken with their lives and others... and don't even belong behind the controls of a WMD on the HWY. They need to be stopped! Period! But many or most of these same drivers already have other bad habits such as tail gaiting, aggressive driving, weaving between lanes to get the best or forward most position, failure to signal lane changes or turns, and failure to acknowledge the courteous yielding of room to other drivers signaling intentions or needs to merge or enter lanes: In short... if all rules of the road were enforced more evenly.... these would come under sufficient scrutiny because of their build up of violations and infractions that their license could be flagged for more serious consequences (various levels of limitations or suspensions) or remedial driver training programs.
While many states allow automatic renewals of drivers licenses for periods of safe driving without tickets or citations.... with minor proficiencies such as eye exam required...... most states are now keeping a history of all citations and accidents on a driver's record.... and the laws between the states are even allowing these records to transfer with the individual when he moves from one state to another. One may not even know this until or unless he applies for a CDL or is employed in a driving position by a company responsible for insuring him on their records.
